Renault KWID

Synopsis

The ever increasing demand for entry level cars is on its top gear now, with every car manufacturer chasing down to fulfill the need with its product. Tata has given their new Nano for the fight recently and Renault is ready with a much premium looking offering for the segment. KWID, as the car has been named, looks more than what it is said to cost. The base model of KWID is available for just Rs. 2.56 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

The car can be a fortune maker for Renault as its hatchback has never been a popular car for the country. Even the sales of larger vehicles have gone done considerably, forcing the automaker for some beautiful and fully utilizable change. The mentality of an Indian mind has been clearly understood by engineers at Renault, making those 2 factors (design + price) under a perfect bar.

Providing 98 percent of localization has helped in keeping the cost as low as INR 2.56 lakh (for the base model) and 80 percent of designing by Indian minds will cleverly win over the basic Indian on-road problems and obstacles.

Exterior

The KWID comes with an unbelievable crossover like design, which seems to differentiate the car from all the segment competitors. The car looks much expensive from its front look, but the price is truly satisfactory for the buyers. The best part of the KWID is the front. The car looks premium from the front, with an all new grill and aggressive looking headlights.

The hood seems next to a perfect automobile architecture and the net structure below the front grill has been beautifully integrated into the bumper. The cars in the segment are rather simple but Renault has ignited the fire in the entry level hatchback segment. The tyres have plastic cladding which follows unevenly through the body, being present at the front and rear only.

Cladding ends after the wheel arches, followed by an optional body side cladding at a bit higher level than the base body line. The car gets an option of 6 accessory packages, providing chrome accents at various required points on the outer body as well as covers interior finishing. The rear looks pretty cute as the tail lights are exactly the opposite of the front sharp and smoked headlamps. Roof rails are available as a part of essential accessory pack.

Instrument Console

The instrument console on the new KWID is fully-digital and is enclosed in a very elegant setup. The center houses the digital speedometer, with the odometer also in the same segment. The right has the digital fuel gauge, whereas the left of the console houses lights for seat belt, battery and all other indications.

This will be the first ever digital display in the entry level segment, which clearly shows Renault’s plan of being a class apart from other manufacturers. The KWID also gets gear shift indicator instead of a tachometer for a perfect shift every time.

Interior

The interior of the KWID is the best one which can be offered in the segment. It comes with a touchscreen which also supports navigation and Bluetooth. The unit has been carried over from the mighty Duster and looks perfectly placed at the center. The interior looks premium from the first look and the placing of buttons on the dash increases the beauty of the car.

The air vents are practically designed, with two large glove boxes for easy storage of important things in the car. The gear lever has been beautifully designed and the center console looks very gentle and clean. Everything seems perfect for an entry level hatchback. The spacing inside is a positive point for the newcomer. Rear seats are generally tight on the entry level cars but Renault has blessed the KWID with no such objection, providing plenty of headroom and leg space at the back. In short, it’s excellent for 4 and sufficient for 5 passengers.

Engine & Gearbox

The Renault KWID comes with a 3-cylinder, 799 cc petrol motor, which is the most economical motor in the segment by Renault. The masterpiece produces 53.2 BHP and 72 NM of torque. The gearbox used is 5-speed manual and the talks for an AMT has been kept for some other time.

KWID returns a claimed mileage of 25.17 kmpl, making it the most powerful and mileage friendly petrol car of India. The car seems large from its visuals only, the engine factor makes it very competitive in the Indian market as no other brand is offering aggressive looking mini beast with all such advanced features.

Brakes & Suspension

Renault KWID comes with front disc brakes and the rear brakes have been kept drum units only. The car has gone through many cost cutting and weight reduction reforms, keeping the tyres tied with a 3-nut fitting design. They have been kept reasonably good at 155/80-R13, but a bigger R14 size would have been suited and appreciated more.

ABS has been missing from the KWID as none of the cars in this segment gets the same as an option. Suspension for the front is a McPherson strut with lower transverse link and the rear uses a twist beam with coil spring. With India in mind, Renault has built the KWID with excellent suspension properties, making the KWID good for bad roads too. The ground clearance of 180 mm for a better and hassle free ride has also been provided.

Comfort & Safety

KWID wins in the entire field and it comes with the most comfortable spacing in its segment. The car also gets 300 litre of boot space, making it good for a family trip for few days. Also, it’s the largest amount of space being provided in an entry level hatchback.

KWID comes with a lot of interior storage spaces and comes with a powerful air conditioning unit with heater. The navigation facility is first in-class feature and the ease of traveling gets further enhanced with the same. The tyres have been kept tubeless as sudden inflation would be definitely avoided with the move, keeping the passengers safe and comfortable at odd times.

The power windows for the front are very useful as most of the trims from the rivals are missing on this feature too. KWID gets an engine immobilizer for a safer experience, adding more through its central locking as well as optional driver side airbag option.

Variant-wise Features

KWID is available in 6 variants - Standard, RxE, RxE (O), RxL, RxT and RxT (O). Standard KWID gets black bumpers and a 2 year corrosion warranty on its exterior. The interior gets single tone dashboard, missing on the center piano black console area. The instrument console is digital and only heater has been provided on this variant.

RxE comes with air conditioning unit with heater, silver finish on dashboard engine immobilizer and an optional media pack for RxE (O) with music player without touchscreen including AUX, USB and Bluetooth.

RxL comes with all the above features and additionally gets power steering, body colored bumpers, silver finishing all over the interior and standard media pack with a stereo having radio, AUX, USB and Bluetooth. The 12v power socket has also been provided with it.

RxT, which is the top most trim gets dual tone dashboard, optional driver airbag (RxT (O)), piano black finish on the center console, front power windows, MediaNav touchscreen unit, front fog lamps and remote keyless entry with central locking.

Shades & Price

Renault KWID 800 is available in 5 attractive shades - Fiery Red, Ice Cool White, Planet Grey, Moonlight Silver and Outback Bronze. The base model of Renault KWID is priced at Rs. 2,56,968 and the top-of-the-line RxT (O) is available for Rs. 3,53,131. These prices are ex-showroom Delhi.

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