The all-new Renault Kiger has bee revealed ahead of its launch in our India. Under the skin, the Renault Kiger is based on the CMFA+ platform, much like its recently launched cousin – the Nissan Magnite. This means that with the Kiger, the compact SUV segment has yet another participant, making it even more competitive.
- The Kiger is the smallest offering in the segment.
- It will get a 1.0-litre naturally aspirated and turbocharged petrol engine.
- NA engine and turbo-petrol will get AMT and CVT auto gearboxes, respectively.
The Renault Kiger will rival the likes of the Nissan Magnite, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Toyota Urban Cruiser once it is launched.
We have gathered all the technical specifications of the new Renault Kiger and put it up against its rivals’ to see how the new compact SUV compares on paper, in terms of dimensions and powertrains.
Renault Kiger vs rivals: Dimensions
| Renault Kiger vs rivals: Dimensions | |||||||||
| Renault Kiger | Nissan Magnite | Kia Sonet | Hyundai Venue | Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza | Toyota Urban Cruiser | Mahindra XUV300 | Tata Nexon | Ford EcoSport | |
| Lenght (mm) | 3991 | 3994 | 3995 | 3995 | 3995 | 3995 | 3995 | 3994 | 3998 |
| Width (mm) | 1750 | 1758 | 1790 | 1770 | 1790 | 1790 | 1821 | 1811 | 1765 |
| Height (mm) | 1600 | 1572 | 1647 | 1590 | 1640 | 1640 | 1617 | 1607 | 1647 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2500 | 2500 | 2500 | 2500 | 2500 | 2500 | 2600 | 2498 | 2519 |
| Boot Capacity | 405 litres | 336 litres | 392 litres | 350 litres | 328 litres | 328 litres | 257 litres | 350 litres | 352 litres |
| Fuel Tank | 40 litres | 40 litres | 45 litres | 45 litres | 48 litres | 48 litres | 42 litres | 44 litres | 52 litres |
| Wheel Size | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch | 17-inch | 16-inch | 16-inch |
From the table above, it is quite evident that while all models in the segment have similar dimensions, the Renault Kiger is the smallest offering in terms of both length and width. The Ford EcoSport is the longest model (7mm longer than the Kiger), while the Mahindra XUV300, at 1,821mm, is the widest model in the segment and is 71mm wider than the Kiger.
The Kiger’s height is in the middle of the pack. Comparatively, its cousin the Magnite is the shortest offering in the segment (28mm shorter than the Kiger), while the Kia Sonet and Ford EcoSport, standing 1,647mm tall are the tallest models.
Most of the models in the compact SUV segment feature a 2,500mm wheelbase and the Renault Kiger is no different. The only models to stray from the figure are the Nexon, which has the shortest wheelbase at 2,498mm; the EcoSport, which is 19mm longer (2,519mm); and the XUV300, which is a 100mm longer than the Kiger. This also makes the XUV300 the SUV with the longest wheelbase in this segment.
An area where the Kiger excels is its boot space, which, at 405 litres, is the largest in the segment. To put this into context, the XUV300 – which has the smallest boot in this comparison – is 148 litres smaller. On the flip side, the Kiger and Magnite have the smallest fuel tanks in this company, with the EcoSport’s 52-litre tank being the biggest.
It is also worth mentioning that Renault claims that the Kiger has segment-leading cabin space – with 710mm of space between the front headrests, 220mm of rear legroom and 1,431mm of elbow room at the rear.
Renault Kiger vs rivals: Petrol engines
| Renault Kiger vs Rivals: Petrol engines | |||||||||
| Renault Kiger | Nissan Magnite | Kia Sonet | Hyundai Venue | Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza | Toyota Urban Cruiser | Mahindra XUV300 | Tata Nexon | Ford EcoSport | |
| Type | 3 cyl, NA/3 cyl turbo | 3 cyl, NA/3 cyl turbo | 4 cyl, NA/3 cyl turbo | 4 cyl, NA/3 cyl turbo | 4 cyl, NA | 4 cyl, NA | 3 cyl, turbo | 3 cyl, turbo | 3 cyl, NA |
| Displacement | 999cc/999cc | 999cc/999cc | 1197cc/998cc | 1197cc/998cc | 1462cc | 1462cc | 1197cc | 1198cc | 1497cc |
| Power | 72hp/100hp | 72hp/100hp | 83hp/120hp | 83hp/120hp | 105hp | 105hp | 110hp | 120hp | 123hp |
| Torque | 96Nm/ 160Nm -MT, 152Nm – AT* | 96Nm/ 160Nm -MT, 152Nm – AT | 115Nm/172Nm | 115Nm/172Nm | 138Nm | 138Nm | 200Nm | 170Nm | 150Nm |
| Manual Gearbox | 5-speed/ 5-speed | 5-speed/ 5-speed | 5-speed/6-speed iMT | 5-speed/6-speed iMT | 5-speed | 5-speed | 6-speed | 6-speed | 5-speed |
| Automatic Gearbox | 5-speed AMT/CVT | -/CVT | -/7-speed DCT | -/7-speed DCT | 4-speed torque convertor | 4-speed torque convertor | – | 6-speed AMT | 6-speed torque convertor |
| ARAI mileage MT | NA | 18.75kpl/ 20kpl | 18.4kpl/18.2kpl | 17.3kpl/18.1kpl | 17.03kpl | 17.03kpl | 17 kpl | 17 kpl | 15.9kpl |
| ARAI mileage AT | NA | -/17.7kpl | 18.3kpl | 18 kpl | 18.76kpl | 18.76kpl | – | NA | 14.6kpl |
| Mild Hybrid | No | No | No | No | AT Only | AT Only | No | No | No |
*Renault Kiger CVT version torque figure matched with Nissan Magnite CVT version.
If we take a look at the naturally-aspirated petrol engine offerings, we can see that the Kiger and Magnite’s 72hp, 1.0-litre unit has the lowest output in this comparison, while the Ecosport’s 123hp, 1.5-litre unit has the highest output. Although it is worth noting that the engine in the Kiger and Magnite has the lowest displacement in this comparison.
Now, looking at the turbo-petrol models, the Kiger’s 100hp, 1.0-litre unit (the same engine as the Magnite’s) is a good 20hp short of the output from the 1.0-litre units fitted in the Korean offerings (Venue and Sonet). Its power figure is even 10hp lower than the XUV300’s 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine. Though, bear in mind, that the Kiger has a kerb weight of just 1,012kg, which could make it much sprightlier than what the power and torque figures let on.
Coming to the manual gearbox options, all models come with a 5-speed manual, barring the XUV300 and Nexon, which get a 6-speed manual, along with the Venue and Sonet turbo-petrols, which come with the 6-speed iMT ‘clutchless manual’ gearboxes.
In terms of automatic gearbox options, the Kiger one-ups the Magnite as it comes with a 5-speed AMT with its NA engine and a CVT with its turbo-petrol (the Magnite doesn’t offer an auto with its NA engine). The other offerings in the segment have a mix of automatic gearbox options as the Nexon comes with an AMT unit, the Venue and Sonet are available with DCT autos, while the Vitara Brezza, Urban Cruiser and EcoSport all come with torque converter automatics. The only model that doesn’t get the option of an automatic gearbox is the XUV300.
It is also worth pointing out that a number of models in the segment including the Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, and Ford EcoSport are also sold with diesel engine options.
Also see:
Nissan Magnite image gallery
Nissan Magnite video review