Renault reveals Kiger concept SUV

Renault has taken the wraps off its Kiger show car which, according to the company, bears around 80 percent resemblance to the production model. The concept or show car is a joint effort between the corporate design teams in France and Renault India, and the company says it took a lot of input and feedback from Indian customers.

Speaking about the concept, Venkatram Mamillapalle, country CEO and managing director, Renault India Operations, said “The global launch of the Renault Kiger will be in India, after which it will be launched in other markets across the world.” This follows the trend of the Kwid hatchback and Triber SUV, which were also launched first in India and then followed by other global markets.

Some of the notable elements of Kiger concept are the two-level full-LED headlights with neon indicators and a winged front grille with a large Renault logo. The profile is dominated by the large 19-inch wheels shod with heavily grooved tyres, with a ground clearance of 210mm. The wing mirrors are tapered and are inspired by aircraft wings. At the rear, the car has a double central exhaust system and double C-shaped tail-lights, and the roof has an integrated spoiler and a sharply sloping rear glass.

The show car is also finished in a special paint that shows two different colours, depending on the angle and light. Called “’California Dream’ as well as ‘Aurora Borealis’, the hues change from blue to purple. 

What will the production model look like?
Like sister brand’s Nissan Magnite and the concept that preceded it, the Kiger concept looks to be quite close to the production and is built on the shared CMFA+ Platform that also underpins the Triber.

The company says its production model will retain about 80 percent of its exterior design details. Camouflaged production-ready models have already been spotted and the spy shots indicate that this is indeed the case, with a lot of its bold elements easily distinguishable.

Design elements from the concept – like the winged grille with two horizontal slates, the split headlight setup and the split LED tail-lights – will be retained by the production Renault Kiger.

The sharply raked rear windscreen, rear spoiler and prominent C-pillar on the concept will also be present on the final model. While the silhouette is expected to be carried forward, what won’t be seen on the Kiger that’ll go on sale are the over-exaggerated front and rear bumpers, and the large 19-inch chunky tyres.

Spy shots of the Renault Kiger on test confirm just how close this concept is to the production Kiger. Do note that higher variants are expected to get alloy wheels, while the entry-level trims will make do with steel rims. Renault has not revealed the interiors of the concept.

Four powertrain options
When it goes on sale, the Kiger will have four engine and gearbox combinations, which are the same ones available with the Nissan Magnite. A 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine will be available with manual and AMT gearbox options. The 1.0-litre turbo-petrol unit, which is expected to produce around 95hp, will come with manual and CVT auto options.

Renault will ensure Kiger prices matches the Nissan Magnite’s, although the French carmaker may position it marginally higher. When it launches on November 26, the Magnite’s prices are expected to range between Rs 550,000 to Rs 950,000 (ex-showroom).

Competition in the compact SUV space is already fierce, with the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Toyota Urban Cruiser vying for attention. An aggressive price tag should help the Renault Kiger get some of that.