[bijims]

Originally Posted by thegrimmhealer

They are pretty good with sales and service. I have a kwid which I'm planning to upgrade to an AMT kiger in a month's time.

The showroom is kinda small but the staff is courteous. My family liked their coffee

Do you own an 800cc Kwid or the 1L Kwid, if it's the 1L Kwid, then the Kiger AMT won't feel like too much of an upgrade from the 1L Kwid owing to the not-so-powerful engine, the Kiger CVT is a good option, as it comes with a more poweful engine and smooth CVT. Moreover, the abundance of shared parts betwee the Kwid and Kiger is one reason I let go of my Renault Kwid in favour of a car from a different brand.

[Tygerman]

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

One concern which still lingers in my mind is about the fuel efficiency.

Fuel efficiency in the early days could be an issue if you are doing only city runs. But if you are a sedate driver, you can easily achieve 10+ kmpl. I managed to extract 13.5 kmpl with a combination of Highway and City runs. I have now completed my 2nd service of 10K kms and I haven't gone on a long ride yet, but pure city commute is yielding me 12kmpl. I will be going for a 2000 kms round trip in the first week of July, so I am positive that I would be able to achieve atleast 17 kmpl, if not more.

[SutilSapien]

Question for Kiger owners in Bangalore - Which service center do you recommend?
Hearing conflicting reviews about Trident Renault. Looks like some of their SCs are quite good and some not so much?

[abhisheksircar]

Originally Posted by SutilSapien

Question for Kiger owners in Bangalore - Which service center do you recommend?
Hearing conflicting reviews about Trident Renault. Looks like some of their SCs are quite good and some not so much?

I have been using the Mysore road one. Mr. Santosh heads the place. Quite assuring.

[SutilSapien]

Originally Posted by abhisheksircar

I have been using the Mysore road one. Mr. Santosh heads the place. Quite assuring.

Thanks Abhishek, that's re-assuring to hear
Could you please DM me Mr. Santosh's contact details
And hope it's ok to quote your reference

[abhisheksircar]

Originally Posted by SutilSapien

Thanks Abhishek, that's re-assuring to hear
Could you please DM me Mr. Santosh's contact details
And hope it's ok to quote your reference

I cannot DM you since it's disabled for now. Finding out ways to do the same. Meanwhile, you can call up the center directly and ask for him. I am not sure if he remembers me well cause he deals with a lot of people, but you sure can refer.

[adithyaravi89]

I finally went ahead and got the RXZ turbo variant, a white beauty with a black roof!

I picked up the car on Thursday and my first ever drive, with my wife, was a 683km trip from my family in Chennai to my home in Hyderabad! The drive was fantastic! It drives beautifully and we didn't feel any fatigue overall. I am light footed on the pedal, so expecting the overall mileage to be pretty good.

I had a few questions and would be grateful if anyone could help me out!

1. The armrest console has 2 cupholders but the 2nd one is too small and can probably just take a 500ml water bottle. And also, they are so close by and deep, that it is difficult to take out the coffee cuppas. So, is there any other solution for 2 good cupholders in the front?

2. The apple carplay was working beautifully till it didn't it just disconnected and it took a long time and a lot of frustration for the missus before it connected again. Anyone else face the same and have any fix for this?

3. There so many nooks and crannies in the front of the car, when it gets dark, we really need to feel around a lot. The light (supposed to be ambient lighting) that is pre-installed, definitely is not enough. Has anyone gotten the mood light installed from Renault directly? Is it good?

4. Continuation of the above question, if not, has anyone tried installing ambient lights outside? How does it impact the electrical warranty?

Thank you so much in advance! I'm looking forward to some great drives with this beauty.

[Refan]

Here is my review of the new Renault Kiger CVT RXZ Turbo MY2023
Pros

Looks:
Definitely has a great road presence. The front grille, DRLs, LED lights and tailgate lights make it one of the best-looking cars. I personally liked the style and effort Renault put into its design.

Cabin space:
One of the best in the segment. Looks spacious and can comfortably accommodate 5 reasonably sized adults. Lots of storage spaces and the space has been optimally utilised.

Boot:
400L boot is more than sufficient for family outings. Though the loading lip is a bit high, it can easily accommodate 1 large suitcase and 2 medium-sized suitcases + small bags.

Engine and gearbox:
The main positive of Kiger is definitely its turbo engine and CVT gearbox. The gearbox is smooth and you hardly feel the gear shifts. The engine definitely has a lot of power especially when revved to over 2500 rpm. Overtaking is easy and there's adequate power when pressed hard. Slowly, you will start enjoying the sound of its engine. Even on steep slopes, it doesn't complain much. Once the speed crosses 90, it is pure delight. The engine feels more comfortable and buttery smooth and it is best suited to those speeds.

Driving modes:
Sport: If you are a car lover you will enjoy the Sport mode the most. The car is extremely smooth and you can feel the power and the potential of its turbo engine.

Eco: As the name suggests, is best suited for mileage. But it's difficult to drive at lower speeds in Eco mode since the pickup is very low. It is best to use this mode while driving on highways with cruise control on. It will give you marginally increased fuel efficiency.

Normal: Nicely sandwiched between the other two modes, this is the mode which I use most of the time. If revved hard, it will give you the necessary power - similar to Sport mode and can still be used in bumper-to-bumper city traffic.

Service:
In Tamil Nadu, in the city, I feel the service centre is very good. They are approachable and they answer your questions well. So far it's been good. They treat you like a premium customer. The reason may be the lesser number of cars when compared to Tata or Maruti or Hyundai.

Sound and infotainment:
I love the Arkamys surround sound system. The Sony speakers give you good woofer effects and the stereo effects are nicely captured. Though not the best in segment it is still more than decent.

The touchscreen is good with nice response. I haven't face any lag so far. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto works fine.

Driving dynamics:
The car feels planted at high speeds and even in sharp turns, there's minimal body. Suspension is balanced between hard and soft and you can hardly feel the small bumps on the road. Even after long trips you will be comfortable thanks to its well tuned suspension and seats.

The brakes are fine and the car doesn't lose composure if the brakes are applied at higher speeds. The steering feedback is very good and based on the drive mode, steering adjusts the weight itself. The car remains stable and gives me proper support/adjustments even when I go through curves at high speeds.

Features:
I think it covers the main features at this price point. Cruise control, TPMS, ESC, traction control, brake assist and hill hold assist. Except a 360-degree camera and ventilated seats, you could get almost every necessary feature.

Con's:

Creaky noises:
There is brake noise, especially at the start when you take out the car. It has reduced over time but has not completely gone. The service guys said it will gradually fade off. Sometimes the steering also makes creaky sounds. The service guys said it would go away over time and the sounds are due to it being a new vehicle.

Plastics:
It is a VFM car and the main reason you feel it not premium only because of the plastics. The plastics, especially the interior door handle plastics, give it a feel of a budget car. Though the interior could have been better, it's definitely not bad. It is adequate but could have been better, at least in the top variants.

Rear camera:
The clarity of the rear camera could have been better. On a bright sunny day or in optimum light it is alright, but it struggles in extreme brightness when directly opposite to the sun. Night vision could have been better.

Features that could have been available with accessories:
A few features like 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, and vehicle tracking/vehicle data through Apps like Renault Connect could have been provided at least as an option or at least for top trim variants.

Mixed bag:

Fuel efficiency:
Fuel efficiency is better on the highway. On highway drives, I can get around 16 km/l but not the promised 18/19 km/l by the sales/service team.

In mixed driving conditions (city and highway) I was getting around 14 km/l. In city traffic, it returns between 8 to 11 km/l max. This is similar to its competitors, but I expected a bit more since I was driving with a light foot most of the time. The service team said it would gradually improve after first service.

Headlight:
The headlight throw is very good. You could clearly see the LEDs performing well. But on open roads when there is no reflector/object in front and a vehicle comes from the opposite side with its headlights on high beam, I can sense the throw could have been better. The service team asked me to adjust the light knob, but even after adjusting it, I am yet to get the desired throw.

Vibrations at idle:
I expected vibrations at low speeds since it is a 3-cylinder engine. When you stop at signals and if the gear shifter is in D mode, you can feel a lot of vibrations and if the gear shifter is in N mode, they reduce a bit. The damping could have been better and similar to its competitors to reduce the vibrations. Though not a big complaint, the vibration level could have been better.

Conclusion:

Overall, I'm liking the car for its peppy engine, smooth CVT gearbox, great looks and very good driving dynamics. I feel that I made the right choice in buying the Kiger. No regrets so far and I'm loving this car, especially the Sport mode. I would definitely recommend it to my friends and others. Easily the best automatic car you can get at this price point.

[k_ajay]

Originally Posted by Refan

Here is my review of the new Renault Kiger CVT RXZ Turbo MY2023

Features:
I think it covers the main features at this price point. Cruise control, TPMS, …………...

Easily the best automatic car you can get at this price point.

Your last sentence is the apt description of the KIGER. It’s the best automatic sub-compact SUV shaped car for the price.
In your review above, under features, you’ve mentioned TPMS.. is this a standard feature in the MY2023 Kiger?

—————————

Does anyone owning the KIGER know the size specifications of the rain wipers? I can’t seem to find any mention in the Renault ‘practical guide’ manual.
Thanks!

[jomyboy]

MyKiger2023

This is my first post on this group and I’m mighty excited to lay bare my journey on deciding on a new car for our family, which is primarily driven by my wife for her office commute in Mumbai, which is primarily a distance of 16 km, which at peak office time takes roughly about 2 hours to cover.

We have owned Hyundai Accent, Maruti Swift and lastly Hyundai Xcent (all petrol manual variants). Driving a manual gear in Mumbai traffic was taking its toll and hence we decided to look for a new automatic car that would, hopefully, bring back some ease into the commute. What’s more, the Xcent was having problems with some part or the other every year driving up the ownership cost. After having owned two Hyundai cars, I have come to realize that after three/four years it’s a downhill experience with Hyundai and Hyundai replacement parts are not cheap!! Thus began our search with googling the internet to find the most VFM automatic car in 2023.

I went through most reviews of every car in my budget on YouTube and forums on the Internet including Team BHP. From what I could absorb, NA engines with 4 cylinder engines were the best bet according to the experts, which swayed me towards the Honda Amaze CVT and Brezza VXI AMT.

We first headed towards the Honda showroom and having driven the Honda Amaze CVT, I must say it is a car worth every penny for city bumper to bumper driving. Googling the Internet, I found that a new facelift is to debut in 2024, which kind of killed my interest in the current generation because there were quite a few features missing in the present car including TPMS.

Next we headed to the Maruti showroom. Brezza VXI AMT has quite a lot of features missing for the price it commanded. I thought the car was OVERPRICED big time and came to the decision rather swiftly of getting a three cylinder engine with turbo if it offered better value.

We first headed to Hyundai to test drive the Venue DCT and I was not at all impressed with its looks or driving aesthetics, moreover the rear felt crampy, but my wife liked it and as she was going to drive it every day who was I to complain. Still we decided to explore and see what else is available in the market.

Next we headed to KIA, which in my opinion has the best looking car out there both exteriorly and interiorly in the automatic range in Kia Sonet. With the premium price it commanded and having read the horror stories about the DCT gearbox in city bumper traffic, we decided that it was not for us.

In the meanwhile, I chanced upon a white Renault and the car was really eye catching. I made a note of Renault Kiger as it passed by me. I did an extensive search on Renault Kiger and it seemed the most VFM and even more in comparison to its rivals. There were quite a few complaints about mud problems with car, but it seems with the new Kiger 2023 the company had it all sorted out. When discussing with friends and colleagues, they all dissed the car like it’s some sort of China made product even though one had ever owned a Renault car. I wonder why people have this negative connotation about Renault? What’s more, initially I was having a hard time differentiating between a Renault Kwid and a Renault Kiger. My wife decided there and then that she did not want to even look at the car, let alone drive it. But going through all the comparisons, it seemed a no-brainer that this is the most VFM car out there. I eventually managed to coax her to at least see and drive the car before giving up on it.

When I first saw the Renault Kiger in the showroom, I was absolutely gobsmacked! It really is beautiful and stylish with a whole load of space inside. It really felt big on the inside. They didn’t have the CVT Turbo to test drive at that moment and asked me if they could get it to my home, which was a downer for me. Anyways, when I did finally get hold of it, the drive was a pleasure. We took it on a steep incline with four of us onboard and in normal mode it had no problems pulling itself up. We, or rather I, immediately knew “this is it!” That is how good the test drive felt. It checked all the boxes with regards to CVT reliability in bumper to bumper traffic, ease of driving, and from a learned source the CVT mated to a turbo is the best combination that one can have for city drives. All this while, friends and relatives were still lecturing us on resale value and how Renault might wind up pretty soon. But the car had felt good to drive and we decided that our safety and convenience within our budget should take precedence. With that in mind, we decided to bite the bullet and go ahead with booking the car from Landmark Juhu and within a week got our car delivered on 29th June.

The negatives:

First up is the TPMS. Rather than proper number readings, it shows only “OK” for all four tires and it will do so until it goes below 25% from the set reading. It definitely feels down market, but well something better than nothing.

The wipers make a lot of noise and it doesn’t even clean the view properly if it is a slight drizzle. Moderate to heavy rains aren’t a problem though.

There is an irritating screeching sound while breaking at low speeds. I had the exact same problem with my 2014 Xcent, hence it doesn’t bother me that much as I am sort of used it now, but would have preferred a smoother experience.

When at idle, there is quite a bit of vibration thanks to the 3-cylinder engine, but that can be negated by changing the gear from D to N and the vibrations fade away.

Front parking sensors: The sound, usefulness and fit quality, everything about it is so down-market. I was so disappointed that I switched it off from the showroom itself, yes it’s that bad!

Fuel Efficiency: I am getting about 6.5 Km/L having travelled 1000 km. Haven’t taken the car out for any leisure travel yet, will do that after the first service.

For some reason, this car gets very very dirty when driving in the rains. Our car cleaner says he has to work doubly hard to clean the mud from our car. It is so bad some days it looks like our car has been through a rally cross!

The headlights feel inadequate for me. They should have provided better lamps; however, with high beam, there is better throw.

Seatbelts: Even in 2023, problems with accessing the seatbelts still persist. It’s not a deal breaker, but I would have hoped with time they could have done something to sort things out.

The A-Pillar with the ORVM creates a serious blind spot. Surprisingly, it has caused me more bother despite being 6’3 and sitting tall whereas my wife who is 5’6 has not found it as much a distraction.

One-month ownership experience:

It’s been a month since we got the car and the car is truly a gem! It has got some road presence and people do stare a bit longer at your car -- I don’t know if it is because you do not see so many Kigers on the road, but I guess it definitely helps. The sound of the turbo spooling is exhilarating. There is also no more of the fatigue of driving through traffic, which is a blessing. A lot of people have been complaining about the AC effectiveness, but I find it more than adequate. The temperature is always set at 26 with ACC switched on and I have never had a chance to complain. The audio setup is good and should suffice most people. With the heavy rains that we have had in Mumbai recently, I have had the chance to thread through flooded subways recently and the car performs a charm. Full marks to Kiger on getting the ground clearance right, the only downside being some minimal body roll.

Special mention again to the space management inside the car as although the vehicle looks smaller from the outside, it feels big on the inside where it really counts. How they have managed that with such a big boot space is a marvel in automobile engineering. This is truly the USP of the car.

I look forward to posting my next update once I am done with the first service and a proper long drive to Lonavala/Pune. Till then, as they say in French, Au Revoir!

[abhisheksircar]

Originally Posted by jomyboy

The wipers make a lot of noise and it doesn’t even clean the view properly if it is a slight drizzle. Moderate to heavy rains aren’t a problem though.[/left]

Congratulations. Wish you many happy miles ahead.

For the wiper, just change it to a Bosch one available in any Shell Petrol pump while filling in and you are sorted ! No sounds at all and a clean windshield.

[thegrimmhealer]

About a month into ownership of a new Kiger for my wife, which is a replacement for a Kwid, we are totally happy with our RXZ AMT. The mileage is not too great but the car is good enough for city driving which it will primarily be used for. While the quality of the interiors could be better, the car is comfortable for a family of 5.

The only real gripe I have is the extremely poor quality of the wipers. Can some please suggest a higher quality replacement?

And what’s with the the Infotainment system turning off on its own?

[jomyboy]

Originally Posted by thegrimmhealer

And what’s with the the Infotainment system turning off on its own?

We have not had a problem with the infotainment system turning off as yet, but till date we have not been able to use wireless Android wireless car play. The SA advised us to buy an Iphone!!

[thegrimmhealer]

I mean it turn off once the car it turned off. Cars with physical keys has the ACC option. I not sure how to keep the system on after turning off the ignition.

The manual says it should stay on for 10 mins, which it doesnt.

Also, would it be possible to get the Bosch wiper online?

[jomyboy]

Originally Posted by thegrimmhealer

I mean it turn off once the car it turned off. Cars with physical keys has the ACC option. I not sure how to keep the system on after turning off the ignition.

The manual says it should stay on for 10 mins, which it doesnt.

Listening to music with the engine off will eventually drain your battery. If your battery is in great condition, then you should be able to listen to music for several hours without a problem. The problem comes a few years down the line with wear and tear. Even leaving your headlights on for just a few minutes with the engine switched off can cause your battery to fail. Also, it is important to remember the louder you play your music the more your battery drains, especially with the car switched off and the windows open you tend to play your music system louder.

Scrolling through previous posts, here is a trick that someone has come up with: You can indeed use the infotainment system while the ignition is off. Just have to turn on the nightime drls and you're good to go. THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND DO USE THE SYSTEM LIKE FOR A PROLONGED AMOUNT OF TIME.

I have had major battery problems with my Swift and Xcent and had to change my battery every alternate year . It is only now I that I have learnt that using any appliance that uses the battery with the engine switched off is a bad idea.


People who have bought the Kiger, has anyone been able to figure out how to deal with the grime that gets accumulated below the doors. Since I have a white Kiger, the dirt looks even more pronounced after a drive through wet roads. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks.