Renault has unveiled the much-anticipated production-ready Kiger, in India. A compact SUV that will first go on sale in India (followed by other select markets globally), the Kiger will soon go up against the likes of Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Maruti Brezza, Mahindra XUV300 and Tata Nexon in the Indian market. Official prices have not been announced yet though we expect the Kiger to be priced in the Rs 6-9 lakh range. The five-seater compact SUV will be offered with two engine options; a 3-cylinder normally aspirated petrol (72bhp, 96Nm) and a 3-cylinder turbo-petrol (100bhp, 160Nm). The former will be available with 5-speed manual and Easy-R AMT transmission options, while the latter will get a 5-speed manual and an X-Tronic CVT.
Renault believes that the compact SUVs segment will continue to do very well in India. According to the French company, compact SUVs accounted for 13% market share in the B-segment in India in 2015 and that figure is expected to go up to 34% this year. And to get a big chunk of that market, the Kiger has been designed for Indian consumers, with maximum importance having been given to the things that really matter for Indian buyers. ‘The Kiger combines the best Renault has to offer – our expertise in innovative cars, with the creativity and in-depth knowledge of customer needs,’ said Fabrice Cambolive, SVP, Renault Brand, Sales & Operations. ‘True to the promise of the show car, the Renault Kiger is a robust, dynamic SUV. It’s been designed to take on any type of road. It has an SUV-coupé look but its long wheelbase promises space and comfort,’ added Laurens Van Den Acker, EVP, Group Design, Renault.
With its squat, muscular styling, 16-inch alloy wheels, LED DRLs and LED taillamps, flared wheel arches with black cladding, high ground clearance, blacked-out roof and fully functional roof rails, the Kiger has the SUV-specific design cues that Indian consumers love. Available colours on this sub-4m SUV will include white, grey, brown, blue and red, with a black roof available as an option.
The Kiger’s smart, spacious interiors boast high levels of build quality and impeccable fit and finish. There’s an automatic aircon, full smartphone connectivity, an 8-inch floating touchscreen for infotainment, configurable colour TFT instrument panel, and simple, well-laid-out controls. There’s generous seating for five adults and boot space is an ample 405 litres, which can be extended to 879 litres with the second row of seats folded down. Multiple driving modes are available, including normal, eco and sports, with the last one optimised for improved throttle response and quicker gearshifts, for enhanced acceleration. The Kiger also gets a high-end 8-speaker Arkamys sound system for high-quality music output on the move. Safety features include twin front airbags, two side airbags and ABS.
‘Today, we take another major step in India with the global reveal of Renault Kiger, our all-new B-segment compact SUV, which will stand out as an excitingly sporty, smart offering. The Kiger will make SUV aspirations accessible to a whole new set of customers and we look forward to building on our increasing customer base with this new game-changer,’ said Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO & Managing Director, Renault India Operations. We have to admit, the Kiger seems to have all the right stuff – it certainly seems to have the potential to do very well in face of the stiff competition it faces in India. We hope to drive the car and bring you full review soon, so stay tuned.
