We take a look at the specs of the soon-to-be-launched Renault Kwid and compare it with its competitors from other brands.
In India, the highest number of sales have always come from the entry level hatchback segment and it is largely dominated by the Maruti Suzuki Alto since many years now. Till now, companies like Hyundai and Datsun have tried eating into the numbers of the Alto but they haven’t been too successful. Now, Renault is entering the segment and is coming with an intention to shake it up with its latest offering, the Kwid. So how does the new kid stack up against the old ones? We find out.
At the very first glance it is hard to believe that the Renault Kwid competes in the same segment as the Maruti Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon 0.8 because it gets a beefy SUV like stance thanks to its high ground clearance and body cladding all around. The dimensions of the car are also generous and it is much longer than the other two cars here. The width is also slightly more which would liberate more shoulder room for rear passengers. Coming to boot space, this is where the Renault overshadows the other cars of its segment. At 300-litres, it is almost 1.5 times the boot of the Hyundai Eon and 1.75 times the boot of the Maruti Suzuki Alto.
Coming to the engines, all the three cars get 3-cylinder petrol motors with displacement close to 800cc. It is the Renault Kwid which makes the most power while the Hyundai Eon trumps in torque figures. Not much can be said about the performance of the Kwid’s engine right. Coming to the interiors, the Renault hatchback will be getting a 6-inch touchscreen infotainment system which is a segment first. The all-digital instrument cluster also looks funky. Basic features such as power steering, front power windows and central locking are available in all the three cars whereas the Alto and Eon get an option of driver airbag in the top-end trim. On paper, the Kwid looks like a winner. It remains to be seen how well do customers accept the car.
