ZEEGNITION/Priyadarshan Bawikar
The Renault Kwid is yet to hit the markets but the auto aficionados in India have already been going gaga over the SUV-like small car since it was unveiled in May this year. Likely to be priced around Rs 3-4 lakh, the internet is abuzz with talk of this SUV-like compact hatchback and there’s particular interest from a lot of young, potential owners.
On the technical side of things, the Kwid gets a 800cc three-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 54PS of power and 72Nm of torque. Going up against segment stalwarts such as the Maruti Suzuki Alto and the Hyundai Eon, the Kwid has much to live up to, and a lot to prove if it is to make a mark in its class. So a short preview drive in Goa helped us get a much needed perspective on this highly anticipated little car and we decided to address some things that really stood out.
The way it looks
That’s pretty much the reason everyone's raving about the Kwid – just the way it looks. Renault has managed to get the styling element of compact SUVs such as the Duster and incorporate that into a much smaller hatchback. The large headlamps, the flared wheel arches, the wide and raised stance – all of that contributes to transforming what would be otherwise a compact hatchback into a cute little SUV. But let’s get one thing out of the way. Its not an SUV and Renault isn’t even calling it one.
Interior design and space
By this we mean not just the aesthetics of the interiors, but primarily the way it has all be designed to maximise every bit of space available. There are lots of cubby holes all around to stash loose items and spacious bottle holders in the front doors. Even the dashboard features two glove boxes in between which there is another open slot to store more stuff. While the seats themselves are not huge and do leave you wanting for a bit more under-thigh support, they’re generally quite comfortable and should be more than adequate for doing city duties, which are pretty much the domain of such compact hatches.
That cavernous boot
The mantra of space maximisation isn’t limited to the cabin either. The boot is huge, able to accommodate a massive 300 litres of luggage. Without a doubt, this is the largest boot in the segment and can even give cars one segment higher a run for their money. It pretty much redefines the term “everything but the kitchen sink”.
Ground clearance
The raised stance of the Kwid isn’t purely an aesthetic choice. One massive benefit that it brings is a best-in-class ground clearance of 180mm. Given that our roads provide an imposing challenge for most vehicles that run on them, a higher ground clearance is a serious bonus when tackling the worst of the bumps, potholes and even speed breakers that are thrown the way of road users.
Ride quality
Another benefit of the increased ride height that Renault has engineered into the Kwid is that they can use longer travel suspension, again going a long way to cope with our roads. The suspension setup itself is also pretty sorted out and the car takes everything but the worst of the bumps and potholes in its stride. One important thing to note here is that the ride isn’t wallowy either and at any given time most body movements feel very well controlled. But since the Kwid is absolutely a featherweight, tipping the scales at a mere 660kg, it has a slight tendency of taking off if you hit massive undulations at speed. But you’d have to be a rather reckless driver to be doing that in any case.
SOME THINGS WE DON'T
The rear view mirrors
While we’re all for cutting down unnecessary extravagances in order to keep the cost of a car down, one factor that really rattles us up is the absolute lack of internal adjustors for the ORVMs (Outside Rear View Mirrors). One has to open the window on each side to physically move them into place, and while that’s easily done on the driver’s side, imagine having to handle that on the left side when you’re driving alone. The mirrors also tend to get out of adjustment very easily and honestly we believe that this is one area where Renault absolutely shouldn’t have skimped on.
The steering feel
While this is something that might not bother most drivers, those who thoroughly enjoy the experience of spending time behind the wheel will definitely get bothered by this. The overall feel from the steering is rather vague and it even feels a bit unresponsive in its first few degrees of lock on either side. Look, we weren’t expecting steering feel to be like from a Porsche 911, but in this mini hatchback segment, there’s the Alto way and the Eon way, and we sincerely feel that Renault should’ve gone the Alto way on this one.
Those were a few of the things that made our day with the Kwid and a couple that we would rather have not experienced. In any case, this is only a first impression of what is generally a fairly impressive car. It goes without saying that we’ll have a full-fledged report on the Kwid once we get the car for a proper road test in Pune.
