First Drive: Renault Kiger
I was there in 2021 when the original Renault Kiger arrived to take on a three-strong field. It would enter as a pair of twins alongside its sibling, the Nissan Magnite. In the opposite corner, the Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Toyota Urban Cruiser – Japan vs France (yet all are made in India). This newly Botoxed iteration of the Kiger, too, hails from India – land of potholes, manic traffic, and a flurry of scooters that would humble your average Checkers delivery person. It’s in this chaos that South Africa’s top-selling cars, such as the Toyota Starlet and Renault Kwid, are bred. Hence the stuff that makes it to our shores is quite hardy. Cars such as the Hyundai Exter are built there, and so is the Suzuki Swift. And if you’re wondering why I’m listing so many Indian exports, it’s because Renault considers them all to be rivals of the new Kiger – the compact crossover that essentially replaced a B-segment hatchback.
So how does it fare?
There’ll be a new turbocharged model along soon, but this isn’t it. This is the naturally aspirated 1.0-litre base unit with just 52kW and 96Nm at its disposal. This is sent to the front wheels via the 5-speed manual ‘box in my test unit, but an automated manual (AMT) is an option. I’m going to jump ahead and do the grade walk early because I reckon the pricing here is crucial to form an opinion. The base Kiger is Renault’s ‘mobility’ option called the Evolution, yours for just R219,999. Suddenly, it puts that low performance into perspective. Yes, it will struggle to pull the sheets off your bed, but then it does have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a fair amount of mod cons and safety technology and, in my opinion, a genuinely attractive exterior. If you demand more from your brand-new daily, Renault has a more aspirational option in the Techno spec at R244,999 and the aforementioned automatic at R254,999. The upcoming turbo model will serve as the flagship, but no prices have been confirmed yet.
The shape of it
The new Kiger is instantly recognisable despite an array of tweaks such as a new colour palette (blue, red, silver and grey), refreshed bumpers at the front and rear, a sinewy bonnet, new grille and lampwork. Upfront, the Tri-Octa lamps have been upgraded from halogens to LED, and so are the C-shaped rear lights. Functional roof bars (50kg weight limit) provide utility, while the rear spoiler creates an attractive profile. So do the side repeaters on the mirrors and the 16-inch wheels, which are in fact steel items hidden by two-tone wheel covers. So don’t kick them. New skid plates finish off that squared-off stance, creating an enviable, robust aesthetic that sadly belies middling performance while in itself being quite the drawcard. The Kiger looks great, is well-priced, and despite being woefully meek, only needs to provide pleasant living quarters to be a truly compelling offering. So let’s drop a cheek into the driver’s pew and see what’s what.
The cabin is pleasant enough; dark plastic surfaces abound, but so do hidey-holes and storage bins. The dashboard of the dual-tone interior is dominated by an 8-inch touchscreen featuring wired media options in addition to Bluetooth connectivity. The Kiger comes with Renault’s Smart Keyless card, multiple air-conditioning zones (including the rear), a cooled glovebox and a digital instrument cluster. There’s a rear-view camera, a tyre pressure monitor, front and side (the Techno also has curtain) airbags, and armrests with cup holders in the rear (40:60 split) bench seat. The boot volume is handy at 405 litres, which is a hell of an advantage when compared to small hatchbacks like the Suzuki Swift. By no means a direct rival, until you consider the pricing aspect.
But how does it go?
I’ve put this off as long as I could, but the moment of truth has arrived. Renault is quite proud of the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels of the new Kiger, but in practice there’s no hiding away from the noisy thrumming so indicative of a tiny 3-cylinder engine that has to carry a tonne. Make no mistake, at a kerb weight of just a thousand kilos (unladen), the Kiger is an impressive little package. That my copilot and I added an extra 200kg to the sums, however, did push it to the limits, rendering it a buzzy mess at low speed and forcing us to lean onto the throttle for ages in order to attain a cruising speed.
And this was in Cape Town, where the coastal air helped the naturally aspirated engine along. Driven at the reef, where the elevation would rob the Kiger of some of its gusto, you’ll be burying your right foot into the carpet for most of your driving life. But this is not a condemnation yet. At R220k, I can’t ignore the value on offer here. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a car as well packaged and feature-laden as long as you’ve considered the trade-off. A numbing time at the helm, but at least your passengers will love you for it.
Pricing:
Renault Kiger naturally aspirated the MT Evolution: R219,999.
Renault Kiger naturally aspirated the MT Techno: R244,999.
Renault Kiger naturally aspirated AMT Techno: R254,999
The KIGER model range offers complete peace of mind with a standard 5-year/150,000km mechanical warranty and a 2-year/30,000km service plan.
Words: Calvin Fisher
