Renault Kwid the pocket SUV

Renault KWID, the car that created buzz for itself by getting more than 25,000 bookings within 15 days after its launch in the Indian market. “Small family hatchback” was India’s favorite segment for some time but as the SUVs started kicking in India, people started giving them chance and all the automakers understood that this is the thing what Indian customers want on their roads.

Automakers started offering crossover concepts and soft-roader SUVs with and sometimes even without 4×4 systems. Designers at Renault came up with ‘Kwid’, the hatchback or I would say the “micro-hatchback” in the never dying segment of India. Small hatchbacks are easier to drive, park, and handle at low speeds in the city; they are economical and cheaper to run too. Maruti and Hyundai are always there with Alto 800 and Eon, but they are not as head turners as the Kwid is.

kwid side profile

Looks And Built:

Engineers took a little muscle from their in-house compact-SUV Duster, took some lines from Fluence, and added some features that every single car buyer wants in his/her car. Yes, with 180mm of ground clearance and some cuts and creases, Kwid does look bigger than it is, but as soon as you enter the car, you would understand that it looks bigger from the outside, though space inside is not as cramp as you find in other cars in the same segment.



As soon as you close the doors, you do get the feel of light built and little cheap materials that have been used in the car, but you can’t expect everything to be great at this price point. The Interior is the place where you’ll spend more time rather than standing outside looking at the car. The selection of colors used inside the car is something you don’t expect nowadays, dark grey and darker grey replaces the theme of beige and black interiors.

Dash is simple. In the center console from the top, you can find AC vents with a chrome border, below that a 7” touchscreen and AC controls with power window switches for front windows. The placement of the power-window button is a bit awkward. Below that, a big cubby space to put things is given and your most needed travel companion the 12V charger is also there to help you out. This is one of the few cars, where you can see the edge of the bonnet from the driver’s seat.

The quality and fit and finish of the car aren’t bad but not as good as we have seen in Hyundai Eon from the same segment. You can surely find a hint of cost-cutting. There are some uncovered screw heads and little metal pieces everywhere in the car.

kwid front

kwid dashboard

Ride and comfort:

As soon as you twist the keys, the engine starts with high vibration and noise, and it settles down to low harshness within moments, but you must remember that at the end of the day a 3-cylinder car. After engaging 1st gear and lifting your foot from the clutch you will wonder that how amazingly this car picked up.

People at Renault worked well to throw shorter gearings and make the engine more responsive and give a good amount of torque at low RPMs which is much needed for a small city car with a small engine. The car doesn’t feel underpowered at low city speeds. Power to the front wheels comes from a 3-cylinder 779cc gasoline engine. DOHC engine produces 53 BHP and 72 Nm torque. It comes with 5-speed manual gearbox throws that are smooth but on the rubbery side, not as smooth as Marutis though. Gearing is short and the engine is responsive at low revs that let you crawl in the city traffic without a lot of shifts like an automatic car. Driving with AC would make you do some effort, as the compressor does affect the engine performance. But the thing that is a boon in city rides is a disadvantage on the highway. Kwid is best driven below 90 km/h.

It lacks outright performance at high revs. Even dynamics doesn’t support it at high speed. A lot of wind noise enters the cabin. The suspension setup is just magical. This small car doesn’t feel cheap at all in this department. It just glides over small potholes. The size inside the cabin is just above satisfactory for this entry-level hatchback.



kwid cut section

 

The top model comes equipped with a single driver-side airbag but none of the variants offers ABS and EBD.

Ergonomics:

Seats are comfortable and better than the rivals. The car comes equipped with first in class 7” touchscreen infotainment system that can pair your cell with Bluetooth and can navigate you without any hustle. The rear bench can fit only 2 people for comfortable traveling. Entering the rear of the car can be painful for old people or those who have larger body construction.

cabin space

This is the only car that offers distance to empty, average fuel consumption, trip meters, odometer, and distance traveled in the Trip Meter. The steering wheel is just a class above, nice feel in hand. ORVM are not electrically adjustable, which cuts points. The rear windows don’t get an electrically operated opening and closing function. The car has 28 liters of fuel tank capacity, which is okay for a small city car with a mileage of 25.17 km/l (the company claimed) but not enough for long trips.

The car has one of the biggest boots with a capacity of 300 liters, so airport runs or shopping is an easy deal. Kwid has around 26-liter cabin storage space, where you can put your stuff or other knick-knacks.

space inside kwid

Final verdict:

Knowing what Indian customers want instead of what they need, Renault gave Kwid packed with a lot of features and goodies. With SUVs styling, this small hatchback is a head-turner for sure. It does offer value for money in its segment. If you are in the market for a small city car this car is a proper funky and stylish solution for your money.