RENAULT KIGER INTENS 1,0 TURBO AUTO
As the latest entrant to a bustling crossover segment, Renault’s flagship Kiger joins CAR’S longterm fleet spoiling for a fight
Our Kiger 1,0 Turbo Intens test unit arrived at the CAR garage painted in eye-catching Caspian Blue with a contrasting black roof, dual-tone 16-inch alloy wheels and silver roof rails. This car is clearly all about its styling and I don’t blame Renault for capitalising on the current crossover craze. The high bonnet line is matched by a bluff front-end that houses LED daytime running lights and three-bulb LED headlamps. Round the back, there are intricate C-shaped LED taillamps, a pronounced bumper wrapped in silver and black cladding, as well as an exaggerated spoiler with integrated high-level brake light. All of these elements in combination with a 205 mm ride height come together to make a real head turner in the compact crossover segment.
As you’d expect from a rangetopping model, the Intens offers all the necessary gadgets and some besides. The driver’s display, for example, is a digital unit that adapts to the three available drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. The eight-inch infotainment system neatly placed on the facia offers both Apple Carplay and Android Auto functionality with voice recognition and Bluetooth compatibility. So far my interaction with the system has been hassle free. The cabin takes inspiration from both the Renault Duster and Triber with a few unique styling twists to match the exterior. For the most part, it’s an easy-to-use and solid-feeling cabin with a host of cubby areas but peculiarly few cup holders up front. There are one or two rattles and squeaks to speak of already and as is the norm for this price-sensitive segment, there are some hard plastics with a few sharp edges to be found. There are soft-topped centre armrests and padded door-card inserts for the driver and front passenger that take the edge off, however. The storage binnacle in the centre could fit a little better, too.
Other than the head-turning styling and wallet-friendly price, what I found most impressive is the clever interior packaging. It’s a small car on the outside with a wheelbase of just 2 500 mm but the cabin is spacious. The boot, despite its high load lip, is a useful shape, and rear passengers are provided with ample leg and headroom despite the sloping roofline. There are also dedicated air vents in the rear and a centre armrest to ensure rear occupants remain comfortable.
Fuel consumption over this period has been higher than expected at 7,56 L/100 km but the vehicle has been confined to urban traffic and arrived with just 720 km on the clock. The 1,0-litre turbopetrol engine and CVT combination is something of a mixed bag. First impressions are that it’s not a particularly refined drivetrain, the threecylinder motor buzzes and exhibits noticeable lag. It does, however, offer decent mid-range punch and the CVT does a good job to keep the turbo-triple in its sweet spot while mimicking torque-converter-like shifts quite convincingly. Being an urban runaround, it feels most at home in the city but we’ll soon see how it performs on the long road.