Though the ARB was not covered in extended warranty, the SA proactively pushed for goodwill warranty

BHPian nma83 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Had an impressive service experience at Trident Renault, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru. Took my RXZ CVT for 3rd year of service and opted for the 2 year service package costing a little over Rs.20K.

I had complained about front steering noise when turning and it turned out to be a damaged anti-roll bar! SA said that some rough driving had likely caused it, and I felt guilty about the liberal speeds

I do on bad roads given this car's lovely ride quality.

Though the ARB was not covered in an extended warranty, the SA proactively pushed for a goodwill warranty and it was replaced free of cost. Labour of Rs.1200 was charged. The spares were ordered and available within a few days and replacement was also done promptly.

Would highly recommend this service center for people in south Bengaluru. Maybe it is the association with Trident Hyundai next door that is the reason for the service quality

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Its CVT is way better than the Nissan Magnite and Amaze and is comparable to Honda City.

BHPian Refan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Long-term review of my 2023 Renault Kiger CVT

I have completed 12000 km with my car. I have completed 2 services - a free one and a paid first service and would like to share the pros and cons I have faced.

Pros

Engine and transmission

• Over time the vibrations reduced. It may be due to the service or the running of the engine. But there are very less vibrations inside the cabin than in the beginning.
• The turbo engine which was one of the highlights still continues to impress. Overtaking is pain-free and a little push on the throttle would give you abundant power. The smoothness of the ride increases rapidly as the speed increases.
• The CVT gearbox does a very good job and the gear shifting is smooth. The much-talked-about rubber band effect is literally absent unless you hard-throttle it. Turbo lag is also minimal and not noticeable. I have driven Amaze CVT, Magnite CVT, City CVT but Kiger's CVT is way ahead of the Magnite and Amaze and is comparable to Honda City.
• You can literally feel the infamous rubber band effect and initial lag in both Amaze and Magnite but Renault has done a phenomenal job here. Though the Jacto CVT gearbox belongs to Nissan, here Renault has done a neat job of tuning it based on their engine and ensured one of the best engine-gearbox combos in the segment.

Ride handling and seating position

• Over the run, the suspension has improved. It continues to handle well the potholes and the highways and city roads are handled with ease. Even on the bad roads, the suspension does very good work but the poor cabin insulation gives us a feel like it's not doing its work. But in reality, the suspension does its job very well, it may not be comparable with Duster but it still matches and gives a tough fight to its sub 4m premium competitors.
• Even after long rides, you don't feel tired thanks to its well-tuned suspension. The hard suspension also minimises the body roll effect and is stable at corners and also at high speeds.
• We can travel with 5 people since the rear seats are flat without any hump. For 4 people, it would be comfortable and for the 5th person, if he/she is lean it would be easier else, it would be a compromise on comfort.
• Seating position is one of the best in this segment. I was able to relate how comfortable the seat positioning in Kiger with respect to the road when I drove the Magnite, Sonet, Brezza and Fronx. All of them have seat adjustments but Kiger gives you one of the best in its segment with respect to seat positioning.

Driving modes

You never feel bored while driving the Kiger for a longer duration due to the presence of driving modes.

• Whenever you feel bored just turn to Sport mode, it gives you so much power instantly that you feel like driving a sports car, the heaviness of steering in the sports mode also gives you that feel. The car feels so enthusiastic and is eager to move ahead even with little throttle input.
• If you plan to drive sedately on highways then turning on cruise control and eco mode would be a good combination. The eco significantly helps in improving fuel efficiency as well.
• Normal mode has the right balance and is the go-to mode by default. It can handle both high throttle and sedate driving.

Storage and spaces

• Whenever you have a family outing you feel you made the right choice in choosing Kiger over the other sub 4m competitors. There are plenty of spaces inside the cabin. You can have water bottles and little things in all 4 doors, you have a cooled glove box, a regular storage box, storage near the gear lever and at last, the big 405L boot. Kiger may lack in a few areas with respect to its competition but when it comes to storage and space utilisation this is the best in its segment.

Infotainment

• I have not faced any issues so far in wireless Apple and Android Auto. The touch response is good and is quick to connect. I would rate it high because even some premium cars are not offering wireless Android/Apple and some cars which have them have plenty of issues with respect to connectivity and touch sensitivity.
• The speakers and surround system from Arkymys are decent. The bass and woofer effect are decent enough. It may not be sounding premium but it's definitely sounding well above standard.

Air conditioning

• The AC has been good in my car. It cools pretty quickly. Even on hot days when the temperature crossed 100F, AC handled it pretty well. But similar to Tata/Hyundai/Kia if there was an option to express cool the cabin quickly it would have been useful.

Others

• The ingress and egress is very good in the Kiger and it is very useful, especially for old people. The height is optimum and makes entry/exit convenient for old people and people having knee issues.
• Center locking and Auto locking has worked very well and no issues so far. The TFT instrument cluster is also good and the graphics and information are well-maintained.
• The Hill Hold Assist and ESC are very useful features which are noticeable and work pretty well in Kiger.
• The brake noises have come down and there is no scratchy sound while applying the brake.
• The service center is also good in my city. They patiently listened to the problems and addressed most of them. They proactively suggest a few changes.

Cons

Interior

• There are hard plastics throughout which produce quirky sounds. Also, the plastics are easily prone to scratches. Also, the full black interiors give you a feel of substandard or makeshift parts being used. Renault definitely is way behind the competition when it comes to the interiors. They should have at least made some dual-tone interior colors for higher variants.

Fuel efficiency

• This is one of the major complaints for me. On highways, the max I get is around 15kmpl. On average it would oscillate between 13.5 to 14.5 kmpl with AC at 24 and a minimum of 2 people onboard at speeds between 90 to 120. Even with a light foot and speed maintained between 80 to 90 and the use of eco mode the max I got was 15.7 kmpl on highways.
• The city mileage is comparatively better and would return me between 9 kmpl to 11 kmpl which is similar to other brands as well.
• I know turbo engines are quite sensitive to throttle and are performance oriented but on a free road and little load and on a free run one would expect at least around 17.

Cabin insulation

The cabin insulation needs to be better. All the thuds and road noises are brought back into the cabin. The thud sounds would make you feel like the suspension is not working properly but in reality, only noises are transferred but the suspension takes care of the handling well. Interiors are like that due to the budget, we can understand, but sound insulation should have been done well irrespective of the price of the car.

Free advice to Kiger owners - always drive with your music system turned on, and then you will enjoy the ride.

Mixed bag

• Blind spot: There is a blind spot due to the big A-Pillar. This is a problem especially when you take sharp turns. The additional accessories which we took for wind visors complicated the problem further. So while taking sharp turns, need to be extra cautious.
• Headlights: The headlights are fine as long as there are objects to reflect. On a flat road with none in the surroundings, you would feel the high beam is lacking. Even though SC adjusted it, not completely satisfied with the output.

Verdict

Overall drawbacks aside the whole experience of driving/traveling in Kiger is very good and the car is worth every penny. For 12L, it's definitely the most VFM you can get and you would not regret buying it.

Kiger is still one of the best cars around and I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family. The 2024 model gets even more features like auto IRVM, Leatherette seats and auto folding mirrors which would be even more useful.

I stand by the same point as in my initial review - This is the best automatic car you can get at this price point.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Engine options might be limited to just the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.

According to a media report, Renault is likely to introduce a new sporty variant of the Kiger in India. It will be based on the top-spec 'RXZ' trim and is expected to get sporty cosmetic changes.

Reports suggest that the new variant could feature slightly tweaked front and rear bumpers, contrasting accents to highlight a few design elements, and bright-coloured brake calipers; among other changes. It might also sport Renault’s new logo.

Inside, we can expect the sporty Kiger to get a black interior with bright highlights. It will get the same features as the top-spec RXZ variant.

Engine options might be limited to just the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. This engine produces 99 BHP and 160 Nm. Whether it will be offered with both 5-speed manual or CVT options remains to be seen.

Source: Autocar India

The crossover is now available in four new variants, powered by NA and turbo-petrol engines.

Renault has launched the 2024 Kiger in India at prices starting at Rs 6.00 lakh (ex-showroom). The crossover is now available in four new variants. 

The 2024 Kiger comes with semi-leatherette seats with a leatherette steering wheel, auto-folding ORVMs with “welcome-goodbye" sequence and a bezel-less auto-dimming IRVM. The turbo-petrol variants get red brake calipers.

The Kiger is available with two engine options. These include a 1.0-litre petrol unit that makes 71 BHP and 96 Nm paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT and a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that puts out 99 BHP and 160 Nm (MT) / 152 Nm (CVT). It is available with either a 5-speed manual or a CVT.

2024 Renault Kiger ex-showroom prices:

• RXE MT – Rs 6.00 lakh
• RXL MT – Rs 6.60 lakh
• RXL AMT – Rs 7.10 lakh
• RXT MT – Rs 7.50 lakh
• RXT AMT – Rs 8.00 lakh
• RXT (O) MT – Rs 8.00 lakh 
• RXT (O) AMT – Rs 8.50 lakh
• RXZ MT – Rs 8.80 lakh
• RXZ AMT – Rs 9.30 lakh

Kiger Turbo

• RXT (O) MT – Rs 9.30 lakh
• RXT (O) CVT – Rs 10.30 lakh
• RXZ MT – Rs 10.00 lakh
• RXZ CVT – Rs 11.00 lakh

In terms of fuel efficiency, the SUV has varied from as low as 8 km/l to as high as 27 km/l.

BHPian confused.geek recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The hunt for a new family car began in 2017. In that fateful year, the honoured passenger seat traveller (a.k.a wife) shot down the idea because no quadra-wheeled steed would meet her expectations. A disappointed buyer, his heart wanting the Mahindra Thar, accepted the decision (She hurt my feelings by saying, "Jeep hai" and I was trying to say, but that is the whole point!). The year after, the family moved into a new home and all the gold and kidneys and liver were given away for pots and pans, curtains and drapes, sofas and beds, bedspreads and pillowcases, cabinets and stands, paintings and decor. In 2019 a highly expectant buyer, now having been trained on the purchase process (having been domesticated), began the booking process of a Hyundai Venue. But fate had other plans. The day before the booking, the magic stick said positive and impending fatherhood meant my wife stomped on the idea because we predicted we wouldn't be doing a lot of driving till our child was born and at least a year old and I agreed. Little did anyone know that this decision would prove to be wise in time, for in 2020, a fiddly little bug came about and caused the world to lock its doors and stare at each other's faces for hours and days. The need for a vehicle, let alone a new one, was a moot point.

For 4 years, I kept telling myself it was time to buy a new family car. My beloved Alto (2006 - LXI, There is an L.T.O. Review in the Forum) was starting to show signs of ageing. Some of its horses were dead and others were wheezing with rheumatism and arthritis. The problem was, that any car I purchased, even the current year Alto would be an upgrade for me, so the decision-making process was starting to get confusing. Part of me wanted a used Mercedes C-Class or BMW 3-Series, but the maintenance cost, cost of spares, and general condition of the used cars I was seeing were a deterrent. So, I switched back to the new car market and here are the cars considered and why I had to drop them from the list

Kia Sonet / Hyundai Venue: Pricing. Very simple pricing. The Sonet DCT or TC models all started at an on-road price of 14L and above. The fully loaded 1 Litre came in at 16L on-road and the 1.5 litre at 17L on-road in Hyderabad. While things like a sunroof sound good, to be honest, they come at the bottom of my wish list. If I wanted to stick my head out into the air, I'd ride a motorcycle. I was also thinking of the fact that I was once hours away from booking a Venue and a couple of years later despite newer vehicles on the road, considering it felt odd.

Tata Nexon: Let me start by saying, that this was the front-runner choice. It was the AMT transmission that did me in. The Nexon is a wonderful car. Well built and quite easy on the eye. But the AMT and its performance kept running in my mind. A friend of mine drives one and I have seen it struggle going uphill when you need to get past long-wheelbase vehicles. I just felt the car was let down by its AMT, given its price point. The Nexon Dark Edition was leading the pack and I was mulling over driving to the dealership.

Renault Triber: This strangely was another choice at the top of the list. At the time of buying, the family grew to include my mother, wife, daughter, and our pet a Golden Retriever named Murphy. The Triber RXZ AMT sounded like a viable option. While it sounded contradictory when I criticized Nexon's AMT, the huge price difference between the top-end Nexon and Triber made it bearable. With the Triber, there were no illusions of power and performance, it was going to be a family haulier. So it was a compromise and a rationalization.

Even with the rather strange analysis, I had put together, I was nowhere close to a decision, except on 21st August last year, I just wandered into the Renault showroom and asked if they had the Kiger CVT in Stealth Black. All of a sudden a car that was not even on the radar became a front-runner. It looked really good to the eye (Until I saw the dual-tone white and black and decided to switch colours). It was priced competitively, had a good engine as per reviews and was overall supposed to be a jolly good buy.

Test Drive Experience: Arka Renault, Kondapur, Hyderabad was the dealer I visited. Their test drive is through a network of roads behind their dealership which is a really good place to test a car. A few streets with undulations lead to wide open roads where you can push the car, so you get a good feel of ride quality, comfort, engine performance, breaking, NVH levels, etc. And they were more than happy to let me throw the car into Sport mode and stomp on the throttle. Once we returned to the showroom, I asked if they were willing to let me have a 2nd go at the test drive, but this time with my family and again they were very happy to arrange it. So, 2 hours later with my wife and daughter in tow, I had another go at the car and I found myself smiling.

Purchase Experience: A lot of my purchase experience was simplified by the fact that I had a pre-approved car loan from ICICI and all I had to do was share the document with the dealership and they took care of the rest. I walked in on a Sunday and paid the booking amount of 10K and walked out on a Thursday with the car. (PS: The car was ready by Wednesday, but I waited the additional day for my wife and mother to agree it was an auspicious day). They did a full vehicle inspection prior to the delivery and walked me through all the features and options (Which I listened to half-heartedly, considering I wanted to hit the road and could figure out what was what, without an explanation). They did the usual pomp and show of delivery (Again, meh for me, happy happy moments for the family). I put up with the whole, remove the cover, spray confetti, take a million photos exercise with the same mood as a hungry tiger being led across its whole enclosure before being allowed to eat the meal that it could see. In my head, I was grumbling all the way. Finally, out comes the car, head to a fuel station, visit the temple, return home, send WhatsApp messages to family and friends, complete the obligatory Facebook post, answer 500 questions from my 3-year-old daughter, get 500 items of caution from my 67-year-old mother and hear my wife say, "please put Lord Ganesha's idol on the dashboard" every 15 minutes! At this point, the inside of my head was pulsating. A large iced americano later some patience has crept in, family finally settles in and at 5 pm, I sneak out with the remote and get my first "me time" with the car.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Ghost The Direwolf (Yes, it is a GoT reference)

What I like:

• The looks! I think it is a well-designed car. The glaring front end, the slightly swooped roofline from the side view and the coupe-ish read-end design
• The pricing. Renault has done their market research really well. The pricing for this car (And its sibling the Magnite) is really spot on, in what can be described as a hyper-competitive market segment
• The overall drive. I've seen and heard mixed reviews here and there, but here are my two cents. This is a no-nonsense car. It does what Renault says, it will do. More on this below
• The rear passenger seating and space. I can't be sure, but I think it even gives the Sonet / Venue and Nexon a run for their money in this area
• Ride quality - Very very good for the price point and soaks up a lot of road undulations
• Overall build and experience - Pure Value for Money. Not a rupee wasted
• The engine! I love the CVT. It's been set up in a way that makes the car feel like it was designed to be a CVT and all other variants were afterthoughts.
• The boot space is fantastic and if you throw in some boot space organizers, you can drop 3 suitcases in without taking out things like the car cover or accessories (I carry a portable vacuum, a tire inflator and a car duster always)

What I don't like

• This is a nitpick, but I am not a fan of the factory-shod MRF tires that my car came with. They do not engender confidence in me.
• Second, nitpick, they could have improved the interiors a little. Like the pop-out door locks seem dated, most cars have switched to door locks integrated into the door lever console
• The digital instrument cluster is my biggest gripe. I hate the fact that you can't see RPM in Normal mode, but you can see it in Eco and Sport modes. Would it have killed the folks at Renault to make it available in all 3 modes? Especially since you'd spend most of your time in normal mode
• Some NVH and some bumps on harsh roads. I have experienced suspension bottoming out once and learned to drive better after
• The Aircon Vacuum pump on my car failed in 11 months! I got a full free warranty replacement without any hassles, but I hated the fact it failed and needed to be replaced. Didn't engender confidence.

A few personal gripes, detailed below

Optional Reading

1. Instrumental Cluster Bug: This was a temporary problem within the first 2K kilometres, but the mileometer, Trip A and Trip B would reset to zero on their own accord. I was trying to maintain detailed refuelling logs and this kept throwing me off. At some point in the 1.5K to 2K range of driving, it disappeared of its own accord. I am not sure what gremlins caused it, but it was an irritant.
2. Vehicle Stability & Grip: This bit is highly subjective considering each driver may have a slightly different driving style. The reason I post this is hoping that someone more experienced as a driver than I, might offer some suggestions. I can't describe what it is, but I've always had a feel for a vehicle's centre of gravity and its traction on the road. It is almost like there is one point on the vertical axis and 4 on the horizontal axis that my mind always keeps track of, which tells me how the car is doing on the road (This is the best I can manage in describing my driver instinct). The issue I run into with the Kiger is when I push the car hard into a curve. I just can't get enough confidence to maintain the speed. My general tendency is to take a slightly wider entry into a curve and a shallow exit. I try as much as I can to make the vehicle come as close to a straight line as I can (If you draw a line between the point of entry and to point of exit). With the Kiger and I have actually kept an eye on this, I find myself easing off the throttle and getting ready for a hard braking event and my hand automatically applies a tick of counter-steer, almost like I am instinctually preparing to steer into a skid, should it occur. I've tried varying tire pressures within a range of +/- 2 PSI on the factory recommended. I've tried changing my seating stance, and I've wondered if this is a body roll. (I am told the Kiger doesn't suffer body roll, but that doesn't mean it is non-existent). I'd really like to crack this puzzle. There are very few places where I can push the car (Where speed limits allow) and there is one particular road I've loved charging through, and this has bothered me quite a bit. Keep in mind, this is in no way a criticism of the vehicle's abilities and I am certainly not calling it out as a negative. To me, this feels more like my driving style/ability than a vehicle, but I surely would like to figure this one out. I feel instinctually that the vehicle is right at the edge of its traction and about to skate into a barrier.
3. Body Sheet metal: This has turned out to be the biggest complaint I have. The body panels actually flex if you lean against them. I get the fact that you get what you pay for, but I was quite shocked that door panels might flex if you lean against them.

Overall, I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience of driving this car. It is fantastic to look at. Possibly the best pricing in the segment. I can go toe to toe with any car in this pricing segment. My family loves the car (Big green check mark). People stop me in fuel stations and drive-ins to ask about my experience (So it does turn heads). A choice between the top-end Kiger and the top-end Sonet, I'd pick the Kiger each and every time, because I simply can't justify spending an additional 3 lakhs for a few goodies that I barely might use. (Talk to me about a full panoramic sunroof where I am in the back seat and staring at the stars, you have my attention, but show me a dinky little hole in a car's roof and tell me I have to pay more money for it, I find it as practical as a bikini in a dessert).

End of First-Year Ownership Review

Let's start with fuel economy. This car is very sensitive to pedal inputs. What you get is what you do. I have varied from as low as 8 km/l when stomping on the throttle to as high as 27 km/l on a ring road, running on cruise control at 60 km/h. Maintenance cost so far has been moderate. Nothing extraordinary stood out. But I will call out the tendency of the Renault SAs to try and "upsell" everything from AC clean-ups to underbody coatings to accessories. I've made it clear, I don't care for it and they stopped after their first attempt. Drivability in bumper-to-bumper traffic is good, you will not feel too tired out even if you are crawling in traffic for an hour. The dual glove boxes, in-console storage space, wireless charging, door pockets and all add up to a really good amount of in-car storage space. My friend and I did a test of how many bottles we could get in and without cramming any bottle, I managed to get ten 1-litre bottles in. I could have done fourteen if I crammed four more in the door pockets which was completely possible. NVH levels are acceptable. Suspension does a great job of smoothening the ride on Indian roads. There is enough space for a family of 3 adults, a child and a large pet to drive around (We've happily done 300 km weekend day trips)

Here is an insight into the technicals of the car

• On-Road Price and Discounts: Rs 12.6 Lakh (15K Discount and 3K worth of free accessories)
• Extended warranties & service packages: 3 Year Extended Warranty inclusive in price
• Variant: Renault Kiger RXZ - Turbo CVT - Dual Tone (Basically the top variant)
• Safety Features: Standard seat belts (Not height adjustable) + 4 airbags (2 front and 2 side - the side airbags deploy out of the seat cushion towards the door)
• Odometer Reading (Current): - 13648

Usage Pattern: Daily 12 kilometres (To work and back) + Alternate weekends 200 - 300 km on day trips

Build Quality: The sheet metal in the body is thin. There is body panel flex. Panel gaps are few. The paint quality and finish are average. There is a slight orange peel effect and if something scraps the bumpers even slightly, it can leave scratches (In my case, I had to drive over an unpaved surface and shrubs growing on the sides of the unpaved road, brushed against the bumper and remove paint)

Wheels & Tyres: MRF 195/60 R16. Low on tire noise. Hard compound. Feels less assured in terms of road grip. I have seen at least one Kiger RXZ from this year that came with CEAT tires, but I am not sure of how their performance is. (For the MRF I can tell you their puncture resistance is high, the side walls are strong and I predict they'll last a long long time. Side note: A friend has a car with similar MRFs that developed a side wall bulge due to a stone hit. Normally when you buy new tires you get a year or year and a half of unconditional warranty, but it turns out MRF won't replace the tire unless the bulge reaches a certain size, so that is definitely a huge negative for me. Basically, you are left with no option but to pay for a tyre replacement with MRF)

Interiors: Black for the dashboard, door panels, and centre console, with a red insert in the dashboard panel added in the 2022 model. The front driver seat is both forward/backward and height adjustable, but it is via a manual lever and not electronic. The front passenger seat is forward / backwards adjustable. Rear seats have a 60:40 split and have an upright seating posture. The seat foam is slightly on the harder side, but not harsh nor uncomfortable. You just don't get a sense of plushness or luxury. On long drives, everyone is seated comfortably though. Space in the rear for three abreast seating is fairly good for people with a medium build, which when I compare with the Venue / Sonet tends to be a little bit of a squeeze, while the Nexon is comparable with the Kiger / Magnite. Under thigh support is good and I haven't felt fatigue in long drives.

Driving Experience: When you are seated in the driver's seat, adjusted to be high and have your seat back slightly upright, you get a really commanding view with clear visibility all around with one notable exception. The position of the right side ORVM position and size, creates a bit of a blind spot, especially if you are exiting a roundabout and entering a road where the dividers are not high. You will need to take a moment to find your on-road position with hesitation you might hit the low road divider. (For those who live in Hyderabad, the service roads leading in and out of the ORR near Nanakramguda, TSPA Junction etc. are an example). Adding on to this for the ORVMs, I would have preferred if the left one could rotate outwards a little more. When you come out of a U-Turn and are trying to merge into oncoming traffic, the left maximum outward position of the left ORVM will show you the view of your exit from the U-Turn. A little bit more outward movement would have helped as you would then be able to see oncoming traffic as you merge. So, you are forced to look outside your passenger side window for longer than you want. Both ORVMs are electronically controlled, however, they do not auto-fold on engine stop (Like you would see on the Tata Altroz, Nexon etc.). Not that it's an issue, it's just a cool feature I suppose. The IRVM is day and night adjustable, but the smaller read windscreen means you don't really have a lot to look at.

Air-Conditioning: It is a silent unit. You can barely hear it when it is running at blower level 5 or below. At blower levels 6 and 7 there is a bit of a whisper. It is effective in cooling down your car quickly, but I am coming to realize that Renault has a part quality issue, because there is a higher-than-normal incidence of vacuum pump/line failures, specifically for the CVT edition. I had one last month and while my car was in the workshop there was another blue colour RXZ Turbo CVT with the exact same issue, 2 bays away. The root cause apparently is the vacuum pump on the CVT is driving both braking and air-conditioning and if the quality of manufacture is not that great, it fails within the first year. If the quality of manufacturing of the vacuum pump is good, you don't see this issue.

ICE: The in-dash 10-inch touchscreen unit is located so it is easy to view irrespective of which seat you are in. I find this to be one of the most responsive touchscreen units in its class, but the UI could be better. Apple Car Play and Android Auto are both wirelessly supported. The car has 6 speakers and 2 tweeters, with 2 speakers on the dashboard, 2 on the front two door panels and the tweeters and the remaining 2 speakers on the rear door panels. There isn't a lot to write about the audio system, since it gets the job done. Mids and Lows are fairly well-defined. This isn't an audiophile system or a Bass blaster. You get OEM speakers and tweeters, while this car's twin the Magnite gets JBL ones. But you won't be disappointed. The in-call performance if you take a call is fantastic. The microphone is crystal clear to the other party and is noise cancellation enabled. The unit has both Aux and USB enabled for video and audio playback. 2 Important points for video playback. The unit does not support above 480p video! (Which is terrible) and as a safety feature videos won't play when the car is being driven. The USB port can be used to charge phones as well (Not fast charge though) There is a wireless charging pad right below the AC controls and in a pinch it's good. During longer drives, I place my phone on the wireless charger and it holds its battery charge level as it discharges to enable the Apple CarPlay but gets charged by an equal amount at the same time. After 30 minutes the phone might feel a little warm to the touch, but nothing different from using any other wireless charger.

Engine: This is where the Kiger Turbo CVT comes into its own unique space. Dead halt to hundred, I can do it in normal mode within 8 seconds. It beats all AMTs and IMTs in its class. The only real contender is the 1.5 Litre DCT on the Sonet, but that is a big one, With a kerb weight of 1012 Kilos and a torque of 152 N*m vs. the kerb weight of the Sonet at 1233 kilos with 172 Nm, the extra power is negated out and it comes down to the driver and his / her willingness to stomp the throttle. I have actually outrun my friend's Sonet 1.5 DCT from a dead halt simply because he hesitated a little. The engine is butter smooth, and very well refined and while some reviewers have spoken about turbo-lag and the rubber band effect, I can tell you the turbo-lag is very low (Do not go by numbers that it kicks in at 2.8K RPM, the car gets to that RPM rather quickly). The rubber band effect is something I theorize will be felt as the car ages as the belt and pulleys in the CVT unit experience regular wear and tear. Right now, below 15K kilometres, I am yet to experience this, despite some really aggressive driving, even in sport mode. The car takes off beautifully and brilliantly. Puts a smile on the driver's face. May scare a passenger who isn't expecting it. That is that. Enough said.

Interior storage, practicality & boot space Let me simplify it by saying, that if you are a Mafia hitman, this is the car for you. There is tons and tons of space for storage, right from the dual glove boxes to door pockets to boot.

Reference Photos of Interior

View of Dashboard (Apologies for the lesser sharpness)

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The cars get a Smart Mirror Monitor - a 9.66-inch colour screen, which doubles as an interior rear-view mirror.

Renault has launched the 'Urban Night' limited edition of the Kiger, Triber and Kwid for this festive season.

The Urban Night limited edition comes with some exterior enhancements, including a stealth black exterior colour with Stardust Silver accents. Inside, the cars get ambient lighting and illuminated scuff plates.

The limited-edition version also gets a Smart Mirror Monitor, which uses a 9.66-inch colour screen, which doubles as an interior rear-view mirror. It offers adjustable view angles and a monitor for front and rear camera recording with wireless smartphone connectivity for downloading recorded content.

The Kiger Urban Night limited edition is finished in a Stealth Black exterior colour with Stardust Silver front and rear skid plates and puddle lamps.

While the Triber gets similar changes, the Kwid gets a few additional exterior changes like a headlamp bezel, bumper garnish, piano black ORVMs, Stardust Silver roof rails inserts, a rear trunk chrome liner with Stardust Silver elements and Stardust Silver Flex wheels.

Renault-Nissan has committed to an investment of Rs 5,300 crore to develop six products.

Renault has achieved a new production milestone as the 1 millionth vehicle rolled off its assembly line in India.

The 1 millionth vehicle, which happened to be a Kiger, was recently built at Renault's Chennai plant. The facility has an annual production capacity of 4,80,000 units. It also serves as a manufacturing hub for the brand.

Renault currently exports made-in-India vehicles to 14 countries across SAARC, Asia Pacific, Indian Ocean Region, South Africa and East Africa region.

Renault-Nissan has committed to an investment of Rs 5,300 crore to develop six products. The brand's current product portfolio includes the Kwid, Kiger and Triber. The carmaker has plans to introduce the next-gen Duster in India.

The Renault Kiger RXZ CVT is priced from Rs 10,99,990 (ex-showroom).

Earlier this month, Renault made a few changes to its Kiger line-up. The carmaker introduced the updated RXT (O) MT variant with new features. However, what went unnoticed, is that the RXT CVT variant got delisted from the website.

Renault has silently discontinued the Kiger RXT CVT variant. The only CVT option now is the top-spec RXZ trim, which is also available with a dual-tone exterior.

The CVT is only available with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. It makes 99 BHP @ 5,000 rpm and 152 Nm @ 2,200-4,400 rpm. This engine is also available with 5-speed manual transmission.

The second engine option available in the Kiger is a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit. It makes 71 BHP @ 6,250 rpm and 96 Nm @ 3,500 rpm and comes paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT.

The Renault Kiger RXZ CVT is priced at Rs 10,99,990 and Rs 11,22,990 (ex-showroom) for the dual-tone version.

Thanks to BHPian swoosh for sharing this information with other enthusiasts!

Renault is also offering several benefits on the Kiger RXZ variant, including a cash discount of up to Rs 10,000.

Renault has updated the mid-spec RXT (O) MT variant of the Kiger with new features. The crossover also gets a price cut of Rs 25,000 and now costs Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Renault Kiger RXT (O) MT variant comes with 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless smartphone connectivity. The crossover also gets several safety features such as ESP, Hill Start Assist, Traction Control and TPMS.

The Kiger is available with two engine options. These include a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that makes 71 BHP @ 6,250 rpm and 96 Nm @ 3,500 rpm. It is paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT. The crossover also gets a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit that puts out 99 BHP @ 5,000 rpm and 152 Nm @ 2,200-4,400 rpm. It is offered with a 5-speed manual and CVT.

Renault is also offering several benefits on the Kiger RXZ variant. It is available with a cash discount of up to Rs 10,000, an exchange benefit of Rs 20,000, corporate benefits of up to Rs 12,000 and loyalty benefits of up to Rs 49,000.

Initially, I found it very hard to like let alone love my car but later realised that it's a very good package of the things that matter.

BHPian sid_sawhney recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

When I bought my Kiger a year ago, it immediately seemed like a rushed decision to me. I was irked by the quality of the interiors, the awkward interior finishing between door panels and windows, the tucked-in seatbelt fasteners, oh and the awful brake noise.

I would sit in cabs and realize how cars which are significantly less priced just felt better finished. Given the fact, I had been longing for a car for quite some time and how so many 'very visible' elements were not to my liking, I found it very hard to like (let alone love my car). It's a terrible feeling to feel like that about something that you love.

To add, my first service experience was worse. They messed up my DRL, couldn't do anything about the brake noise and had poor QA overall. I am now overly skeptical of Renault's service and am anxious about my 1-year/10k service which is due this month.

But having said that, now it's been a year and I've been on plenty of rides with my Kabira (yep, that's what I and my wife have named it). I've gotten around to its faults. After constant complaints to the service guys, the brake noise has slightly gotten down. I've gotten used to the panel gaps and weird unlocking mechanism. I think what has helped me is that everybody who has driven or sat in my car has really liked it.

At first glance, the centre console does amps up the interior giving it a plush look. It's spacious, offers a smooth ride and coasts over terrible roads. And finally, my wife loves it. So she is always showering praises on the car. It's also the car that she has learned how to drive on.

Aside from all these external acknowledgements, what I've realized is that in day-to-day usage the Kiger forms an excellent package. And those things really matter once you really get to use your car. Interiors can be spruced up through minor upgrades, they can be kept fresh through regular cleaning and shining but what matters eventually is whether it drives well - everywhere, every time with or without people.

And that's what I've realized over the one year of having the Kiger. It's just a very good package of the things that matter.

• A generally sorted car which can be quite exciting as soon as you put it on sports mode
• A really spacious car which can accommodate five reasonable-sized adult people
• A really spacious boot
• Ability to take on any road
• Sexy looks
• Android Auto+Car Play with above average sound
• Lots of storage!

Every time I drive the car I derive benefit from almost (if not all) the above listed which makes it a wonderful experience for me and everyone seated in the car. And I know whatever irks me, can be fixed through updates which I can look forward to in the future.

So, through my ramble, if I can leave you with something... Give it a little bit of time and make some memories with the car. You'll find that you've made a pretty sensible decision and the things that irk you now will irk you lesser and lesser over time.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.