The French carmaker, Renault is all set to join the most contested sub-compact SUV tribe as the brand has revealed the pre-production concept of its upcoming offering, the Kiger. It is essentially the Nissan Magnite with some design tweaks.
Renault Kiger Concept
The Kiger SUV will be based on Renault-Nissan's CMF-A+ platform, which also underpins many other offerings like Triber and the upcoming Nissan Magnite which is scheduled to be launched on 26th November. The concept model of Renault Kiger has an "Aurora Borealis' shade that seems blue and purple, depending on the viewing angle. Its contour looks similar to the Magnite with heavy bottom line cladding, squared wheel arches, and sloping roofline. However, its front design has some significant changes compared to the Japanese offering.
The Renault Kiger features a Triber like front grille, flanked by LED daytime running lamps that run along the width of the car, giving it a premium look. The front bumper looks quite brawny, comprising ice-cube LED headlamps and strong cladding with green inserts.
The green highlights continue to give contrasting allure on the side moulding as well as on the uniquely-styled roof rails and rear bumper. The concept images suggest that the Kiger will get a C-shaped LED taillight, which will further increase the overall appearance of the SUV.
As far as the dimensions are concerned, we assume its size to be similar to the Magnite which is 3,994mm long, 1,758mm wide, and 1,572mm tall with a 2,500mm long wheelbase.
As these are the concept images of the car, therefore its production version won't be completely alike to the concept model but Renault has stated that the final model will feature 80% of the concept’s design cues.
Renault Kiger – Interior & Features
Renault yet to officially reveal the Kiger's interior, but it has been already spied during testing. As per the spied images, the Kiger will feature an all-black theme dashboard similar to the Renault Triber with some minor tweaks on the centre console, including a floating touchscreen infotainment system and repositioned centre air-con vents. The other notable features include a digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, push engine start/stop button, multi-function 3-spoke steering wheel with leather wrapping, wireless apple carplay & android auto, cruise control, etc. On the safety front, it is likely to offer up to four airbags, ABS with EBD, parking sensors, 360-degree camera, traction control & electronic stability control.
Expected Powertrain
Renault Kiger is expected to share its powertrain with Nissan Magnite – 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine (72PS/96Nm) from the Triber, and 1.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine (100PS). Both engines are expected to be mated to a 5-speed manual transmission whereas the turbocharged engine is expected to get a CVT automatic transmission choice as well.
Expected Pricing, Launch Date & Rivals
Renault’s sub-4m SUV is likely to be range between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 10 lakh. It will hit the Indian road in early 2021. Once launched, the Kiger will compete against the Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, and the upcoming Nissan Magnite.
Author's Take
Renault has ensured a distinct styling from the Magnite, which is a good thing because, in the past, both companies had faced numerous grievances due to the identical design of many shared products.
