Renault Kwid 1.0
There’s a new Kwid on the block
BBIGGER ENGINE, more power, better acceleration, this is what the new Renault Kwid 1-litre is all about. Back in 2015 when the Kwid first hit Indian roads, it created quite the stir, with a promise to change one’s perspective of small cars. And in this one year around 80,000 Kwids have hit Indian roads. The perception of a budget car has changed since its launch with the Kwid offering plenty of firstin-class features: SUV-ish styling, great fuel efficiency and lots of space, all at an aggressive small-car price. Back then, there were talks of a 1-litre engine joining the line-up, and it was showcased at the Auto Expo in February. Renault has taken its time with that motor (they’re taking even more time with the AMT automatic transmission also shown at the Expo and now expected by year end) and now it’s here in time for the most important season for sales heads at car companies.
The festive season is the time Maruti and Hyundai cash in with new products and plenty of offers. It is the time when small car buyers offer plenty of prayers and book their first car – more likely to be an Alto than not – so the timing is perfect to offer an alternative to the country’s best-seller. This 1-litre Kwid is then directed at the Alto K10 and Eon 1.0.
The Kwid’s new 3-cylinder engine gets an additional 14bhp and 19Nm of torque. Renault has bored out the 0.8-litre engine to make 67bhp at 5,500rpm and 91Nm at 4,250rpm which equals the Alto K10, and is one horsepower short of the Eon. These aren’t figures to get excited over but the differentiator is power to weight. Tipping the scales at just 699kg (39kg heavier than the 0.8L Kwid), it boasts of a class leading power-toweight ratio of 95.6bhp/tonne.
Since it is not a completely new engine, the characteristics aren’t very different to the smaller motor. It’s more responsive, quicker off the block (obviously) and is easier to overtake without always demanding a downshift (or two). The Kwid offers plenty of low end torque and the clutch doesn’t have much play, so it feels a bit jerky when you are inching your way through traffic. The 0.8-litre engine did have a flat spot in its power delivery as you went up the revs, but the extra 19Nm plugs the holes and smoothens it out. The 1-litre has a nice thrum at idle, not too loud for a 3-cylinder, but when you rev it the Kwid sounds quite thrashy. It is best to short shift it to keep the three-cylinder motor happy and use the torque. Renault isn’t chasing any record efficiency figures with the 1-litre Kwid like it did with the 0.8 Kwid but even with this higher output, it comes with an ARAI claimed 23.01kmpl fuel efficiency figure. The Alto K10 has a higher claimed efficiency, though I’m
not too sure if a 1kmpl difference will swing purchase decisions either way.
Renault is known for its well-tuned suspension setup, be it the Duster or the Fluence, and the Kwid has the same DNA. Since the suspension setup remains the same, the 1-litre rides well too but at higher speeds the weedy tyres means it does float around a fair bit. There’s noticeable body roll through corners too and plenty of understeer, something that you have to take for granted on a car running 155/80 13-inch tyres optimised for fuel efficiency. You also feel the need for more bite from the brakes.
From the outside, the new Kwid looks similar to its sibling with the differentiator being the decals on the sides with the 1-litre badging and silver finish on the wing mirrors. Renault is offering customers a choice of 25 decals along with 6 customisation packages, tweaks that won’t cost much (`3,00012,000) but will give buyers a sense of individuality. The interior has been carried forward from the older Kwid without any changes. It gets the same touchscreen infotainment system, satellite navigation, USB, an aux-in port and Bluetooth connectivity as the 0.8-litre Kwid, which is a big draw in the segment.
The competition in the small car segment is pretty cut-throat and with every manufacturer trying to undercut the other with its pricing, and (even worse) customers unwilling to spend a few thousand rupees more on safety, these things are usually given a miss. The Kwid only gets a driver’s side airbag (standard on top end, optional on all other variants), no option of a passenger airbag and no ABS either. Renault though claim the seatbelts on the Kwid (badged Pro Sense) have both load tensioners and the inertia reel (rivals in this class, apparently, have either one) which is first in class. Don’t go mistaking this for Pre-Sense on a Mercedes though. What Renault won’t tell you is the rear seat belts don’t have an inertia reel (you buckle up and adjust the length of the seat belt, basically tying you into the seat) unlike its rivals.
The Kwid 1.0 is priced very aggressively at 3.96 lakh for the RXT (O) variant, only 22,000 costlier than the 0.8-litre Kwid. it continues to be an excellent value proposition, which will only be enhanced when the AMT version comes before the end of the year. Ryan Lee(@ ryanlee814)
What really makes the Kwid stand out is SUV-ish styling, great fuel efficiency and lots of space