Renault Kiger Sub Compact SUV

by admin | February 18, 2021

Renault Kiger

Renault India has launched their new Kiger compact SUV. The new Kiger is based on the CMF-A+ platform which is also shared with the Nissan Magnite. The Kiger offers two petrol engines with both, manual and automatic gearbox options. This is the first compact SUV from Renault to go on sale.

Exterior:

The new Renault Kiger features a familiar design language previously seen on the Kwid. It features a coupe-like design with a muscular stance. The grille and headlights have been significantly upgraded compared to the Kwid though. The grille is larger and gets more Chrome treatment, similar to the Triber and is flanked by LED DRLs which also include the indicators. The actual headlamps are located lower down in the bumper and the top spec variant get Pure Vision LED headlamps. While all variants get 16” wheels as standard, the higher variants get alloy wheels. The rear features C shaped LED tail lamps and a very sculpted tailgate. The higher variants also get silver finished rear skid plate. The sides feature black decals that look like body claddings and even the higher variants don't get Chrome door handles.

Interior:

The interior of the Kiger gets a traditional, yet stylish layout. The higher Variants get an 8” touchscreen floating at the centre on top of the dash with a high centre console that also includes a large storage compartment under the armrest which can be closed by a Tambour-door sliding lid, as seen on the Tata Nexon. The top Variants get a 7” TFT instrument cluster along with two gloveboxes. The Climate control console, window and mirror controls, starter button, gear lever and the steering wheel are shared with the Nissan Magnite. The door pads are vastly different compared to the Magnite while the glovebox design is identical to the one seen on the Triber.

The Kiger also claims to have segment-besting 405L boot space as standard.

The top spec RXZ Variant will get the following features:

LED headlights and DRLs
16” dual tone alloys
Functional roof rails
Rear wiper & washer
Smart key access
Push button start
Power windows (Auto up/down for driver)
Auto fold ORVMs
Height adjustable driver seat
8” touchscreen system
Steering mounted audio controls
Wireless Android auto & Apple carplay
Reverse camera
Auto climate control
Rear AC vents
Interior ambient lighting
7” TFT instrument cluster
Twin gloveboxes
Cooled lower glovebox
Front and rear armrests
Rear adjustable headrests
60:40 split-folding rear seat

The RXZ variant also gets 3 drive modes as standard including Normal, Economy and Sport modes.

Safety features:

Standard safety features on the Kiger include:

2 airbags
ABS with EBD
Pretensioner seatbelt for driver
Engine immobilizer
Reverse sensors

The top spec RXZ offers the following safety features:

4 Airbags
Smart key access
Rear adjustable headrests
Rear wiper and washer
Reverse camera

While the Nissan Magnite offered ESP, traction control, hill hold assist and brake assist as standard on all turbocharged Variants, none of the Variants of the Kiger offer those safety features.

Variants:

The Renault Kiger will be available in 4 Variants:

Powertrains:

The Kiger will be offered with two petrol engine options. Both 1.0L engines are the same as seen on the Nissan Magnite. The naturally aspirated engine will produce 72PS of Max Power and 96NM of Max torque through a 5 speed Manual gearbox. Unlike the Magnite, the Kiger also offered a 5 speed AMT gearbox with this engine as an option from the RXL Variant onwards.

The turbocharged engine produces 100PS of Max Power and 160NM of Max torque with the manual transmission while the CVT Variants produce 152NM of Max torque. The base RXE Variant is not ava with the turbocharged engine option and only the RXT and RXZ turbo Variants get the option of a CVT.

Launch & price:

The Renault Kiger is expected to give tough competition to all other compact SUVs while also lasting the success streak of Renault from the launch of the Triber. The Kiger is priced neck-to-neck with the Nissan Magnite, starting from Rs.5.45L (ex-showroom) for the RXE and going up to Rs.9.55L (ex-showroom) for the top spec RXZ Turbo CVT Variant. This pricing makes the RXE Renault Kiger the most affordable compact SUV in the Indian Market today.

Stay tuned for our detailed reviews and updates.

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2020 Ford Figo- What’s changed?

Engine options for both petrol and Diesel Figo remain the same- a 1.5L Diesel engine with 100 Ps of power, 215NM of torque and the 1.2L Ti-VCT inline three petrol Engine that delivers 96PS of power and 119NM of torque.

Other aspects like ride quality, comfort, NVH levels, communicative steering, soft suspension remain the same.

However due to a hike in the price of the BS6 Figo, Ford has excluded some features from the Titanium variant of the car. Features like infotainment system, rear wiper, rear de-fogger, fog lamps, reversing camera, automatic climate control have been excluded- options which buyers look for

the most in car.

The alloy wheels too have been changed in terms of design and build. We preferred the earlier design. However, they remain the same in the Top end variant, also called the Ford Figo Blu which comes in a sporty avatar.

The Ford Figo Blu comes in a power packed avatar with features mentioned above. However, Apple Car Play and Android Auto features have been excluded from the infotainment system as the Figo Blu gets the Fly Audio touch screen infotainment system.

There has been a major shuffling of features with the Ford Figo and the exclusion of many is something that could disappoint many buyers as not everyone would opt for the top- end and youthful Blu variant.

Ford however, has updated one thing in all its cars for 2020. The addition of FordPass connected car technology that works on an in- built 4G data connection which free of cost subscription for three years. The app enables new car owners to obtain real time data like tyre pressures, fuel level, odometer reading, car position and it also allows for remote start/stop and lock/unlock of the vehicle via the app. Owners can also locate nearest fuel stations, local point of interests and nearby Ford dealers, while the Guide function provides help to owners by calling a Ford guide or roadside assistance in case of a breakdown.

While the new Figo has lost a few features, the introduction of FordPass does bring Ford back in the game as such technology is getting quite common in new cars.

Tata Safari - The Legend Returns With a New Avatar!

Tata Motors will be launching their flagship Safari 7-seat SUV on 26th January 2021. The new gen Safari is essentially the 7 seat extended version of the Harrier 5 seat SUV based on the Land Rover derived OMEGA arc platform. Earlier this SUV was named the Buzzard at the Geneva auto expo, which was then changed to Gravitas for the Delhi auto expo last year. Now, Tata motors has finalized that it will be the successor to legendary and iconic Safari SUV.

Safari Dark and Camo Edition Rendered By TeamAutoTrend Studio.

Based on the Harrier, the Safari

will be around 60mm longer than the Harrier to accommodate the extra 2 seats while also being taller to provide better headroom for the 3rd row. Except for the larger dimensions and extra seats, the Safari will be largely similar to the 5-seat Harrier. However, the front grille will receive a slightly different treatment, featuring the signature Tri-arrow pattern finished in Chrome.

The tailgate will be more upright, giving the Safari a more boxy appearance and the SUV will also feature long functional roof rails for lifestyle utility. The top spec variants will receive 18” dual tone alloy wheels with the design similar to the Harrier's whereas the lower spec variants will carry forward the exact same 17” alloy wheels seen on the Harrier’s lower variants. The higher variants are also likely to feature a Panoramic sunroof.

The new Safari will be available in 6 or 7 seat configuration.

Other than these external differences, the Safari will carry forward the same features as on the Harrier:

Xenon Projector headlamps with LED DRLs
Auto folding ORVMs
Rear wiper and defogger
18” Alloy wheels
Automatic climate control
Auto headlamps & wipers
Cruise control
8.8” Touchscreen system
Android auto & Apple carplay
Harman audio system with 9 speakers
Connect Next app suite
Reverse camera
6 way Power adjustable driver seat with lumbar support
Off White Leather upholstery
Auto dimming IRVM
Ambient mood lighting
Rear centre armrest
Smart key with Push button start
Follow me headlamps
Terrain response modes : Rough, Wet and City

Safety:

Safety features on the Safari will include:

ABS with EBD
All wheel disc brakes
Corner stability control
6 airbags
Electronic Parking brake
Electronic stability program
Traction control
Hill hold control
Hill descent control
Roll over mitigation
Electronic brake prefill
Hydraulic brake assist
Brake disc wiping
Perimetric alarm system
Pretensioner seatbelts

Powertrains:

The Safari, just like the Harrier will be available with a diesel engine mated to either a 6 speed manual transmission or a 6 speed torque converter automatic transmission. The 2L Kryotec turbo diesel produces 170PS Power and 350NM torque. From the XM variant onwards, the Safari will be available with three drive modes; Eco, City and Sport.

Launch & price:

The new Safari is expected to be priced from ?15L to ?20L for the Manual variants and ?17.5L to ?21L for the Automatic variants. When launched on 26th January, Tata’s new flagship SUV will compete against the likes of the MG Hector plus and the next generation Mahindra XUV500. Stay tuned for further updates.

Tata Nexon EV- first impressions

Tata’s Nexon EV is a pretty muscular SUV that comes packed with an IP67 waterproof 30.2kWh Lithium Ion battery delivering 127.0 BHP to the front wheels and along lot of torque. 245nm to be specific. Underpowered will definitely not be a description when someone drives it. What comes with power though? A reduction in mileage. But since this is powered by an electric motor, you can charge it even while decelerating/ braking. Thanks to its regenerative braking feature which can be toggled between varying levels depending upon the amount of regen one prefers.

As a result, this is an excellent package

for the city because all we do is start stop repeatedly until we arrive at our destination. In case you’re wondering about fast charging. The batteries on the Tata Nexon EV will charge from 0% to 80% in an hour. That’s excellent because these days, you never realise how time flies. A couple of phone calls, check your social media notifications, a loo break, a short tea/coffee break and you would’ve spent way over 60 minutes already! Also, the Nexon EV comes with an ARAI certified full charge range of 312 kilometres which should take care of… a week’s commute?

The Nexon EV carries over many things from the Fossil Fuel powered older version of the Tata Nexon like drive modes and an overall feel of the cabin. But some instances like the front profile, rear bumper changes and colour are totally new. Frankly speaking, we like this new look of the Nexon as it looks more modern, more muscular and more SUV- ish. Small highlights to its design give a feel that the manufacturer took the looks of this car quite seriously.

Coming to some dimensional numbers- the length of the car is just under 4 metres, it seats 5 people quite comfortably, has a generous boot space of 350 litres and with a ground clearance of 205mm, you could go over almost any obstacle without frowning.

Speaking of the cars multimedia features and what it has to offer in terms of comfort- well, we’ve seen Tata check most boxes earlier in the older Nexon as well. Naturally, the Nexon EV too would get loads of features. The top end variant XZ Plus LUX which costs around 16 Lakhs Ex-showroom packs a sunroof, a 7 inch touch screen infotainment system, Projector headlamps, LED tail lamps, cornering fog lights and all the other Nexon goodies.

In the safety department too, there are no compromises. Tata has been repeatedly proving that safety does matter to them. In the Nexon EV, you get ABS, EBD, 2 Airbags, vehicle stability control system, ISOFIX Child seat mounts and much more, which sort of does add to a lot of confidence when one drives the car. However, the addition of side and passenger airbags would’ve made this package a perfect one.

In terms of the drive and feel, this feels like a comfortable, hassle free automatic car (since it has no gears) while not completely alienating you from the Internal combustion feeling. Thanks to its regenerative braking. You do get a new world feeling when you look at the new instrument cluster and the fact that the Nexon EV won’t have to go through periodic oil changes and other service compulsions that the Internal Combustion Nexon would have to go through.

To conclude, the Nexon EV has made quite a mark in the electric car scenario in India. With a competitive pricing and a package that has almost all things covered including safety, what else can one ask for?