I am going to be very honest about the Renault Kwid. I own the RxT(O) variant, Outback Bronze color. I bought this car in Chennai and it cost me exactly, Rs.4, 52, 117 on road. I made the payment on March 10, 2016 and the vehicle was delivered to me on March 23, 2016.
The positives of this car from my PERSPECTIVE:
It has killer LOOKS, yes, and it is stunning from every angle. Interiors are also very good but maybe not as good as the EXTERIOR.
BUDGET is yet another thing, this is the cheapest car you can get with this many features. Car is a depreciating asset, with every passing day, the resale price goes down. So this is a good price for such a good car.
It suffices my NEED. Mine is a small family and this car is very comfy for a family of 4, though 5 people can also be seated, but might be a snug fit.
Overall MAINTENANCE would also be cheap, considering the 98% localization that has been achieved in the making of this car.
MILEAGE, yet another point. Being the most fuel efficient petrol car, this is sure to save a lot of money.
PERFORMANCE is very good for an 800cc engine. If you look at the power to weight ratio, this car is as good as a 1100 cc engine, but one should understand that it’s actual power would be only what a 800 cc engine would offer.
FEATURES given with this car are really laudable for such an affordable price. The Media Nav system is the best part and then the the placing of power window switches and central lock buttons are really nice. The car has got an air bag as well for added security and the warning sensors.
SPACE. This car has the space which no other car has got in this segment. Be it the head room, leg room(Back and Front) and the boot. It’s extra ordinary and very satisfying.
9.ACCESSORIES. Though this will cost you some more money, still you have got the power to customize your car the way you want to, which is a great effort from RENAULT. With every accessory you add, the car looks different, fresh and elegant.
HANDLING of the car is really good. The ground clearance is very supportive, feather light power steering helps in a smooth manoeuvre. Suspension takes the bumps and potholes so well, than any other car in this segment. I own a swift as well and it has not been as good as the Kwid, as far as I remember.
OVERALL QUALITY, be it the paint, plastics and chrome, the quality is very good for this price and you will really not feel the need to complain about it. The paint job is absolutely stunning.
Front speakers, air conditioning are all very good I should say.
Now let us come down to the negatives, a car no matter how good it might be, has it’s negatives too. Am going to be very honest with the Negatives as well.
- Gearbox is the first thing that I was a bit disappointed about. When you drive this car, the 1st and the 2nd gear is going to make you really feel bad.The transition in the 1st two gears is not smooth and that makes the driving experience a bit horrible. But that’s only upto the speeds of 20 kmph. Once you shift to the 3rd gear, you will see the beast unleash it’s true power. The thing is, the engine doesn’t respond well in the first two gears. No other car that I have driven so far has been like this. It is smooth all the way from gear 1 to 4 or 5. Another thing, which I found was, to reverse the car, you have to pull the knob up which is present just below the gear knob. It is not annoying but not very helpful when you have to shift between reverse and the 1st.
2.Sound. The engine has a very bad sound, I must admit. It doesn’t really get into the cabin but on the outside it feels unusually loud and more like a diesel engine. The noise does get into the cabin at high speeds but it’s not something unbearable or disturbing.
3.Vibration. When the AC is on and the engine is in idle, you can feel a little vibration through out the car, which is a bit disturbing and unpleasant. You can increase the idle engine rpm but it will cost you some more fuel.
4.Side mirror or ORVMs as they are better known are bad. Bad because they can not be adjusted from the inside no matter what. You have to roll the windows down and then adjust it. One good thing is, from MARCH onwards, the Kwid has been given a different ORVMs, which by the looks is good than the previous one but still not internal adjustment control.
5.Rear seat belts are a big let down. They are non retractable and as we know in India, most of the people don’t wear the seat belts when they sit on the rear seats. So, you can just put the rear seats down and then push the belts to the back of the rear seats, at least it would look better.
- Apart from the rear seat belts and ORVMs there are several other cost cutting done in the car. There is only one reverse light, several nuts and bolts are not concealed. Lot of plastic has been used, under the hood. Probably the sheet metal used wouldn’t be very thick either.
That’s it. From my perspective, these are the positives and negatives. Considering the overall cost, I would say this car is the best you can get and you won’t be really disappointed. If your family is small(say four adults and a child) and if you want a budget car mainly for city driving and occasional vacations which will give you a good mileage with low maintenance, then this car is for you.