2021 Renault Kiger makes its debut in India – sub-4m SUV with 1L NA and turbo three-cylinder engines - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Renault has finally revealed its new entry in India’s competitive sub-four-metre compact SUV segment, the Kiger. First previewed by an identically named concept way back in November 2020, the Kiger rides on the CMF-A+ platform like the Triber and Nissan Magnite, slotting in between the existing Kwid and Duster that are also available in the country.

Staying rather true to last year’s show car, the Kiger boasts an athletic design with muscular haunches that are accentuated by black body cladding, along with a sculpted hood. The front end features a two-tier lighting setup, with the main Pure Vision LED headlamps being the three squares you see at the corners of the bumper, which are surrounded by black trim.

Meanwhile, the LED daytime running lights, with their notched design, blend into the SUV’s “wing” grille, but, unlike the concept, there’s no light bar spanning across its width. Along the sides, we find door handles in an unconventional design, 16-inch wheels (on higher trim levels) and two-tone paintjob to provide the Kiger with the trendy “floating roof” look.

The black roof is an option that can be paired with one of six available body colours, which include Ice Cool White, Planet Grey, Moonlight Grey, Mahogany Brown, Caspian Blue and Radiant Red, the last finish being exclusive for the top trim level.

Around back, C-shaped LED taillights inspired by the Captur complement the rear haunches, with a small portion of the clusters encroaching into the creased tailgate that sports a roof spoiler. Meanwhile, the rear apron is made up of a large black bumper, with a faux skid plate finished in silver. Sadly, the concept’s embossed script and centre exit exhaust never made it to production.

In terms of dimensions, the Kiger measures 3,991 mm long, 1,750 mm wide, 1,600 mm tall and has a wheelbase that spans 2,500 mm. There’s also 205 mm of ground clearance to help deal with the typically rough roads found in the country.

Within the 2,500 mm wheelbase, Renault promises a certain degree of roominess, with 710 mm of couple distance between the front seats. For the second row, the Kiger is claimed to offer best-in-segment legroom (222 mm) and elbow room (1,431 mm).

On the practicality front, there’s 405 litres of boot space, which can be expanded to 879 litres with the second row folded. Renault also says the Kiger leads the sub-four-metre SUV segment in boot length, with a standard capacity of 626 mm and a loading length of up to 1,565 mm.

For passengers, there are several storage compartments available for use, including four one litre water bottle holders and two cup holders. There’s also a central armrest that provides 7.5 litres of storage space, while the glove box offers 10.5 litres, the latter being 30% more on average than competing models. An upper glove box adds another 4.4 litres for a total of 29 litres of storage capacity in the cabin.

As for the dashboard itself, it doesn’t stray too far from existing Renault designs, with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen that offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. This is placed above the central air vents and circular controls for the automatic air-conditioning system (with rear vents).

The other screen here is a seven-inch TFT digital cluster in front of the driver, which is tied to the Multi-Sense drive mode system that offers three options: Normal, Eco and Sports. Other notable features (some being rather premium for the segment) include the Auditorium 3D Sound system by Arkamys with eight onboard speakers, keyless entry, white ambient lighting, four airbags (front and side), ABS, EBD, a rear-view camera, rear parking sensors and a PM2.5 air filter.

For India, the Kiger will be offered with a choice of two 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol engines that are identical to those used on the Magnite. The first is a naturally-aspirated B4D unit that outputs 72 PS (71 hp) at 6,250 rpm and 96 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm.

The more powerful option is a turbocharged HRA0 mill with 100 PS (99 hp) at 5,000 rpm and 160 Nm at 3,200 rpm. A five-speed manual is standard with both engines, but the NA powerplant can be had with an optional Easy-R robotised manual gearbox, while the turbo unit gets an X-Tronic CVT.

When it finally goes on sale in India, the Kiger will have no shortage of competition, including the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Honda WR-V, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Kia Sonet, Toyota Urban Cruiser, as well as the Magnite. The Kiger won’t be restricted to India, as the company says that it will be introduced to other international markets as well.