[PrasannaDhana]

Hello BHPians,

I am very happy to share the ownership review of my baby duster, mini-SUV, coolest Kid of the budget segment, the Renault Kwid RXT(O) 1.0 SCe.

This is my fifth ownership review. I am very glad that my reviews have been accepted by this amazing forum, at the same time, I have experienced how much each ownership review in this forum influences members/readers on their car buying experiences. Hence, I am trying to be as unbiased as I can be while pointing out the positives and flaws in this cute little car.

Background:

July 2016

We have a 2012 Tata Safari DICOR (1,07,000 km), a 2015 Suzuki Ciaz ZDI(24,000 km) and a brand new 2016 Suzuki Celerio ZXI(O) MT (1,100 km) and a 2011 Honda CBR250R (40,400 km) in our garage. We were looking to exchange our Tata Safari with a comfortable SUV within 18 lakhs budget. The cars I test drove were:

Toyota Innova Crysta 2.8 AT

Positives: Looks, Presence, Interiors, Reliability, Features, Strong engine

Negatives: AT slow responding, interior space, over-priced by 5 lakhs


Mahindra XUV 500 W6

Positives: Looks, Value for money, Engine, Space

Negatives: None except electronic niggles and A.S.S


Renault Duster 110PS

Positives: Looks, Ease of driving, Performance, Ride quality

Negatives: Turbo lag, grossly overpriced, worst rear bench of the lot, interiors


Tata Safari Storme VX 400Nm

Positives: Stronger engine, space, amazing ride quality, easier than DICOR to drive, better brakes

Negatives: Same car but a lot more expensive, TATA A.S.S, Does not look as macho as the DICOR

Renault Lodgy 110PS

Positives: Ride quality, Space, Performance

Negatives: Looks, a market dud (can be a pain to sell it away, a few years later), over-priced

So, we were closing in on the Tata Safari Storme or Mahindra XUV 500 W6 until we heard the price quotes each dealer was ready to offer for the Safari DICOR. It was ridiculous to say the least. I sold my 87,000 km run 2012 Chevrolet Beat LT(O) for 3 lakhs in May 2016. I was getting quotes in the same range for the Safari.

I got fed up and decided I will retain the car till its natural death. It may last till 2,50,000 km as it has been completely reliable and trouble free from the day I bought till today at 1,07,000 km on the odo.

Here is the link to the big boy's long term review:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...r-2-2-vtt.html

So a frantic car shopping session came to a sudden end. My dad accompanied me to the Renault showroom as he used to love the Duster. After the test drive, he was so disappointed that he told the sales person straight away that he does not like the car a bit. Meanwhile, he liked the way kwid looked, and asked for a test drive. After driving the car, he was so impressed that he told them "Kwid has a better back seat than your duster". He loved driving our Beat. Celerio came as its replacement but he did not enjoy driving the celerio as much as he did with the beat. He said he liked driving the Kwid and that was it. I booked a top of the line Renault Kwid RXT(O) 800cc right away.

Exactly a week later, I read a news article in TeamBHP that Kwid 1.0 has been launched and it is priced just at a 22,000 premium. And this happened:



I spoke to my sales executive and informed him that I would like to change the booking to 1.0 RXT(O). He was glad to accept the change. The dealer was ready to allot me a car from the first lot if I am ready to pay the entire amount upfront. I told them I wont be paying a single penny without seeing the car, but also told them that I wont be needing any finance and I will pay them the same day the car arrives the showroom.

And Voila, On 10th September 2016, I got a call that my car has reached the dealer. I took the delivery on 15th September 2016.



Some pictures of the car before I get into my ownership review:

The first pic on D-Day



Baby Duster with the Duster, Look how nice and contrasting the dark grey wheel covers go with the white shade of the car




I think I kept my word, the first Kwid 1.0 ownership review on TeamBHP



Doesn't she look hot?





I have been reading in a lot of threads where members discuss about how Celerio is a more VFM buy than the 1 litre Kwid. Since I own both of them and have done a considerable time behind the wheels of them, I am adding a small comparo at the end of the review.


Kwid 1.0 RXT(O) Sce On-Road Price: Rs. 5,08,000 (incl. accessories worth 12k(std accessories) + 16k(car cover, seat cover, underbody coat and carpets)
Offers: None

[PrasannaDhana]

Exterior

Renault did a magic with the Kwid's exterior design. It looks awesome at any angle you watch it from.

The SUVesque stance, high bonnet and intimidating (for the segment) looks became an instant hit with the masses who were buying cramped, average looking cars since nothing came within their 4 lakh budget.

Front:

Though I dont like chrome, what is a small cute car without some bling ?
Also notice the exposed tow hook near the right hand side fog lamp



Grill:



Notice the horizontal slat pattern inside the Renault logo:



Celerio is a tall hatchback, but then the baby Kwid's bonnet is still higher placed:





The bonnet bulges on both the sides. Adds up to macho quotient



Simple yet beautiful headlamp. I like the C shaped and D shaped chrome inserts. The headlights and fog lamps have a healthy throw. Adequate for night trips.



A small flaw I noticed:
Can you notice the dead mosquito underneath the headlamp cluster?



And that is because there is this minute gap between the headlamp bottom and the frame. Expect a lot of minute particles getting lodged there, worst part being, it cant be reached for cleaning. :(



The rear is simple with the dominant KWID badging. No variant badging anywhere on the rear. Rear glass does not get wiper/wash and defogger. Rear glass area is small. It is a pain during reverse.




Rear 3 quarters:





You can find the variant badging only on the rear door window line:



Notice the small markings near the bottom under the decals, that is where jack needs to be placed beneath incase of flat tyre. All 4 sides have these markings





Roof is ribbed for rigidity, but I found it very light and weak while cleaning the car. No criticising, I cant expect VW/Fiat solidity when I am paying less than what i would pay for a Maruti.

The antenna is too long



Roof rail is an accessory add-on. ONLY for aesthetics. DONT try to "use it"



The rear lamp is also simple yet elegant. The brake light looks fabulous at night, in boomerang shape. Only one reversing lamp,- cost cutting!



Front tyre:
All tyres are Ceat Milaze 155/80 R13. I wish the tyres were wider and offered more grip. The 13 inchers are too small, which is evident from the gap in the wheel well. Only 3 lug nuts. Notice the side panel integrated turn lights. Renault offers alloys as accessory. But they are too expensive at 7500 INR per alloy. They look fabulous though!



The tailgate is not as heavy as the bonnet. There is no way you can open the boot from the outside except with the key. No crevice to place the palms.



Panel gaps & shutlines are consistent and tight. They are smaller than that on the Celerio.






Four rides and a tight garage. Celerio and Kwid are identical in length and wheelbase dimensions.

[PrasannaDhana]

Contd..

The door levers are old fashioned flap type. And yes, standard accessory package gets the door levers painted chrome



Now I would like to throw some light on the most discussed and criticised part of Kwid,- the ORVM. It does not have electrically adjustable option, heck, not even can it be done manually from inside. You need to adjust it from the outside.



ORVMs are decent sized. 1.0 liter gets nice greyish ORVMs. Now, coming to the issue, the Renault dealer driver who drove the car to the RTO was 5'6. My dad stands 5'11 and I stand at 6'2. The same mirror position that the 5'6 driver used is still being used by me and my dad. It is perfectly ok. So, if you are a family with more than 1 person driving the kwid, the ORVM issue isnt such a bad thing to live with. ORVM coverage is ok, it could have been bigger though.





Underbody & Fuel tank

180mm ground clearance is a boon. No chance of sump getting bruised at all.






Fuel cap gets "Petrol" printed on it



Wiper and Wash: Single arm wiper with a dual jet nozzle wash. Nozzle sticks out of the white bonnet like a sore thumb. Wiper effectiveness is average.



But while cleaning the windshield, if you try to lift the wiper, the bottom part of it hits the bonnet. Quite irritating.



Two city rides, young at heart and soul



With the big daddy of my garage, the mighty Safari DICOR

[PrasannaDhana]

Interiors

Kwid interior design is dark grey and piano black combination. I am very happy to not see beige.



All AC vents can be completely closed. Side vents are circular. All vents get chrome outline, looks cool. Also seen here are the USB port, AUX port, volume controls and ICE on/off button.





Front doors get a bottle holder and a storage tray which is decent sized



Door pad is all grey. No fabric inserts.



Ugly screw



Front passenger will be comfortable even if he is 6'5. Seat travel range is good.



Pull type door locks from the 90s



Storage spaces

Front glove box on top has a soft push opening action. Decent sized.
Middle compartment between the two glove boxes doesnot get a cover. It can accomodate smart phones, magazines and knick knacks



Lower glove box is small.




There are storage spaces beneath the handbrake. There are also two cup holders and you can see the power socket near them



Kwid branded scuff plates on all sides. Notice the design identical to the grill





The ICE has Radio, USB/Aux, bluetooth connectivity and SATNAV. It gets piano black console with chrome outline which looks nice.



Max Min legroom shown. It is the most spacious A segmenter.





Driver seat set to my seating position (6'2), I can sit but dont have much knee room to move



Rear bench provides adequate underthigh support. Notice the messy seat belts.



Rear passengers get grab handles on roof, front passenger does not. Notice how rear seat belts are just left Hung on a hook. Non- retractable :(




Front seats dont get detachable headrests. Segment norm! But the seats are thicker than the Celerio's and are comfortable.




Footwell is average size. I would have liked more space between clutch and the footwell. My size 12 foot needs more space. No dead pedal.

Notice the CBA pedals placed in decreasing order of heights from the floor.



Also notice the old generation type pull lever for bonnet open, and the headlamp beam adjustment knob above the footwell.



Front seat belts get pre tensioners with load limiters.



Seat fore-aft adjustment lever is not full sized. Handy and good looking



Kwid gets only 2 speakers. Sound quality is average. Celerio was better!



Fuel lid open and boot open stalks



Rear doors open wide in two stages. All doors close with a thunk. Ingress/egress is easy. No storage spaces here though.



Seat recline lever looks good, looks and feels more durable than the Celerio's. No height adjustment even in the top variant.



Switch gear. Buttons dont feel cheap. Only front door windows get power windows. Power window switches in the middle as there is no space on the door pad.
Notice the circular dummy structure which will be AMT selection knob.

NO Autolock!! I can tolerate manual operated ORVMS, but no autolocking doors is a blunder. It is a must have safety feature IMO. Shown in pic- Central lock button,

AC is effective but gets noisy from level two onwards. Mode select knobs dont feel durable.

[PrasannaDhana]

Contd..

300 liter boot. Among the largest in the segment. Even larger than my celerio's 230 litre boot.



Gas struts



Spare tyre. No package setup for tools. Ugly tape over number plate light wiring.



One of the best things about Kwid- Seating position and road view



3 spoke Steering is nice to hold. Gets leather on top portion and mild thumb contours. Horn pads extend till the edges.



Both wiper and light stalks are good to hold, feel durable





ICE

One of the USPs of Kwid is the 7 inch ICE with navigation. My 12 lakh Ciaz does not get one. Not only does it look upmarket, but also is very useful and responsive.

Quite a few settings



Equalizer setting:



You can store FM stations too



When you dont want the touchscreen to show anything, you can select the dark option and it becomes blank



Navigation is accurate. I would have loved female voice for the commands though.







Bluetooth pairing is seamless




It stores history of recently travelled destinations



Speedo Console

Everything is digital. There isnt a single analog meter here. The display is bright orange and it looks sporty. I miss the tachometer badly. For someone who loves seeing the tachoneedle do a rapid swipe over the meter, it comes as a disappointment :( Speed is displayed loud and big.

MID is comprehensive but the display is quite small.

All lights lit up during start up. Notice the small stalk near the E part of the fuel gauge. That is the MID select button. Maruti should learn from Renault and stop keeping those ugly long stalks jutting out of the console.



MID showing odo reading



There are 2 trip meters



An average fuel efficiency display



Average speed display



Range display



Instantaneous FE display



Fuel consumption display



A gear shift recommendation arrow



The key is simple and classy! Much better than cheap looking Maruti keys. Only one of the two keys get keyless entry buttons.

[PrasannaDhana]

Engine and Transmission

Renault Kwid's much anticipated 1000cc SCe petrol engine produces 68PS and 91 Nm torque. That is exactly the same as in Maruti Celerio petrol's K10B engine. But Kwid weighs just 700kg giving it a healthy power to weight ratio of 97 PS/tonne.

Engine bay is large. May accommodate 1.5 liter



Only visible difference between 800 cc and 1000 cc is the heavyduty thermocol insulation



No engine cover



VIN and other details



Transmission is 5 speed manual. The gear shift is slightly rubbery. Reverse is pull and engage type. The gear lever is nice to hold. Medium throw.



Performance

The kwid 1.0 feels exactly the same like the 800cc in the lower rev range. It is at the mid and top of the rev range that you can feel that there is a much powerful engine under the hood.

Faster gear shifts and high revving makes the kwid uncomfortable. It is best driven moderately. It can do 0-100 in 16 seconds but you will not like it.
The jerky power delivery of 800 has vanished

It effortlessly cruises at 110-120 kmph on the highway. If you can get it on private roads, it can max out at 150-155 kmph which is unsafe on our roads anyways.

The point is, I dont mind taking the kwid 1.0 on highway trips at all. It does not feel underpowered even a bit. But if you are talking about overtaking a car travelling at 120kmph, the progress is slow. 100 kmph cruising all day is a cakewalk! I am really glad I chose the 1.0 over the 0.8 liter. That said, when it comes to acceleration and driveability, Maruti's K10B is a clear winner while Kwid 1.0 still brags a better top speed.


Ride and Handling

I am not exaggerating when I say that I drive Kwid on bad roads exactly how I drive my Safari. 180 mm ground clearance and a great ride quality makes bad road travel a walk in the park. The ride quality is extremely good by the segment standards (even a couple segments above too).

Handling is not as great as the ride quality. It must be surprising to you when I tell you I can get in and out of corners at faster speeds in my Celerio than in my Kwid. There is lot of bodyroll on Kwid, and those puny 155 section tyres & lousy brakes dont help though. High speed stability is average. I would suggest new drivers not to go beyond 100kmph in the Kwid.

Where Kwid excels is within city. It is extremely chuckable, has outstanding view of the road and the steering is precise at slow speeds.

NVH

This is one of the aspects in Kwid that reminds you that you are in a budget entry level car. NVH is on the higher side. AC is loud beyond 2nd setting. Though there are no vibrations except at times during idle and start up, there is engine noise creeping into cabin beyond 100 kmph.

Safety and Braking

Kwid gets only a single driver airbag even in the top variant. I would have loved dual airbags and ABS. But sadly no ABS is also offered. I find the brakes below average. It gets disc brakes in the front and drums at the rear.

There is a lot of debate on how Kwid failed deliberately in crash tests. I am also an avid motorcycle rider who willingly put my life at risk everytime I take the road on two wheels. My philosophy of safety is in my signature "Most important safety feature every car deserves, is a sane driver"

Fuel Economy

I have driven 300 km so far, in 2 days I have been getting 16-17 kmpl. I should add that I am quite a spirited driver and I did drive the Kwid 1.0 without having FE in my mind. It must give minimum 19 kmpl (as shown in MID) at 100 kmph. I believe Renault's ARAI figure -23 kmpl. It sure can return 21 kmpl if driven sedately.

Likes
Looks
Space
Ease of use
MediaNav
Speedo console
Peppy performance
Ride quality
Ground clearance
View from cabin - all round visibility
AC
Fuel efficiency
Interior quality


Dislikes
High speed stability
Brakes
Tyres
Rear visibility
No autolocking on the move
No dual airbags and ABS
Absence of rear power windows
NVH
Absence of tachometer
Small 28 litre fuel tank
Absence of steering rake/reach adjustment

[PrasannaDhana]

Celerio ZXI(O) vs Kwid 1.0 RXT(O)





Please look at the following comparison



The Celerio is faster, more spacious, safer, has excellent A.S.S support and logically more value for the money. The Kwid on the other hand is a looker, not far behind in performance, has enough space, has a bigger boot, better ICE and Navigation, excellent ride quality, equally fuel efficient and it is very easy to drive. It may not be very cheap, but it isnt exorbitant for what it offers.

It is a mind vs heart decision. Celerio has been with me for 45 days, and I have driven it 1050 km only, while Kwid has been with me just for 2 days, but the odo reads 300 km. It is like deciding between a Vespa and an Aprilia SR150 Though both are similar in a lot of aspects including price, we will like to be on the saddle of the Aprilia SR150 than on the Vespa.

Conclusion

If I have to spend 6 lakhs and choose between these two cars, I will definitely buy the Kwid 1.0 again. The remaining money will be spent on 14 inch tyres and alloys. Voila! I have a drool worthy, fun to drive, frugal little car.


Thank you for reading my review. Please pardon me for the picture quality. All pictures were taken using a mobile camera.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[arunphilip]

Lovely and detailed review.

I especially appreciate your candour and honesty in calling out things you don't like or see wrong - its very hard for a passionate car person to be critical of their newest toy!

Its good you switched to and got the 1.0 Kwid, and I look for your continued updates in the days to come.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Hello BHPians,

I am very happy to share the ownership review of my baby duster, mini-SUV, coolest Kid of the budget segment, the Renault Kwid RXT(O) 1.0 SCe.

Congrats PrasannaDhana on your latest acquisition.

One of the first Kwid's I have seen in White Shade and it looks sweet

Very detailed and extremely informative ownership report buddy.

Not only is your post the 'First Kwid 1.0' ownership review, IMO it is probably the best reference point for all future prospective buyers.

Wish you a happy motoring and drive safe.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Hello BHPians,

I am very happy to share the ownership review of my baby duster, mini-SUV, coolest Kid of the budget segment, the Renault Kwid RXT(O) 1.0 SCe.

This is my fifth ownership review. I am very glad that my reviews have been accepted by this amazing forum, at the same time, I have experienced how much each ownership review in this forum influences members/readers on their car buying experiences. Hence, I am trying to be as unbiased as I can be while pointing out the positives and flaws in this cute little car.
...

Great review Prasanna!
Detailed, unbiased and replete with your valuable experience with different segments, and most important - keeping the audience in mind. Thank you!

[arjab]

Friend took delivery of a KWID 1.0 L recently.
Changed the shoes to 175/70 - 13 Yokohama A-Drive's. Entire dynamics changed. Much better front end bite. Enhanced cornering grip. Highway stability even better. Downsides: Low speed ride has become a little firmer now and fuel efficiency is down by 0.3~o.4kmpl. But overall, the trade-off is worth it considering the positives.

[RAPTOR-XUV]

Congratulations PrasannaDhana on your new baby from Renault. Kwid indeed is the cutest looking car from the Renault stable. The car looks chick in white colour and the grey wheel caps complement the car well. I have driven the previous version and that of the new 1.0L engine and as you rightly pointed out, the jerk that was there in the 800cc version is totally gone and has got a much smoother drive now. Appreciate your unbiased review. Enjoy your ride.

[avdhesh15]

Congrats Pras - well written review and glad you got the 1.0 just in the nick of time! Wishing you a great and safe time with your new acquisition.

[rxpaul]

Hi Prasanna,
Congrats. Lovely comparision between your Kwid & the Celerio. Almost a manual ! I notice that you have given a higher rating for the space to the Celerio. Does it mean that the Kwid loses out on seating space because of the larger boot ? Also I believe the Kwid & Duster both are segment toppers in the 'Ride' parameter, but just gets a 0.25 more. So does it mean that the Celerio also has a good ride? Why would you give a better handling point to the Celerio ? I presume with a better power/weight ratio, the Kwid may accelerate better ? Its rare to have the same owner have cars from the same segment and that too both new.