Renault Kiger SUV made its global debut in India

KUALA LUMPUR: In the Indian market, here comes another hot entry in the already crowded sub-4m compact SUV segment named the Renault Kiger. Two months back, the French automaker unveiled the concept of the new SUV and now finally it pulled the covers off the production-spec version that retains almost the same appeal. Let’s have a look at the details of the all-new Renault Kiger.

The Renault SUV is basically a Nissan Magnite, with a different set of clothes and features as it underpins the same Renault-Nissan’s CMF-A+ platform. Dimensionally, it is 3991 mm long, 1750 mm wide, 1600 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2500 mm. The ground clearance of the SUV is 205 mm.

In terms of styling, the front-end looks premium with a triple projector LED headlamp setup, sleek LED DRLs, and a bold grille. Turn indicators are integrated into the daytime running lights, which merge onto the grille. The swooping A-pillar makes the silhouette look more coupe-ish rather than SUV. Other styling appointments include black body cladding on the fenders, C-shaped LED tail lights, and a cool set of 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.

Inside, the all-black cabin is loaded with a number of modern-day amenities, including

• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Philips air purifier
• Automatic air conditioning system with rear vents
• 7-inch digital instrument cluster
• Wireless charging
• Arkamys sound system
• keyless entry and push-button stop-start
• Wireless smartphone replication
• Cruise control
• White ambient lighting

The cabin has 29 litres of storage spaces for knick-knacks, including a central armrest providing 7.5 litres of space, 10.5 litres glove box, one upper glove box measuring 4.4 litres, four one litre water bottle holders, and two cupholders. The boot capacity of the SUV is 405 litres, expandable up to 879 litres with the second row folded.  

Renault will offer the Kiger in two engine options - a 1.0-litre petrol engine generating 72 PS of maximum power and 96 Nm of peak torque and a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit rated at 100 PS and 160 Nm.  A 5-speed manual transmission will be standard across both mills, with an option of an automatic transmission for the naturally aspirated engine and a CVT gearbox for the turbo motor.

For safety, the SUV is equipped with four airbags, ABS with EBD, parking sensors, electronic stability control, and a parking camera.

The Renault Kiger is slated to launch in March 2021 in India where it will lock horns against the Hyundai Venue, Nissan Magnite, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Kia Sonet, and Toyota Urban Cruiser. Post that, the automaker has plans to introduce the model in other markets as well.

Also read: Meet the Renault R5 electric car concept, to enter production soon