The new Renault Kiger has been revealed in India and is scheduled to arrive in South Africa in the third quarter of 2021.
Previewed by a concept unwrapped as recently as November 2020, the new Kiger is set to take on the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Suzuki Vitara Brezza and (the closely related) Nissan Magnite.
Measuring 3 991 mm nose to tail and with a wheelbase of 2 500 mm, the new five-seater Kiger slots neatly into India’s sub-four-metre class. The small crossover features a luggage compartment capable of swallowing a claimed 405 litres (expanding to 879 litres with the rear seats folded down), while ground clearance comes in at 205 mm with 16-inch wheels fitted.
In India, the new Kiger will be offered with a 74 kW/160 N.m turbocharged 1,0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine (yes, just like the Magnite) driving the front wheels via either a five-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Interestingly, the Kiger will feature three driving modes: normal, eco and sports.
There will also be a 53 kW/96 N.m naturally aspirated 1,0-litre petrol engine on offer, powering the front wheels through a five-speed manual or an automated manual transmission with the same number of cogs. It’s not yet clear which powertrain will be available in South Africa.
Inside, the Indian-spec version features an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, along with a seven-inch configurable TFT cluster. Other big-car features include an Auditorium 3D surround sound system, a hands-free access key card and automatic air conditioning.
