Eye of the Kiger

There’s a new entrant in the already populated sub-4m SUV space in the form of the Renault Kiger which promises premium features, a whole lot of space, a turbocharged petrol engine and more at a price that’s considerably lower than most of its rivals

- Dhruv Saxena

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that compact SUVs, the sub-4m kind are all the rage right now. Buyers can’t seem to get enough of them and almost every mainstream manufacturer wants a slice of that very lucrative pie. The Renault-Nissan Alliance too jumped on the bandwagon with the Nissan Magnite towards the end of last year and now the Renault Kiger. Both share the same platform and mechanicals but that’s where the similarities end. More importantly, though, both have arrived with a price tag that’s considerably lower than others in the segment without, prima facie, compromising on space, performance and features. And that raises the question – have we been paying too much for sub-4m compact SUVs so far?

As far as styling is concerned, the Kiger cuts a rather attractive figure with its split headlamps up front and a stylish SUV-coupe-like profile. The front section of the Renault Kiger makes it look like a grown-up Kwid with its split headlight treatment, upright nose and large Renault badge. Thanks to its larger dimensions though, there’s no mistaking it for a Kwid in the flesh. Renault has given the Kiger, in this top end RXZ trim only, full LED headlights positioned lower down in the bumper while the upper portion houses the indicators and LED DRLs. The flat, sculpted bonnet, thick wheel arch cladding and generous 205mm ground clearance lend the Kiger that highly sought-after tough SUV look, while the rear adds a bit of flair with its sloping roofline, a cool looking spoiler and a steeply raked windshield. The tail lamps are reminiscent of the European spec Captur and feature a C-shape LED signature as standard across all trims. The rear is easily our favourite bit of the Kiger’s exterior. Other highlights include functional roof rails and 16-inch alloy wheels.