Revised Renault Kiger counts on good looks to bowl buyers over

The saying “you can’t have your cake and eat it” rings very true to the entry-level side of the new vehicle car market.

Shopping on a budget does not guarantee anything close to automotive perfection, making compromises unavoidable.

Yet after spending a week in the revised Renault Kiger in base Evolution guise, The Citizen Motoring feels that the French carmaker came agonisingly close to delivering a comprehensive budget package.

Renault Kiger punches above it weight

In Evolution trim, the Kiger compact crossover SUV ticks many boxes, starting with a very attractive price tag of R219 900. It is further bolstered by smashingly good looks that helps the compact crossover punch above its weight, along with a good specification sheet for a base model.

Even its naturally aspirated three-cylinder 1.0 litre petrol engine that sends 52kW of power and 96Nm of torque to the front wheels is decent. Its three-pot thrum is a bit course, but at this price point the mill feels par for the course at least.

What hampers not only the powertrain, but the whole package, is the five-speed manual gearbox, the sole choice of transmission on the Renault Kiger Evolution. A high clutch and sticky gear lever are not the most pleasant combination to operate around town. At times it required so much muscle to get it into first gear, we could have sworn we were driving a truck.

Rowing is hard work

Once you are on the move the transmission is less intrusive, even though a bit of rowing is required in maintaining the national limit on the highway. But the prospect of constantly working the clutch in traffic and shifting between first and second gear is a daunting one.

Our fuel consumption over almost 400km in and around Johannesburg worked out to seven litres per 100km, which is a bit higher than the claimed 6L/100km.

The revised Renault Kiger’s new looks are what will draw buyers to the showroom floor. Slimmer front LED headlight clusters along with a new grille and new diamond logo gives the crossover modern – and a much more expensive – appeal.

Further complementing the design are a darkened light cluster at the rear, two-tone “voyage” wheel covers and blacked-out roof rails, door handles, side mirrors and door mouldings.

The Renault Kiger has a very generous ground clearance of 205mm.

White splashes work a charm

While white interior finishing are not the most practical, cars built in India often arrive with paler interior palettes and the Kiger is no exception.

There is no denying that the dual-tone black and white upholstery with grey stitchwork looks good, but how those seats and big bright dashboard will keep its factory crispness is anyone’s guess.

What the use of white does do is create a sense of space, making the sub-four-meter car seem much bigger inside. Yet its boot size of 405 litres is no optical illusion with the best part that it still manages to accommodate a full size spare wheel underneath the floor.

Premium steering wheel for Renault Kiger

The premium-feel steering wheel from the previous Clio and Captur further helps the Renault Kiger Evolution punch above its weight. It also features an eight-inch infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, LCD instrument cluster, reverse camera, upper cooled glovebox and electric mirrors. A massive step-up from the previous entry-level Kiger also sees the Techno get electric windows in the rear.

Safety comes in the form of ABS, four airbags, rear parking sensors, traction control, electronic stability programme and hill-start assist.

The Kiger Evolution comes standard with a five-year/150 000km warranty and two-year/30 000km service plan.

We feel that if it wasn’t for the Kiger’s transmission, it would have been the obvious choice for any buyer shopping at that price point. As things stand though, it will come down to a compromise.