Ride With The Renault Kiger: First Impressions

The SUV trend isn't showing any signs of slowing down, and with the recently launched Renault Kiger, the SUV movement has gained another boost.Renault launched the Kiger with an aggressive price range of Rs. 28.49 Lakh to Rs 37.69 Lakh. The company had scheduled a media to drive in the new Kiger from Renault's service center in Teku to Mirabel Resort in Dhulikhel. We got a great impression from the Kiger during our first drive.Let's start with the looks, the Kiger looks muscular from the front. The things that immediately stand out are the sculpted bonnet, the full LED square headlights with LED DRLs that are encased in the thick body-colored bumper. There's a big Renault badge on the center and overall the Kiger's front does a great job to bring out the SUV look and feel. The profile of the Kiger isn't as muscular as the front, we think the Kiger actually loses some muscle when stepping onto the side actually.This is due to the small tires, while the size on paper isn't small and the 17-inch alloys look handsome, but as a whole, the Kiger looks under tired. The sloping roofline however becomes a saving grace on the profile of the Kiger giving off that coupe look.Out on the rear, the muscle makes a comeback, you get a properly sculpted rear section with arguably one of the best taillights in any car regardless of the segment. You get a dual roof spoiler which is also one of the best we have seen, down below you get a lip right under the rear windshield and the section is finished by a thick silver skid place completing the SUV look.Also Read:Renault Kiger Launched; Price and Variants In Nepal Explained!Inside, the Kiger is stylish, functional, and complete. The seats are comfortable and cushion you properly. The top quarter of the steering wheel is wrapped in leather, the layout of the dash is functional and ergonomic with all the controls being exactly where you need them. You get a fully digital instrument cluster and a touchscreen infotainment system that has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.Other than that you get dials with digital reading for the automatic air conditioning, you also get rear vents and the rear seat can house three passengers with ease. Storage space on the Kiger is plenty, you get two glove boxes to start with, one on the top above the usual glove box. There's ample storage space on the front console and all the door pockets can hold a one-liter bottle. You also get a large 400-liter boot that is enough for all your luggage.Powering the Kiger is a naturally aspirated 1.0 - Liter petrol motor that is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox that makes 72 bhp and 96 Nm of torque. While the more powerful Kiger with 1.0-liter turbo petrol is still a couple of months away, this non-turbo Kiger is suitable for everyday driver.On our drive to Dhulikhel, the Kiger did impress us. The car pulls away cleanly and is easy to maneuver thanks to a light steering wheel. The ride quality is good and the suspension does a great job handling all the bad roads you'll come across.While you could take the Kiger on long highway journeys or on a set of inclines this particular non-turbo version will either struggle to overtake on the highway or have you juggle from the first to third gears on the inclines. This Kiger feels happiest inside the city.Well, that was our first impression of the Renault Kiger, let us know how you like it. For more on the Kiger, stay tuned to our full review.