We took the Kwid for a long enough drive on the outskirts of Goa, over gravel-strewn national highways and even off the tarmac to the hills. The most outstanding attributes are the feel and the suspension set-up. The damping is extremely well sorted and is unbelievable for a car of its price. The wheels, though, are 13” and shod in 155-section tyres. They provide adequate grip for city driving and even highway speeds, but the dynamic abilities of the car surely exceed what the rubber can handle. Even so, the car feels planted and reassuring on the highway and every element makes it a more than decent car to drive. The engine isn’t really meant for pushing speed limits, of course, it’s meant to deliver good efficiency and it does. It’s quite tractable and can be driven at low RPMs all day long without fuss.
Tackling the uneven stone surface and traversing through some slush was no biggie for the Kwid and it came out shining – mud-splattered, but shining in its abilities. The suspension set-up comes through here too and the 180 mm of clearance assures you that there won’t really be any contact on most surfaces.
The only issue I had is the lack of options in the safety department. The RxT gets an optional driver airbag. That’s all the kit there is; no option for dual front airbags or even ABS. Then again, the Kwid feels stable and sure-footed, but the option of adding those pieces of kit would indeed make a difference for those who would pay to have them.
Renault India are also focused on improving customer experience, so, there will be over 200 dealers by the end of the calendar year across the country. In fact, with the new Kwid app, potential buyers can have a close look at the car, explore its features, colours and options, and even book the car right there. Quite an interesting initiative.
The Kwid is expected to arrive for as low as Rs 3-4 lakh. Even with the option packs, complete with chrome garnishing, bumper protectors and roof-rails, we expect to see the top-end RxT (O) cost just over Rs 5 lakh, all inclusive. Now, that’s Kwid pro quo for sure.
