Renault KWID

Overview

With the aim to capture a pie of share from the small hatchback segment in India, Renault launched Kwid in the year 2015. Till date, Kwid proved to be a runaway success in its class with its SUV like body design, impressive interiors, and pricing that can put a smile on every budget-conscious car buyer in India.

The exterior of Kwid is highly inspired by elder sibling Duster with honeycomb front grille, plastic cladding at sides and high ground clearance giving it a hatch cum SUV look. The rear portion of the car does look like a hatchback with fine looking tail lamps and Renault badge at the center.

The interiors of the car are equally impressive with some first in class features like digital speedometer and touchscreen infotainment with navigation functionality. The Kwid is finished in dual-tone dashboard while the class-leading wheelbase makes spacious affair inside. Renault has not left any stone unturned to give the maximum amount of safety aspects in this budget offering. The car features optional driver’s side airbag, child safety lock, seat belts with pre-tensioners as well as central locking system. Renault also offers a range of customization options such as body decals, body cladding and seat covers for a different class of buyers.

The little hatch from the French automaker is available in five different variants with two petrol engines on offer; 799cc and 999cc. The more powerful 999cc engine can also be availed with the convenience of automated manual transmission. In terms of mileage, here too Kwid scores brownie points with 0.8L engine and 1.0L engine delivering 25.17kmpl and 23kmpl respectively. The AMT version, on the other hand, isn’t short of fuel efficiency as it has the ability to return mileage of 24.04kmpl.

Renault Kwid price in India starts at Rs. 2.67 lakhs for the base variant and goes up to Rs. 4.59 lakhs for the top end Climber variant, all priced ex-showroom, Delhi. Currently, Renault Kwid competes against two players from Maruti Suzuki, the Alto 800 and Alto K10 while Hyundai Eon and Datsun Redi GO are other top contenders in the segment.

Interior

Step inside the Kwid and forget all your concerns about space as it is one of the most spacious cars in its segment. The solid steering wheel is neat with first in class digital instrument cluster featuring 3-pod design. The use of plastic across the cabin is acceptable without giving a dull look to the car.
Renault Kwid has been smartly equipped within its budgetary range. The car features front power windows, air conditioning and central locking. The top end variant gets the same touchscreen infotainment with sat-nav which is being offered in Duster and Lodgy, both of which cost more than twice the Kwid. So it’s a big plus point for the car. The infotainment also comes with sat-nav, USB and Bluetooth telephony.
The car features one of the longest wheelbase in its category at 2423 mm and also wider than its immediate rivals. This makes it more spacious from inside with better legroom and shoulder room. The seats are well padded and well contoured especially for the front passengers. You also get a lot of storage space including two glove boxes, two bottle holders and door side pockets.

Exterior

The design of this tiny hatchback is much more like a mini SUV with elements such as solid grille and flared wheel arches. The headlamps which are neatly integrated with the grille and the sculpted bonnet depicts that the car is asking for premium. The unique elements are also evident in the form of turn indicators which are nicely tucked on the front wheel arches.
The dash of style continues to impress with muscular creases on the side profile. The rear end features minimalist approach with basic taillights and nicely placed Renault badge at the center. The overall looks are further accentuated with the taller stance and the best in class ground clearance of 180 mm.

Mileage Running Cost

One of the biggest advantages of owning a Kwid is the mind blowing fuel efficiency the engines are able to deliver. The ARAI certified mileage of 25.17kmpl in the 799cc variant and 24kmpl in the 1.0L automatic variant is something every budget carbuyer will strive for.

Comfort Suspension

Being a car meant for city drives, the suspension set-up is on the softer side. The car nicely absorbs road imperfections without comprising on the comfort factor. And with AMT addition, the car behaves like a good city commuter with adequate handling.

Engine Performance

The 800cc engine in the Kwid is the all new and company has given major focus in its development. The 3-cylinder petrol engine produces 54PS and 72Nm of max torque, paired with 5-speed manual transmission. The engine performance falls in the low-mid range and enough for you to potter around.
For those who need extra power, the 1.0L engine adds 14PS and 19Nm torque to that figure which totals to 68PS and 91Nm of peak torque. The engine is available in either 5-speed manual or the AMT transmission which eliminates the need of clutch lever for that effortless driving experience.
The NVH levels are also bearable unless you are driving too hard. However, these things go unnoticed when you are busy enjoying the peppy driving.

Braking Safety

The brake of Renault Kwid has adequate grip and can bring the car to halt without any trouble. Moreover, since the car does not have ABS, hard braking can lock up the front wheels. Within the allocated budget, the Kwid gets central locking, child safety locks, front seat belts with pre-tensioners and optional driver side airbag.