Renault India’s new Kwid has set pulses racing with its styling and now has chequebooks opening with its seriously competitive pricing. Here’s what it’s got against its rivals.
The Kwid from Renault is not just another compact hatchback. True, it’s priced like a sub-compact A-segment car, but its SUV-like butch styling, robust build quality and incredibly well set-up suspension and ride quality will have more than a few carmakers sweating. Priced between Rs 2.57-3.53 lakh and with the qualities and equipment list on offer, it will make several potential car buyers looking at many options, focus on it instead.
For example, the Tata Nano Twist XT is priced at Rs 2.66 lakh (ex-Delhi). Buyers will not only consider that it is an 800-cc three cylinder, but that it also offers more boot space than a Hyundai i20, Maruti Suzuki Swift or a Volkswagen Polo, when pitted against the Hyundai Eon and Maruti Alto 800 on the price front.
You can check out our first drive impressions, and go through a detailed table of its direct competitors and our ratings with regard to several aspects:
| Parameters | Renault Kwid RxT(O) | Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 VXi(O) | Hyundai Eon 0.8 Sportz |
| Price (ex-Delhi) | Rs 3.53 lakh | Rs 3.47 lakh | Rs 4.10 lakh |
| Engine | Three-cylinder, petrol | Three-cylinder, petrol | Three-cylinder, petrol |
| Valvetrain | 12V, SOHC | 12V, SOHC | 9V, SOHC |
| Capacity (cc) | 799 | 796 | 814 |
| Power | 54 PS @ 5,678 RPM | 48 PS @ 6,000 RPM | 56 PS @ 5,500 RPM |
| Torque | 72 Nm @ 4,400 RPM | 69 Nm @ 3,500 RPM | 74.5 Nm @ 4,000 RPM |
| Transmission | Five-speed, manual | Five-speed, manual | Five-speed, manual |
| Fuel Tank (l) | 28 | 35 | 32 |
| Boot Volume (l) | 300 | 177 | 215 |
| Wheels and Tyres | 13”, 155/80 R13 | 12”, 145/80 R12 | 13”, 155/70 R13 |
| Brakes (Front/Rear) | Discs / Drums | Discs / Drums | Discs / Drums |
| Dimensions (mm) | |||
| Length | 3679 | 3395 | 3495 |
| Width | 1579 | 1490 | 1550 |
| Height | 1478 | 1475 | 1500 |
| Wheelbase | 2422 | 2360 | 2380 |
| Ground Clearance | 180 | 160 | 170 |
| Features | |||
| HVAC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power Steering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Power Windows | Front | Front | Front |
| Keyless Entry | Yes | No | Yes |
| Central Locking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Internally-adjustable Mirrors | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fog Lamps | Yes | No | Yes |
| Music System | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Touch-screen Multimedia | Yes | No | No |
| Navigation | Yes | No | No |
| Driver Airbag | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ratings | |||
| Styling | 1st | 3rd | 2nd |
| Driver Appeal | 1st | 3rd | 2nd |
| Space | 1st | 3rd | 2nd |
| Suspension | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Ride Quality | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Fuel Efficiency (claimed) | 25.17 km/litre | 22.74 km/litre | 21.1 km/litre |
Story: Jim Gorde
