Renault Kiger – 4 Reasons To Buy & Not Buy
The newest kid on the compact SUV block does have a lot going for it, but it too is flawed and we tell you both the good and the bad about the car.
People looking for reasons to buy the Renault Kiger might not have to look further than its asking price which begins from Rs. 5.45 lakhs (ex-showroom), making it the most affordable product in its class.
However, there are several choices in this segment that might seem more alluring to many for different reasons, including the fact that they come with both petrol and diesel engines or because they have a high safety rating.
But, the Kiger has its own qualities, be it good or bad and we list out 4 reasons each to buy the newest compact SUV and to look elsewhere.
Renault Kiger 4 Reasons To Buy
Features – Even the base RXE model comes with features such as LED DRLs, LED tail lamps, indicators on ORVMs, a 3.5-inch LED instrument cluster and front armrest and the list only grows as one moves up the trim ladder to include options such as LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, 8-inch touchscreen, among others. Safety-wise, the base model is equipped with dual front airbags, ABS, EBD and rear parking sensors.
Turbo Engine Performance – The 999cc 3-cylinder turbo petrol motor puts out 100 PS maximum power at 5000 RPM and up to 160 Nm of torque when equipped with the manual gearbox (152 Nm with CVT). For a car that weighs just over a tonne, this results in some pretty nippy performance, while also returning a (claimed) fuel economy of 20 km/l.
Ride Quality – The Kiger’s twin, which is the Nissan Magnite, is more focused on offering good ride comfort. The Kiger too offers a comfortable ride without becoming choppy over poor surfaces. The 205 mm ground clearance helps the car deal with large potholes and equally large speed bumps too.
Price – As stated before, this tops the Renault Kiger reasons to buy list. The car costs between Rs. 5.45 lakhs and Rs. 9.55 lakhs (both prices ex-showroom), while dual tone variants will cost a bit more. If one has a tight budget, the Kiger makes a lot of sense.
4 Reasons To Not Buy
Kwid-like Styling – Renault looks to have not factored in the price of the Kiger and the segment it competes in when it designed the compact SUV with the Kwid’s front fascia. Unlike the small car, the Kiger has to compete in a segment with cars like the Hyundai Venue and Tata Nexon, which look and feel premium. This will also contribute to the Magnite’s sales for it costs very much the same but looks much better.
Poor NVH Levels – In order to price the Kiger competitively, Renault has cut some corners and the cabin does have poor NVH levels. Again, considering the competition, and the asking price of the top variants, that won’t do.
Basic Interior Quality – Although the car is packed with features, the quality of materials used inside is not that great. Plenty of hard plastics might ensure longevity of parts, but they are not good to touch or look at. For sure that is a downer, especially when the price of the CVT variants are taken into account.
No Diesel Engine Option – Going petrol-only is a formula many manufacturers have accepted these days. However, given than petrol costs Rs. 100/- or close to it in the country, a diesel engine option would have worked wonders for the car. Also, one has to wonder the kind of fuel economy a diesel Kiger would have returned given than the turbo petrol model does pretty well already.
