Renault Kiger first drive, 2021: the compact SUV built to undercut everyone

Renault Kiger overview

This new compact SUV is the Renault Kiger, the French carmaker’s cool new entry into a hot segment. Where does it fit, and what does it stand out for? Those are questions we’ll be answering throughout this article. To understand where the Renault Kiger fits in, it is essential to talk about the range first.

Specification and engine options

The Renault Kiger 1.0 lineup comprises:

A 72 horsepower and 96Nm of torque three-cylinder 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, available with five-speed manual and five-speed AMT gearboxes.

The Renault Kiger 1.0 Turbo

There is also the option of a 100 horsepower and 160Nm of torque 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine, which can be had with a five-speed manual or a CVT auto.

There is no diesel engine option, and the petrol engines might not stand out for power and torque.

Prices

But bring prices into the equation and you’ll find the Kiger undercuts like-to-like engine-and-gearbox versions of almost all other compact SUVs by tens of thousands of rupees, if not a whole lot more.

In fact, on price, at least, the Kiger and its fraternal twin from Nissan, the Magnite — which it is built alongside — almost sit in a sub-segment of their own.

Dimensions

The Kiger measures just under 4 metres in length, and its 2,500mm wheelbase is also at par with most rivals. However, the Kiger is narrower than all others, and its 1,605mm height, measured at the roof rails, is in the middle of the road too.

In the metal, the Renault Kiger looks fairly substantial, if also like an XXL-sized Renault Kwid from some angles. The split headlamp looks like the chunky wheel arch cladding, and the somewhat coupe-ish roof visually link the two Renaults. And that might not be an association potential Kiger buyers would like.

Styling

That said, the Kiger has its share of interesting details. The bonnet features volume-enhancing scoops. The main headlight cluster, comprising LEDs on top-spec variants, looks sophisticated.

All versions, right from the base, can be had with a black roof. The roof rails are functional as well and can take a load of up to 50kg.

To my eyes, the Kiger looks its best when viewed from the rear. The split roof spoiler, the C-shape tail lights with their cutouts, and the meaty rear bumper give the Kiger some personality. Meatier rubber for the stylish 16-inch wheels would do wonders for the Kiger’s stance. Which is the best-looking compact SUV? Drop your opinion in the comment section below.

Interiors

The Renault Kiger is built on the CMF-A+ platform, and there are certain elements shared with its platform mates inside the cabin. Inside the Kiger you’ll find some elements that are from the Renault Triber, some like the climate control knobs from the Nissan Magnite — but view this cabin in isolation and you’ll find it stylish, and what it stands out for is how thoughtfully it’s been designed.

There are loads and loads of space for storing small items. I’ll run you through the list: there are two glove boxes, the larger one being lower down; there are one-litre bottle holders on each of the four doors; there’s a huge bay with cup holders at the centre armrest; there’s a nice recess for your phone on top, and there’s also a wireless charging bay lower down on the centre console. So one thing is for sure — your car won’t be messy, with things just thrown around here and there.

There are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support for the nice 8-inch touchscreen. There won’t be any dangling wires either.

So the cabin is neat and practical. But how is it on the feel-good factor? There are no soft-touch materials inside the Renault Kiger, but the plastic quality is more than acceptable for this price of car.

I like this vinyl surround for the top air vents. And if you zoom out and look, you’ll find a fair few nice details inside the cabin. The wide centre console, which also houses a drive-mode selector, gets a nice gloss-black finish. The chrome highlights around the gear lever help the look. And the climate control knobs with integrated readouts look quite premium. What greatly uplifts the look is the well-executed, configurable TFT instrument readout. It is detailed — I’ll get to it in a bit.

On the whole, the panel fit is also decent. But some elements tell you the Kiger is built to a cost: the upper glove box’s non-damped opening, the basic roof lining and the rather flimsy interior mirror are some of those. For their part, the front seats are quite nice, and drivers will like the elevated seating position.

Top-spec features

The Kiger is available in four trim levels and the top-spec RXT version packs in quite a bit for the money. There’s no sunroof or cruise control, but you can add in items like a wireless phone charger, front parking sensors, ambient lighting and more from the Kiger’s accessories menu.

Safety

In terms of safety features, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and dual airbags are standard, while the second-from-top RXT variants add side airbags, adjustable rear headrests and Isofix child-seat mounts as well.

And before you ask — the Kiger hasn’t been tested by Global NCAP as yet.

Shifting the focus to the seats, the news is good.

Rear seat

We said this about the Nissan Magnite and we’ll say it about the Renault Kiger as well: this is a surprisingly roomy compact SUV. Now, I’m just under six feet tall, the front seat is set to my driving position, and the knee room is superb. There’s no shortage of headroom either.

There’s also sufficient room for three average-sized adults to sit at the back. The flat floor that maximises the foot room helps. And when the rear seat isn’t occupied you can fold down this armrest — it’s nicely positioned and also gets a nifty holder for your phone.

There are also rear aircon vents and a 12-volt charging socket. The seat is largely comfortable; some might find the cushioning on the back a bit firm. I would have preferred larger windows at the back, but on the whole the experience is rather nice.

Boot

What’s also impressive is the luggage space, which stands at a class-leading 405 litres. You can fit in plenty of luggage here, but the high lip and low boot floor mean loading heavy bags will require effort.

Boot compartments are also on the accessories list. Should you need more room, the rear seats split 40-60 and fold down. Sadly there’s no internal handle for the tailgate, so you’ll have to touch the bodywork to shut it. Not ideal on a rainy day. No such problems on a bright and sunny day.

Driving experience: the 1.0-litre turbo petrol

The 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine’s 100 horsepower and 160Newton-metre figures aren’t standout numbers. But then the Kiger is also quite a lightweight, tipping the scales at just over a ton. Performance is quite likeable; you can describe the Kiger’s 1.0-litre engine power delivery as cool and calm.

It starts confidently enough, and when the turbo does kick in you don’t get a kick-back into your seat. Rather, it’s a smooth build of power, and what you get is a very wide powerband. Keep the engine above 1,500 or 1,700rpm and you’ll be good to go.

Drive modes

The Kiger comes with drive modes, which is a fairly unique feature in this class of car. The drive modes not only alter throttle response but also have a bearing on the steering weight.

On offer are Eco, Normal and Sport, and you can feel an impact on performance when you shuffle through the modes. In Eco mode the Kiger does feel quite restricted, but then again, the whole point of Eco mode is to get the most out of every litre of petrol. Things improve noticeably when you switch to Normal mode: throttle responses become faster, the engine feels freer, and in general the Kiger suddenly feels like it’s got a spring in its step.

Shifting to Sport mode does grant you access to the best the Kiger’s engine has to offer. It feels the most alert, the most responsive, and is quite a lot of fun in Sport mode.

What’s cool is that each of the drive modes also has a unique skin on the digital instrument display. Eco mode will show you the most efficient driving range; move to Normal and the emphasis is on road speed; shift to Sport and the tachometer takes pride of place. There are readings for power and torque, and a G-meter is included too. The tacho on the Sport mode screen will tell you that you can wind this engine to 6,500rpm.

We haven’t timed the Kiger yet. But going by the equivalent Magnite’s figures, expect a 0-100kph time in the region of 11 seconds. You don’t have to work the engine hard in normal driving scenarios.

Hill climbs and highway ride

Though, as with all other cars with small-capacity turbo petrol engines, you’ll need to be mindful of the gear you’re in on climbs. This gearbox is a bit long in throw, so you have to reach out a bit. It’s also not the smoothest, so there’s a bit of effort involved in going through the gears. There’s no sixth gear, but it’s not all that big a deal.

The smartly chosen gear ratios also help the Kiger get up to cruising speed with ease, and you’ll like how the Kiger feels on the highway. For a car that’s light and also relatively small, the Kiger feels pretty sure-footed at highway speeds. Body movements are well contained and your passengers won’t be thrown around on wavy surfaces.

The stable, planted Kiger drives like a bigger car. But all is not perfect: ambient noise levels are quite high in the Kiger. There’s a lot of road noise and a surprising amount of wind noise that creeps into the cabin as well. The engine also has typical three-cylinder characteristics, with a thump as well as a few vibrations at idle.

As for ride quality in town, there is a firmness to the ride, but again it’s not to the extent of being jarring. It does smoothen out bad patches of road well enough and the suspension is quite absorbent. On terrible roads you can hear the suspension at work, but on the whole the Kiger feels quite tough — and almost like a mini Duster.

Ride and handling

The Kiger’s 205mm unladen ground clearance also comes in handy over big speed breakers, and we’d like to add in a light, easy-to-twirl steering, even if there are too many turns lock-to-lock.

You have a car that’s easy to live with in town — but does it offer enough for the keen driver? Satisfactory here too. The Kiger turns in neatly, feels poised, and offers good grip. The steering isn’t pin-sharp, but a Sport mode that adds noticeable weight does help the experience. Unlike the Duster and, more recently, the Renault Triber, which were mould-breaking products from Renault.

Conclusion

The Kiger enters a well-established arena with intense competition. Even so, it has the potential to shake up the segment. It’s stylish, practical and well-equipped, and by extension a compact SUV with big appeal. Sure, it’s not the most premium inside and the refinement level suggests it’s been built to a price. But then again, what a price it is, with the range starting at just ₹5.45 lakh.

The Kiger not only undercuts segment rivals, but also sits in a sweet spot that opens it up to buyers considering hatchbacks or compact sedans. All said, the Kiger could just give Renault its first big SUV hit after the Duster.

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A note added in 2026

What was and was not measured here. MotoSutra did not time this car. The 0-100kph figure above is the 2021 article’s own inference from the Nissan Magnite, which shares the engine and the line, and the original says so — it is preserved as an estimate because presenting it as a test result would be exactly the kind of claim this site refuses to make. The same applies to the ₹5.45 lakh starting price: it is a March 2021 launch figure, not a quotation, and it is not published in any price or offer structured data on this page.

The current Renault model on MotoSutra is the Triber; the CVT mentioned above is explained in our guide to CVT transmissions.