Renault Kiger Turbo Petrol MT First Drive Impressions

I got the opportunity to take its 1.0-litre turbo petrol manual variant out for a short spin in the city. Since this was my first time driving a turbo petrol with a manual transmission, I did not know what to expect.  Shout to our editor Salil, who tagged along as he has been living in Gurgaon for 10 years and knew the routes well

My closest benchmarks for drawing any comparisons were my family cars - the XUV300 turbo petrol AMT, and the Vitara Brezza diesel manual...which long-time fans of CarHP know was flooded last year but is still alive and rumbling along thanks to a ₹30,000 repair bill. 

This specific Kiger I drove was the ‘Emotion’, which is the fully loaded top-end variant.

Exterior Design 

This was the first time I got to even see the new Kiger up-close, and I have to say it is quite a looker. 

The aggressive lines on the hood give it a slightly beefy look, which really stands out for me. Onto the side, the 16-inch diamond cut alloys, black cladding, glossy black ORVMs and door handles, and roof rails lend this crossover a sporty appeal. 

The Kiger's rear profile is my favourite, thanks to its smoked clear lens taillights, chunky bumper cladding, and the split spoiler.  

This specific unit gets a dual-tone scheme with gloss black pillars and roof, further enhancing the look.

I could see a few inconsistent panel gaps however, which is not ideal.

Overall, the design is quite pleasing to the eye, especially in this Shadow Grey colour. 

The pre-facelift Kiger, although good-looking, resembled the Kwid to some extent, which may have repelled quite a few buyers in the segment. In that regard, Renault has done a great job giving this crossover a fresh appeal.

Also Read - Renault Kiger Variants Explained
 

Interior Layout, Features, Fit and Finish

One of the first things I noticed as I stepped in, was how comfortable and supportive the front seat felt - but more on that in the drive impressions. 

Inside, it gets a black and white theme, with silver and grey inserts in multiple places. Its dashboard looks good and is well laid out, with all controls within easy reach.

The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system has a clear, non-reflective display, and gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that works seamlessly. However, the touch response for some of the infotainment functions felt a tad bit laggy.

Audio quality from the four speakers and two tweeters was good, with clear sound, though not very bassy. Those who are not audiophiles will be more than satisfied with this unit.

The 7-inch TFT display for the instrument cluster is a highlight, with dedicated aesthetic themes for Eco (Green), Normal (Blue), and Sport (Red) modes. It displays useful information such as trip details, TPMS, mileage history, and service reminders, and is easy to navigate via dedicated steering mounted controls.

While many manufacturers are moving towards large touchscreens with important functions embedded into them, Renault has to be appreciated for offering physical buttons for important controls like AC, defoggers, seat ventilation, and the parking camera among others.

All these buttons and steering mounted controls feel tactile and good to operate, with the only exception being the rotary dials for the AC controls which feel quite cheap.

However, there are a lot of hard plastics used, be it for the dashboard panel or the doors, which do not give a premium feel unlike most segment rivals.

Additionally, while the doors feel solid and shut with a decent thud, they make a slight rattling sound. The piano black finish for the center console does look and feel more premium, but is prone to dust and would demand regular cleaning.

The Kiger's rear seat, although comfortable, is best for two adults, and maybe a child. Anything more would compromise shoulder room, to the extent of being uncomfortable. However, as long as the centre passenger is a child or a short adult, they will be comfortable as there is enough legroom and the floor is flat.

Also Read - All You Need to Know About the Renault Bridger Concept SUV
 

Renault Kiger Turbo First Drive Impressions 

Settling into the Triber and finding a proper driving position took me quite a bit longer than I would have expected in any car. The seat recline adjusting lever is a bit oddly placed, further behind where one would usually find it on most cars.

It took me so much time to find that I had to open the door to locate it!

Once I got comfortable, thanks to the multiple seat height adjustments, the car's compact size made it quite easy to judge gaps and manoeuvre in the city. Visibility is decent overall, but even with the seat raised to the highest level, I didn’t get that commanding view of the road like in the Brezza or XUV 3XO, making it feel more like a raised hatchback.

The seat comfort was impressive throughout the drive duration, with the ventilated seats doing their job fairly well.

My passenger noted that cooling was only felt on his lower back and mid thighs and could have been better in terms of cooling spread.

The AC cooling was impressive as well as I found myself turning it off once every few minutes. Though the weather was much cooler than it usually is, it remains to be seen how the system performs on a typical hot summer day.

Another awkward placement was that of the handbrake lever. It is situated unusually high and more towards the passenger than to the driver, which meant I had to reach out and stretch across the entire centre console to operate it. The operation itself felt a bit hard and tricky, and it was not easy to tell if the handbrake was down or pulled up. Many drivers, who are used to having the handbrake in its usual, centre position within easy reach may find this cumbersome and it could take some time getting used to..

As I left my office basement for the test drive, I also became aware of the LED lights our test car had. They were not blindingly bright, but offered a decent spread and illumination. More night driving is required for a full review, in my opinion.

As I zig-zagged my way through Udyog Vihar's 5 p.m. traffic and found an empty enough 2 km stretch of road, the word "Turbo" in the Kiger's nomenclature finally made its presence felt.

There’s little noise at idle, and it’s surprisingly tractable in slow to medium city speeds. I could pull away easily in second gear from very low speeds without constant gear shifting, and the turbo-petrol feels peppy with nice linear acceleration that should be easy for new drivers or anyone not used to turbo engines.

There were a few, short open stretches where I could push the engine a bit more, and its quick response left me quite pleased - and this was in the Normal Drive mode! I did not feel the need to switch it to Sport, which would be best left for highways and expressways.

That being said, I did feel some vibrations through the steering wheel, gear knob, and pedals at low RPMs in higher gears, though these completely vanished once I picked up speed. The gearbox felt notchy, with longer throws than the Maruti manuals I’m used to, and the clutch felt on the slightly heavier side.

Ride quality is decent and the Kiger handles potholes well, even if it’s not the best in the segment. The light steering is perfect for city use, though I cannot comment on the handling characteristics, and how it will feel on the highway.

My passenger also felt the vibrations coming through the floor, even as we drove on near-perfect roads.

The tyres had plenty of life left in them, so it looks like Renault may have skimmed a bit on the underside insulation.

I will refrain from talking about braking as the car I drove had worn-out brake pads, but overall braking was quite adequate for for a SUV in this segment, will no sudden bites or lack of response.

Also Read - Renault Triber 1000km Review: Ideal Family Car?
 

Should You Buy One?

Overall, the Renault Kiger left me with a mixed but mostly positive impression for what it offers as a compact family crossover.

It shines in the areas that matter most for daily city driving. The turbo petrol engine is not just peppy but surprisingly tractable, the light steering and compact dimensions make it easy to live with, and the cabin feels comfortable and well-equipped with useful features. I was impressed with how approachable it feels for new drivers.

That said, a few niggles, such as a notchy gearbox, vibrations at low speeds, and the hard plastics with slightly below-par build quality prevent it from feeling truly polished.

However, considering its price range (Rs 9.33 lakh - Rs 10.33 lakh for turbo petrol variants), it mostly punches above its weight against many segment rivals who only offer naturally aspirated petrol engine options with fewer features for similar prices.

If you’re looking for a practical, feature-rich car that’s easy to drive in urban conditions and don’t mind a few compromises on refinement, the Kiger makes a strong case. It is a sensible choice for small families with up to four people.

Renault Kiger Top 5 Pros and Cons

Reasons to Buy:

• Tractable and peppy 1.0-litre Turbo petrol engine is city friendly, with more than enough grunt for the highway as well

• Easy to drive and manoeuvre, thanks to the light steering and the car's compact dimensions

• Comfortable seats with good under-thigh support and side bolstering

• Physical button controls given for all important functions such as AC, seat ventilation, parking cameras etc.

• Good value for money, as most rivals in a similar price range only offer their mid-spec variants

Reasons to Avoid:

• Build quality could be better - Inconsistent panel gaps outside, hard plastics used in the interior

• High vibrations felt on the steering and gearknob at low revs, when the speeds drop a bit low in higher gears

• Notchy gearshifts with long throws

• Rear seats are only good enough for two adults

• Driving position gives more of a raised hatchback feel as compared to some bigger-feeling segment rivals

We will soon publish and in-depth, long-term review of the Kiger, also covering its highway performance so stay tuned!

Disclaimer: While Renault has given us the car upon request, this article reflects my independent impressions and observations about the Kiger. 

Photo Credits- Salil @carhp