Driven September 2015 Small cars sell. Maruti alone sells more than 30, 000 small cars every month. India is the biggest market in the world for this segment. The Maruti Alto has, so far, been the unchallenged master. In over a decade of it being on sale, no other car has been able to steal its thunder.
This, the Renault Kwid, is possibly the Alto’s worst nightmare. A car that’ll give Maruti’s little wonder a real run for its money.
The first impression when you get inside the Kwid is that you don’t feel this is an entry-level compact car. It feels like a much bigger car. The plastics feel all right. Not great, but better than what you’d expect at this price. It’s got features that no other car in the segment offers - a multimedia system with satnav, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, front power windows, on-board trip computer, and a gear shift indicator.
Space is unlike anything we’ve seen in this segment. The front seats are pretty comfortable, and at the rear, there’s ample leg space, too. The rear seats lack under-thigh support, though. The boot, at 300 litres, is the biggest amongst all small cars. In fact, it’s even bigger than the i20’s. There are plenty of cubbyholes - you get two glove boxes, big door pockets and enough space in the centre console.See more pictures of the Renault Kwid
Under the hood is a brand-new engine developed specially for the Kwid. It’s a three-pot unit that displaces 799cc. Power output is 53bhp, and torque is rated at 72Nm. But, despite the numbers seeming low on paper, there’s adequate power. Power delivery is linear, and short gearing on the five-speeder makes things sweeter while driving in the city. Throws on the gear are short, and shift quality is decently smooth.
The Kwid rides well. Renault has taken into account horrible Indian road conditions and set up the car rather well. Potholes are tackled with ease and bumps are filtered out well, unless they’re really deep ones. The rear suspension is softly-sprung. The downside of the soft suspension and high ground clearance of 180mm is the body roll. There’s plenty of it, more than what you’d expect from a car this size.