The Kiger facelift comes only a month after the up to date Triber, and will get function enhancements. How does all of it stack up?
After the Triber, Renault has now facelifted the Kiger. The compact SUV shares its CMF-A + platform with the Triber and its updates are centred across the entrance and interiors; it stays mechanically unchanged.
Renault Kiger design and engineering: 7/10
A lot of aptitude with a sporty crossover look, moderately than upright SUV.
The bonnet high is carried over and that energy bulge nonetheless seems to be good and sporty. Not like the earlier automotive, which had an indent to accommodate the massive Renault diamond brand, the facelift’s fascia is flat. Talking of which, the Kiger now carries Renault’s new brand, which is quite a bit smaller and appears good and neat nestled within the slim grille. The grille, which used to droop down earlier, additionally will get the straight-line remedy. The facelift additionally brings LED fog lights, whereas the LED DRLs and headlights are carried over. The decrease bumper space has a big trapezoidal space that will get a brushed silver end.
Updates embody a slimmer grille, redone bumper and the brand new Renault brand. Issues stay the identical in profile, save for the newly styled 16-inch alloy wheels and the fender garnish with ‘Turbo’ lettering; the ‘R’ being finished in pink is a pleasant contact. Additionally painted in pink are the entrance brake calipers, which properly contrasted the newly launched yellow color on our check automotive. Roof rails full the design, and in contrast to a few of its rivals, it is purposeful and may take a load of as much as 50kg.
New 16-inch alloys and red-painted calipers.
On the rear, it sports activities the brand new Renault brand together with a brand new ‘Kiger’ lettering, the tail-lights at the moment are LED models, and the bumper’s decrease edge is reprofiled. The remaining is carried over, so you’ve got the cool-looking break up spoiler and shark fin antenna on the high.
On the entire, it is a properly finished replace, and whereas the entrance finish does look extra upright, it’s nonetheless extra of a sporty cross than an upright SUV.
Renault Kiger inside house and luxury: 8/10
Interiors look premium and from a phase above; house is loads.
New colors and supplies lend it a extra premium really feel.
The interiors see a giant change in colors and supplies, and on the entire, areas that instantly catch your eye look premium and nicely completed. The place the sooner automotive had all-black interiors, the brand new Kiger sports activities a light-weight gray color on the decrease half of the dashboard, door arm rests and the seats. Wanting notably cool was the liberal however tasteful use of yellow distinction stitching on the steering wheel, gear lever shroud, seat borders, bolsters and the arm relaxation. The entrance seat backrests even have the brand new Renault brand embroidered in the identical yellow, which seems to be actually neat and premium.
Entrance seats now ventilated; new Renault brand embroidered on the backrest.
As earlier than, inside house is sweet with ample headroom and loads of legroom, particularly for rear passengers; nonetheless, taller drivers will discover the footwell cramped. The seats are comfortable, with the outer two seats being good and broad and the centre seat being wider than common. There’s additionally a flip down armrest with cup holders. The entrance seats have good bolstering, with ventilated seats upping the consolation issue.
Headroom and legroom on the rear is sweet.
Storage areas are the identical as earlier than: twin gloveboxes with a deep middle console, giant door pockets, two cellphone trays, with one being a wi-fi charger. Boot house stands at 405 liters which might be prolonged by way of the 60:40 break up rear seats.
Renault Kiger options and security: 8/10
Ventilated seats, 360 deg digicam a part of the tools listing; 6 airbags now customary.
The brand new Kiger comes with just a few new options, with the spotlight being ventilated entrance seats and a 360-deg digicam which has a transparent sufficient feed. It lacks a 3D view, however given the poor execution that many have, this isn’t that a lot of a miss. The cooled seats work nicely and are operated by way of buttons on the financial institution of switches simply above the auto local weather management dials. The dials work properly with outlined increments and look neat with the built-in shows. There’s ambient lighting too, not by way of LED strips however white bulbs positioned beneath areas just like the door handles and the centre console. It doesn’t look fairly as elaborate as pinstriping, however provides a pleasant glow to the recesses.
360-degree digicam is a brand new addition; display decision might have been higher.
The digital instrument cluster is carries over as is the 8-inch touchscreen. Whereas it does supply wi-fi smartphone projection, Renault ought to have upgraded the display’s decision; it seems to be fairly lacklustre towards rivals. Auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers have been included, too.
Security will get a lift with all variants of the brand new Kiger sporting 6 airbags as customary, together with ESP, traction management, TPMS and hill begin help. Whereas the brand new Kiger’s crash check score has not been launched, it is value noting that the pre-facelift automotive secured a 4-star score underneath the older protocol.
Steering wheel additionally will get the brand new brand.
Renault Kiger efficiency and refinement: 8/10
Turbo unit is peppy and CVT works nicely with minimal rubberband impact.
Unusually, Renault organised the drive of the brand new Kiger facelift inside the ICAT testing facility in Manesar. Nonetheless, this did give us an opportunity to check out the Kiger turbo in a secure house. It continues to get the identical 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engines: the naturally aspirated unit places out 72hp and 96Nm, whereas the turbo makes 100hp and 160Nm (152Nm on the CVT). A 5-speed MT is customary, however the NA engine might be had with an AMT, whereas the turbo will get a CVT choice.
Kiger’s turbo-petrol engine is peppy, however will get noisy when pushed exhausting.
We drove each guide and auto variations of the turbo engine, and, as earlier than, got here away impressed. The engine is peppy and a fast stab of the throttle gives a fast response; not like a typical turbo, energy stays robust and linear even a bit previous 5,000rpm. It does whine quite a bit although when pushed exhausting, however refinement is sweet and the standard three-cylinder thrum is nicely contained when pushed at a traditional tempo.
The guide gearbox isn’t very feelsome, and we’d choose the CVT. It’s acquired little or no of that rubberband impact, and is nearly absent in metropolis speeds. It does a very good job of staying within the powerband, one thing it’s important to be aware of with the guide.
CVT gearbox is the choose of the vary; has little or no rubberband impact.
It will get three drive modes – Eco, Regular and Sport – with sufficienct differentiation between them. By way of acceleration, the earlier turbo Kiger clocked a 0-100kph time of 11.54 seconds, and that is unlikely to alter within the new automotive.
Renault says they’ve added quite a lot of insulation, like within the cowl space and thicker carpets, however there’s a good quantity of mechanical sound that makes its manner inside, proper from the rev of the engine to the suspension and brakes and even the rear wiper motor.
Renault Kiger experience consolation and dealing with: 8/10
Journey and dealing with is sweet and nicely composed even at velocity.
It drives in a sure-footed method, feeling like an even bigger and heavier automotive.
Having pushed the Kiger contained in the check facility, it’s exhausting to guage the experience high quality; nonetheless, we anticipate it to stay the identical as earlier than, which is sweet. The experience is compliant and there’s a pleasant sure-footedness at velocity. On the entire, it rides like an even bigger and heavier automotive. It handles nicely too, and emergency lane adjustments on the monitor had been nicely composed.
Renault Kiger mileage and gasoline financial system: 7/10
ARAI claimed mileage of 20.38kpl for the turbo.
The ARAI-claimed mileage of the Kiger is 20.38kpl for the turbo-manual, whereas naturally aspirated engine with the guide gearbox has a claimed effectivity of 19.83kpl.
Renault Kiger worth and verdict: 7/10
Misses out just a few options, however is sweet worth for house and efficiency on supply.
The Kiger gained our 2022 Autocar Compact SUV of the Yr award and it’s not exhausting to see why. 4 years on, although, the replace ought to have had a bit extra equipment like a sharper touchscreen and quick USB charging slots. Insulation must be higher too, as mechanical noises nonetheless make their manner into the cabin. These points apart, there’s quite a bit to love. The turbo engine stays a delight and is a excessive level on this phase – it’s responsive, and feels nautral to drive when paired with the CVT. On the within, it is spacious and decently geared up and the facelift has actually upped the premium appear and feel. It additionally will get helpful options like ventilated seats and quite a lot of security equipment as customary.
Priced from Rs 6.30 lakh for the bottom naturally aspirated engine and going as much as Rs 10.00 lakh for the absolutely loaded turbo-manual, it is good worth. And whereas the top-spec CVT is available in at a 1.3 lakh premium, it is nonetheless good worth given the automated’s efficiency and total worth place within the phase. So far as updates go then, it is a good one, and it’ll undoubtedly maintain the Kiger alive within the crowded and aggressive compact SUV phase.
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Renault Kiger facelift video assessment
