Renault KWID

Youth Champ

When it was launched in India back in 2015, the Renault Kwid instantly locked horns with the favourite small car of India — the Maruti Suzuki Alto. Similarly priced and specced, the Kwid had just one objective — to dethrone the Alto from the top spot in the Indian automotive market. While the Kwid never reached a point where it could overshadow the Alto, it did surprisingly well for a car from a French manufacturer with a significantly smaller presence and network than Maruti Suzuki in India. Over the years, Renault adapted the Kwid to be more youthful and attractive, catering to buyers looking for their first car. But is it the perfect first car to buy? 

Renault Kwid Pros and Cons 

Renault Kwid Exterior Design 

Renault has designed the Kwid with a young buyer in mind, and that comes across from its design. The exterior is bold and youthful, getting several modern-day touches that are not routine to the segment. Up front, the Kwid has adapted a split-headlamp design similar to the larger Renault Kiger. The large headlights get even larger chrome surrounds, and more chrome embellishments in the grille and lower down in the bumper give the Kwid an upmarket feel. The transition to larger 14-inch wheels has bolstered the Kwid's stance and road presence and has also added ground clearance (which is now 184 mm), making it easy to manoeuvre on rough roads and large speed breakers. Top spec variants get several details like alloy wheels and roof rails, which ensure the Kwid doesn’t look like a run-of-the-mill affordable car. While the Kwid has changed significantly from the front end, the rear has been largely the same since launch, making it appear slightly dated now. The tail lights have received LED treatment though, and Renault also offers a ton of accessories to customise the Kwid to make it yours, which includes some embellishments for the rear end too.

Renault Kwid Interiors 

Similar to the exterior, the Kwid gets youthfully designed interiors which are very appealing, especially by segment standards. Taking centre stage on the dash is an 8.0-inch touchscreen display, which looks huge in the tiny car. The part-digital instrument cluster also adds to the modernity of the cabin. The top spec ‘Climber’ variant also gets yellow accents on the upholstery, making it appear youthful. While the design is attractive, the interior uses some low-quality hard plastics. The Kwid is fairly practical too, getting a large glovebox and plenty of storage space. But on the flip-side, the rear seat isn’t very comfortable, thanks to the lack of under-thigh support, which will especially bother taller passengers. At 279 litres, the boot space is generous for its class, and can house a couple of suitcases and a few small bags. A foldable rear seat allows you to significantly expand this space too, but the rear seat back is in one piece and not split 60:40, so seating for three passengers and one seat folded down for luggage is not possible.

Renault Kwid Comfort 

Being an A-segment hatchback, the Renault Kwid primarily offers comfortable seating only for the front passengers, with the rear seats being somewhat compromised. The front seats are supportive and soft, offering good comfort over city journeys. Three passengers at the back is also only achievable with children or smaller individuals. Comfortably, the Kwid can only seat two adults and two teenagers, unless the journey is short. Thanks to the upgrade in wheel size in the most recent facelift, the Kwid now sports a slightly stiffer suspension setup, which compromises low-speed comfort a bit. The firmness though, comes in handy when travelling with a full load, or at slightly higher speeds.

Renault Kwid Performance and Handling

The Renault Kwid is powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder engine, which puts out 67 bhp and 91 Nm torque. The engine isn’t the best in terms of refinement, and it can get considerably noisy under stress. The engine offers a driving experience that leans towards functionality rather than exhilaration, with the performance at low speeds feeling sluggish and requiring frequent gear shifts for optimal acceleration. Mid-range performance is adequate for the segment, making overtakes at city speeds easy. The engine is paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT automatic gearbox, with both leaving room for improvement. The manual gearbox isn’t as smooth as its rivals, and the clutch action could be better. The AMT on the other hand takes time to shift, but still is a more convenient option for commuting. The handling has seen slight improvements over time, with the latest version getting larger wheels offering a more confident drive. Having said that, the steering's lack of responsiveness at higher speeds remains a point of concern.

Renault Kwid Key specifications

Renault Kwid Safety Features

While automakers usually have to make compromises when making a small, affordable car, those compromises haven’t been made on the safety front in the Renault Kwid. The Kwid gets several safety features that, until now, were only seen on cars two or three segments above. While basic safety features like dual airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, seat belt reminders for all seats, and speed alert warning is standard, some higher-end features like a tyre pressure monitoring system, ESP, hill start assist, a traction control system and reverse parking sensors and camera are also a part of the elaborate safety suite. The latest version of the Renault Kwid hasn’t been crash-tested yet, but with its list of safety features, it promises to improve on the low 1-star rating that the 2016 Renault Kwid received from Global NCAP.

Renault Kwid Technology and Infotainment

Renault has stepped up its game on the tech front in the Kwid, offering an 8.0-inch touchscreen that is larger than those on some cars that cost thrice as much! With the Kwid being a small car, the 8.0-inch unit really stands out on the dash, taking up a significant amount of real estate. The infotainment system is user-friendly and feature-rich, offering Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Supporting it is the part-digital instrument cluster with a digital MID that shows a fair bit of information — including readouts for the tyre pressure monitoring system — while giving the cluster a modern appeal. However, the absence of rear power windows and certain ergonomic oversights like the gear selector placement in the AMT variant indicate areas where further refinement is needed. Despite these shortcomings, the Kwid impressively packages essential modern conveniences within its compact dimensions, setting a high standard for its segment.  

Is the Renault Kwid for You?

By segment standards, the Renault Kwid does a great job on most fronts. It gets a decent engine with acceptable performance and the choice of an automatic gearbox, good ride comfort and handling, and is also very practical. The key selling point though is its design — both inside and out — and the features on offer, which make it a modern and tech-loaded car that will attract every young buyer. However, when it comes to buying an A-segment hatchback, instead of choosing between Kwid or Alto, the real question you should ask yourself is, “Can you stretch a bit?”