First Drive: Kiger SUV is Safe Car for Family

French car giant Renault introduced its Kiger SUV in India in January 2021 with a starting price of Rs 5.45 lakh.

In June 2023, the company introduced the new enhanced range of Renault Kiger priced between Rs 6.50 lakh and Rs 11.23 lakh with a claimed fuel economy of 20.62 kmpl.

Undoubtedly, Kiger is the much-awaited addition to the sub-four-metre conservative SUV segment from Renault. It relies on the same CMF-A+ stage as the Triber, although based on a more conventional five-seat SUV body style.

I took the BS6 2.0 KIGER Turbo CVT for a spin in the city and on the highway to check out what it promises.

The Exterior

The expressive design of Kiger is stylish and sharp in any exterior color. The dual-tone red and black looks attractive and the SUV continues to turn heads. It is equipped with a 1.0L turbo-charged engine, LED headlamps with DRLs, front skid plate, multi-sense drive modes, wireless smartphone replication and charger and attractive 40.64 cm diamond cut alloys.

The Interior

When you step inside, you notice an impressive neat 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with remote Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 7-inch computerized driver display, programmed climate control and press button start/stop. The sound quality from the four door-mounted speakers is also enjoyable. However, an addition of a subwoofer would do wonders to its audio output. There is also a remote telephone charger, travel control (Super variant only) and a PM2.5 air channel (standard across all variants). Now, with the implementation of BS6 2.0, all Renault vehicles will be equipped with a self-diagnostic gadget. This gadget will continuously check the discharge level of the vehicle along with other basic emission devices like exhaust system and oxygen sensor while driving. The seats are comfortable and it has a cargo space of up to 405-litres.

The Drive Experience

The 1.0L turbo petrol Kiger SUV with 100 PS and 152 Nm of torque features three drive modes: Normal, Eco and Sport. The Normal and Eco drive modes are comfortable to drive which also give better fuel economy. But the performance in Normal mode is any time better. The normal mode with the AC on on highway gave me an average of upto 12kpl. The Sport mode, which improves the performance, does change the steering feel and gives you a thrilling experience, apart from a good 10kpl. In city traffic, the Normal mode is preferable as it is easy to drive and it is the best in bumper-to-bumper traffic. While Kiger provides a smooth and comfortable ride on highways, it does not quite easily absorb the bumps on badly broken patches at low speed and I wish it had better-controlled NVH levels at idle. However, the steering is easy and light yet still precise. Kiger also feels poised at highway speeds and quite sure-footed around corners, so driving it is usually easy and comfortable.

Should I buy one?

With overall stylish features, good performance and safety features, the top end Kiger SUV priced at Rs 11.23 lakh, which I drove, is competitively priced. With the 4-Star safety rating for adult occupant safety by Global NCAP, this compact SUV, which provides peace of mind on every journey, will surely entice the buyers.