[adithyaravi89]

Hey!

I've been a part of team-bhp for many years now and have been a regular reader of the forums. I'm going to be a first time car buyer. I'm really excited to get myself a sub 4 meter.

I've a budget range from 10-16L. This definitely allows me to look at all the cars in this sub 4m segment.

Not considering
Nexon - my father already has it, so not keen to buy another one. Also do not like the sluggishness of an AMT
XUV300 - the poor bootspace is a bummer otherwise for a solid car. Also do not like the sluggishness of an AMT.

Considering
Sonet and Venue - seem like fabulous options with great creature comforts
Brezza - seems to be providing most creature comforts but unsure of how the interior quality is as compared to Sonet or Venue
Kiger - Out of all the above, I am most in love with the exterior of this car but there definitely are some missing factors that stop it from being the perfect car!

So, I had a few questions to decide if I should go ahead with the Kiger.
1. Can I replace the IRVM with an automated IRVM?
2. Can I install TPMS and 360 camera?
3. Can I replace the scratchy plastics with any soft touch materials?
4. Can I change the rear 12V with a USB charging point?

Is doing any of the above going to void the warranty?

5. How important is ESP and TCS when it comes to safety? I'm a sedate driver and max reach a 100kmph on the highway. What would be the drawbacks of not having these 2 in a car?

6. I was wondering if I should push my budget further to consider the Grand Vitara or Hyryder strong hybrid, purely because of the much much higher fuel efficiency. Would it make sense when I don't need that big a car?

Thank you in advance!

[abhisheksircar]

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

1. Can I replace the IRVM with an automated IRVM?

Yes it's possible. I remember seeing a thread of a DIY. I have not missed it as a feature yet although my other car has it. In the night, I just anyway flip it to dim mode before I even start and sorted.

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

2. Can I install TPMS and 360 camera?

TPMS will be straight forward, but to do a 360 camera, it will be quite an effort and will require quite a bit to neatly setup 3 more cameras considering one will be stock. The software integration should be okay. Being a Kiger owner, I feel you can manage quite well with one reverse cam. It's a small car although I understand 360 is convenient.

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

3. Can I replace the scratchy plastics with any soft touch materials?

Any good store providing an aftermarket solution can provide a good leatherette wrap making it look quite good.

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

4. Can I change the rear 12V with a USB charging point?

Plenty of accessories available for this.

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

5. How important is ESP and TCS when it comes to safety? I'm a sedate driver and max reach a 100kmph on the highway. What would be the drawbacks of not having these 2 in a car?

100 is fast enough to require an ESP in difficult situations and that's something even I would like liked if the car had it. TCS, not much of a miss.

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

6. I was wondering if I should push my budget further to consider the Grand Vitara or Hyryder strong hybrid, purely because of the much much higher fuel efficiency. Would it make sense when I don't need that big a car?

The amount and inconvenience you would face to get all these is not worth it and if these are kind of a deal breaker for you, I would suggest a different car with a higher budget. May be the Venue. 1 ltr Turbo DCT S(O). This will take care of most of the things you have asked for at almost the same price. You will only miss the 360 cam. DCT is the only thing to be concerned of but paddle shifters will be fun. Waiting period could be a deterrence.

[itsmeparvathy9]

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

Hey!
I'm really excited to get myself a sub 4 meter.
I've a budget range from 10-16L. This definitely allows me to look at all the cars in this sub 4m segment.
So, I had a few questions to decide if I should go ahead with the Kiger.
1. Can I replace the IRVM with an automated IRVM?
2. Can I install TPMS and 360 camera?
3. Can I replace the scratchy plastics with any soft touch materials?
4. Can I change the rear 12V with a USB charging point?

Is doing any of the above going to void the warranty?

Thank you in advance!

with your feature set requirements, the Nissan Magnite would be a better fit as it has all active and passive safety features like ESP, Hill Hold, TC, TPMS and Brake Assist along with 360-degree cameras as well.

However, if you are looking for cars with better fit and finish, the Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue are leagues ahead.

[adithyaravi89]

Originally Posted by abhisheksircar

100 is fast enough to require an ESP in difficult situations and that's something even I would like liked if the car had it. TCS, not much of a miss.

The amount and inconvenience you would face to get all these is not worth it and if these are kind of a deal breaker for you, I would suggest a different car with a higher budget. May be the Venue. 1 ltr Turbo DCT S(O). This will take care of most of the things you have asked for at almost the same price. You will only miss the 360 cam. DCT is the only thing to be concerned of but paddle shifters will be fun. Waiting period could be a deterrence.

Thank you so much for your response! I prefer the looks of the kiger over any other car in the market right now and that's why was wondering if I should make a few of these changes. But even if I am okay do all of that, it does look like ESP is a very big miss and should be a big part of my decision making!

May I ask, why were you okay with missing out on ESP?

[adithyaravi89]

Originally Posted by itsmeparvathy9

with your feature set requirements, the Nissan Magnite would be a better fit as it has all active and passive safety features like ESP, Hill Hold, TC, TPMS and Brake Assist along with 360-degree cameras as well.

However, if you are looking for cars with better fit and finish, the Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue are leagues ahead.

Haha I know it fits the bill better but the Magnite unfortunately does not make my heart flutter, even a bit I'll probably visit the showroom and see if my opinion changes

I will probably look at the Venue/Sonet then mostly!

[Nithesh_M]

Query to the Non turbo Amt gearbox owners here, how loud is the naturally aspirated engine on the highway?

My uncle who is looking to trade in his quiet Santro Sportz Amt has been at my suggestion been directed to look at the Kiger. It is the only AMT car in the sub 4m class suv to fit within his budget. As such he's looking to buy the RXT(O) and has found a good enough offer for the Santro Sportz AMT in Bangalore used market.

We test drove the Kiger and the Triber at Mangalore. Because of the rain and night time condition my uncle didn't test drive himself. The family had been driven around and we all noticed the 1.0 Non turbo Triber was well insulated compared to the 1.0 Turbo Kiger which wasn't just loud but also rattling and vibrating on the doors on the same stretch of highway.

As such we are left wondering if the 1.0 Non turbo amt is as quiet as the Triber. Owners feel free to chip in. My colleague has a RXT Amt and I've only driven it around office campus. The AMT seemed jerky to me.

[itsmeparvathy9]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

My uncle who is looking to trade in his quiet Santro Sportz Amt has been at my suggestion been directed to look at the Kiger. It is the only AMT car in the sub 4m class suv to fit within his budget. As such he's looking to buy the RXT(O) and has found a good enough offer for the Santro Sportz AMT in Bangalore used market.

I wouldn't recommend the AMT either based on the test drive I had, (I asked for CVT test drive, they brought AMT instead), the NVH levels are not up to the mark, the engine is the same engine on the Kwid with slight tweaks.

The 1.2 litre engine on the Santro sports sounds like a much better option, but considering the Santro is discontinued, you should also look into other options as well.

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

Haha I know it fits the bill better but the Magnite unfortunately does not make my heart flutter, even a bit I'll probably visit the showroom and see if my opinion changes

I will probably look at the Venue/Sonet then mostly!

I am in a similar situation as you and considering the budget you have which is similar to mine as well, I would buy the best car money could buy at this price range, that being the Kia Sonet HTX Diesel AT, you get the punchy torquey diesel engine with 6-speed Torque Converter AT producing 113 bhp and 250 nm of torque, same as in the Seltos and Creta.

Or, if you are going with petrols, you could go with either Hyundai Venue or Kia Sonet DCT, but if you prefer not to go with DCT, The Brezza Zxi AT, although priced a bit on the higher end, would be a perfect fit.

Test drive each and every one of them and choose accordingly.

[abhisheksircar]

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

I prefer the looks of the kiger over any other car in the market right now and that's why was wondering if I should make a few of these changes. But even if I am okay do all of that, it does look like ESP is a very big miss and should be a big part of my decision making!

May I ask, why were you okay with missing out on ESP?

I agree. The Kiger looks really good. The Renault guys did a very good job on that front. What makes it also a good buy is the CVT with the 1 ltr Turbo and suspension setup. It's a pleasure to drive it around. City or highways. The rest is not perfect but it's a really good value for money.

I was okay with missing the TCS but not the ESP. I would have preferred if the Kiger had the ESP. Knowing that the Magnite has it, I understand that it's technically possible and is just a cost cut but I also preferred the 4 airbags in the Kiger over the 2 in the Magnite.

The 4* NCAP rating really tilted me over to the Kiger. Kia Sonet is a 3* while the Venue is a 4*.

[itsmeparvathy9]

Originally Posted by abhisheksircar

Kia Sonet is a 3* while the Venue is a 4*.

I was also seriously considering the Kiger but having seen the bits where Kiger has cut cost as compared to even the Magnite, I felt a need to look elsewhere. moving on to crash test rating, the India spec Venue is not based on the same platform as the global spec that got 4 stars in ANCAP. the India spec Venue and Sonet are based on the same platform and are both likely to score similar in a crash test.

[adithyaravi89]

Originally Posted by itsmeparvathy9

Test drive each and every one of them and choose accordingly.

Yes, I suppose that's what I am going to end up doing. Starting this week, will start going out for some test drives! Kiger, Venue, Sonet and Brezza are what I am going to go out and try! Do let me know how your selection goes as well!

Originally Posted by abhisheksircar

I was okay with missing the TCS but not the ESP. I would have preferred if the Kiger had the ESP. Knowing that the Magnite has it, I understand that it's technically possible and is just a cost cut but I also preferred the 4 airbags in the Kiger over the 2 in the Magnite.

Thank you for your insights! I think they could have charged a bit more, included ESP and still been more value for money in comparison to other options available out there in the market!

[wilful]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

Query to the Non turbo Amt gearbox owners here, how loud is the naturally aspirated engine on the highway?

My uncle who is looking to trade in his quiet Santro Sportz Amt has been at my suggestion been directed to look at the Kiger.
The AMT seemed jerky to me.

I own one - driven it around for about 9000 kms - and while it’s not the quietest, it’s not the loudest either. I personally have never felt this as a sore point - but then my driving style is sedate.
The AMT is jerky and irksome for those not used to it but I have managed to understand its peculiarities and can now drive around pretty smoothly.
The other negative for me is the squeal from the brakes - it doesn’t affect functioning but is irritating.
Aside from these it has its pluses in terms of the VFM quotient, suspension, space and safety rating.

[Piyush Kanthak]

Hello everyone
I currently on the hunt of a compact suv, still there is sometime in the purchase, but I have started researching. I own a 2007 SX4 ZXI which is becoming too big for us, also it's a manual, we need a good automatic crossover. This car will be used by me and my parents.

Today I checked out the Kiger top model with the cvt gearbox, to be honest my hopes weren't high. I was expecting to see poor interiors. But I was wrong, I was impressed, the interiors were good but not Hyundai standards.
The salesman was extremely polite, I visited Trident opposite Palace grounds. He took me for a test drive on the Jakkur highway and it was raining very heavily.
Likes
CVT smoothness
Turbo engine and it's performance
Price bracket
Showroom behavior
CVT and the turbo engine are a deadly combination
Drive modes
Maintenance packages and extended warranty are really affordable, the cost was low
Ride quality was really impressive
Under thigh support was impressive
Bonnet is visible
Storage spaces

Dislikes and observations
I felt that the noise of the rain was significantly higher. Also when the brakes were hit, water flows from the roof in front of the windshield.
There was vibration felt especially on the floor, but I think I can live with it.
The locks on the door don't open when the engine is turned off, a button on the dashboard has to be pressed
The windows go down only when the engine is running. Just why!
Omission of ESP
Windows cannot be accessible when ignition is turned off unlike Tata which provides power for 5 mins.
No brake noises were heard
Car had driven 5,000 km, no rattles whatsoever.

Now I didn't really feel an update from my SX4, the interiors are a little better, performance is as good as my SX4.
Kiger fits perfectly for the size and Drivetrain according to my liking.
Overall a VFM safe fun to drive car.

[itsmeparvathy9]

I took a test drive of the Kiger RXZ Turbo CVT and I wasn't impressed, coming from the Renault Kwid RXT AMT, the only saving grace for the Kiger is the CVT gearbox. Interior fit and finish, quality levels, plastics in the cabin are quite similar to the Kwid with maybe a slight increase in quality. There are a lot of similar parts too. The panel gaps are not always consistent either. I would rather spend a lakh more and get the Sonet DCT with quality levels which are leagues ahead (maybe comparable to a segment above) than live with a beefed up Kwid.

On another note, feature list of the Kiger is great for the price it comes at , but it is definitely built to a cost.

[hanzt]

Originally Posted by adithyaravi89

I will probably look at the Venue/Sonet then mostly!

If you are open to a higher budget with a Venue/Sonet, have you tried the Toyota Urban Cruiser (old Brezza)?
I am in the same boat as you (loved Kiger's exteriors) but the biggest issue with the Kiger is that its a 1L engine at the end of the day, with its power & torque being lesser than my 16yr old Swift. Kiger comes in micro-SUV segment afterall, not a Compact-SUV.

Instead, the UC with its 1.5L TC automatic feels a lot powerful to drive and does not have the hassles/complexity of a turbo-charger. You will also get good discounts from dealers for this car.

Do test drive the UC and let me know your thoughts.

[itsmeparvathy9]

The Toyota Urban Cruiser is an excellent VFM package in this segment, you can get it as long as you don't mind going with an older generation model.
If the same isn't an issue for you, get it while you can, and it is still in stock.
Production has stopped and Stock almost exhausted, and dealer end offer vary to tune of Rs 50K to 70K based on Stock in hand. Official offers are: Rs 44K (12K Cash + 24K Exchange + 3000 Corporate + Rs 5000 Accessories)