Renault Kiger will go on sale in early 2021 and it will be powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with manual and automatic transmission choices
Renault India’s next big launch for the domestic market is undoubtedly the Kiger. Set to go on sale in the early stages of 2021, the Kiger has plenty in common with the recently launched Nissan Magnite. The latter is the most affordable compact SUV on sale with a starting price of just Rs. 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Both sit on the same CMF-A+ platform with heavy localisation.
The high local content will result in the Renault Kiger being aggressively priced against competitors such as Kia Sonet, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport, and Honda WR-V. The sub-four-metre SUV was already previewed through a concept and the production version will have obvious similarities as it is a slightly toned down take on it.
The rendering of the rear quarter section shows the presence of C-shaped LED tail lamps, sculpted tailgate, blackened pillars, integrated roof spoiler, shark fin antenna, Renault badge mounted on the middle of the tailgate with KIGER written boldly below, underbody protecting skid plate, 16-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, black rectangular wheel arch cladding, etc.
The front end of the Renault Kiger will boast of split headlamp cluster, horizontal chromed grille, wide central air inlet, sporty character lines and raked windshield. Despite sharing the architecture, the Renault Kiger will look significantly different compared to the Magnite which has a more aggressive design philosophy in its own right.
Since the Magnite has been well received amongst customers already, Renault could expect a similar response for the Kiger and it could be priced between Rs. 5 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh (ex-showroom). The interior will more likely feature an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, automatic climate control, 360-degree camera and so on.
As for the performance, a 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol and a 1.0-litre three-pot turbo petrol could be utilised as in the Magnite with manual and automatic transmission choices. The top-end variants in specific will likely be offered with a CVT gearbox.