Renault KWID

Expert Review by Maxabout

Introduction

The French automaker, Renault, offered the Kwid hatchback in India in September 2015. Initially, the brand intended to sell the car only in India, but it was later expanded to other global markets as well. Produced in our country with 98% local parts, the car was introduced to compete with the other small-segment cars. However, it got some sophisticated features that were not offered by its rivals at that time. The manufacturer debuted the Kwid in India with the hope that it would act as a game-changer for them in the Indian market. Later in October 2019, the brand debuted the facelift model of the Renault Kwid with some cosmetic as well as feature updates.

Renault Kwid Design and Style

In terms of design, the new Renault Kwid hatchback has an entirely redesigned front end. This incorporates a dual headlight configuration, with the LED DRLs and indicators on top and the core headlamp cluster below on the bumper. The enormous blacked-out front bumper has a slim chrome bar that connects the two LED DRLs, with the Renault logo in the midst.

2023 Kwid gets an all-black lip on the bottom of the bumper that is designed to look like a scuff plate. The front appearance of the car is a big strong point, as it looks more stylish than a reasonable price segment vehicle. As for the side profile, the hatch gets matte black elements on the side that add to its beauty. It has cladding on the doors, wheel arches, and roof rails that gives it an impressive look.

The rear design is quite simple, but it doesn’t appear dull. It has Kwid branding along with a camera, and the rear bumper is also finished in matte black. The modest changes from the previous generation include a new illumination design for the tail lamps, which now use LEDs for the stop lighting, while the turn indications and reverse lamps still use halogen bulbs.

Reflectors incorporated into the rear bumper are another addition to the Kwid's makeover. Speaking of the body dimensions, the hatch is 3731mm in overall length, 1579mm in overall width, and 1490mm (with roof rail) in overall height, with a wheelbase of 2422mm.

Renault Kwid Engine and Gearbox

Powering the new Renault Kwid are two engine options, however, both are petrol-powered. The first one is a 799cc, 0.8 SCe, 3-cylinder, 12-valve engine that comes mated with a 5-speed manual synchromesh transmission and churns out 54 HP at 5600 RPM and 72 Nm of torque at 4250 RPM. The other one is 999cc, 1.0 SCe MT & EASY-R, 3-cylinder, 12-valve that is combined with 5-speed manual synchromesh transmission and produces 68 HP at 5500 RPM and a max torque of 91 Nm at 4250 RPM.

Renault Kwid Interior, Instrument Cluster & Boot Space

Renault has designed the new Kwid’s interior in such a way that it looks airy and simple yet classy. The dashboard is totally blacked out, with complementing accents surrounding the AC vents, side door panels, centre console, and seat fabric. The materials used in the interior are of good quality and there is a KWID embedded on the passenger side dashboard. The 7-inch horizontally stacked infotainment screen has been replaced by an 8-inch device. It supports smartphone connectivity via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The cabin space in the car is maximised with sufficient storage areas such as mobile and wallet storage in the front console, a glove box, a parcel shelf, and bottle holders on the front doors. Both the front and rear seats are comfortable, but the headrests are fixed. Headroom and knee room are sufficient, and the armrest is also available in the rear seating row. The instrument cluster is likewise based on the Renault Triber and gets two analogue dials with a display in the middle. The hatch comes with a boot space of 279 litres, which is further expandable to 620 litres for carrying a good amount of luggage for your journeys.

Renault Kwid Brakes, Suspension & Tyres

Braking duties in the new Renault Kwid are handled by disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. While the suspension chores are done by Mac Pherson strut with lower Transverse link at the front and Twist beam suspension with coil spring at the rear. The hatchback is offered with 165/70-R14 size radial tubeless tyres.

Renault Kwid Key Features

Renault has offered the 2023 Kwid plenty of features that add to the worth of the hatch. Some of the prominent features include SUV-styled headlamps, LED DRLs, taillights with LED light guides, a digital instrument console, floor console-mounted AMT dial, 20.32cm touchscreen MediaNAV with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, four-way adjustable front seats, reverse parking camera with guidelines, fast USB charger, day/night IRVM, 12V charging socket, central air vents with chrome knobs and so on. On the safety front, the car comes fitted with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, speed sensing auto door locking, seat belt reminder, over-speed alert, reverse parking sensors and much more.

Renault Kwid Top Speed, Acceleration & Mileage

2023 Renault Kwid accelerates from 0-100 kmph within 16 seconds and can reach a top speed of 130+ km/h. As far as mileage is concerned, the hatch can offer a fuel efficiency of 20-22 km/l, however, it may vary depending on various factors including terrain, driving style and maintenance.

Renault Kwid Variants & Colour Options

As for variants, there are a total of eight variants on offer. These are RXL 0.8, RXL 1.0, RXL(O) 0.8, and RXL(O) 1.0, RXT 1.0, CLIMBER, RXT 1.0 EASY-R and CLIMBER EASY-R. The rich colour scheme of the Renault Kwid consists of six vibrant shades named Fiery Red, Outback Bronze, Moonlight Silver, Zanskar Blue, Metal Mustard and Ice Cool White. Metal Mustard and Ice Cool White are dual-tone shades with a black roof.

Renault Kwid Ex-showroom Price & On-Road Price

At present, the ex-showroom price for the base RXL 0.8 variant of the new Renault Kwid starts at Rs 4.64 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 5.99 lakh for the top-end CLIMBER EASY-R variant. To distinguish between off-road and on-road pricing, the ex-showroom price of a car is the asking price that does not include the cost of road tax, insurance, or registration. The on-road price, on the other hand, includes all of the aforementioned costs as well as insurance, registration, a one-time road tax, an extended warranty, and all vehicle accessories. It is important to note that on-road prices in our country vary widely from state to state.

Renault Kwid Competitors

In the Indian car market, the Renault Kwid locks horns with Datsun Redi-GO, Maruti Celerio, Maruti Alto 800, Maruti S-Presso, Hyundai Santro, Maruti NEXA Ignis and the Tata Tiago.

Verdict - Should You Buy Renault Kwid or not?

Renault has offered the new Kwid hatch with plenty of features despite its very reasonable price range. The car has good looks, and a good powertrain and the handling is really impressive. However, the engine is a bit noisy and you can even feel it from inside the cabin. But still, we can say that at the price point, the hatchback offers more. So, if you are looking for an affordable hatchback with some advanced features, you should go for it.