Renault Kwid vs Maruti Suzuki S-Presso: Variant Comparison

Renault India has been quite prompt in launching the 2019 Renault Kwid facelift just a day after Maruti Suzuki launched its key competitor- the S-Presso. The Renault Kwid is available with two engine options in the market - a 0.8-litre motor and a 1.0-litre motor where the latter can be had only in the top-spec RXT and Climber variants. On the other hand, the S-Presso gets the Alto K10 sourced 1.0-litre engine as standard across variants as standard. Therefore, the ideal comparison has to be between the top two variants of the Kwid against the top two variants of the S-Presso- VXI and VXI+.

Also Read: 2019 Renault Kwid Facelift Launched In India

Interestingly, the first three variants of the S-Presso undercuts the similarly specced variants of the Kwid 1.0 by a small margin. However, the top-end VXI+ AMT (Automatic) variant of the S-Presso is Rs. 7000 more expensive than the fully loaded Kwid climber 1.0 AMT. Read on to know how well are these variants equipped in terms of features and specifications.

The 2019 Renault Kwid Facelift gets brawny-looking front complete with the trending split headlamps

Exterior

The Renault Kwid is over 100 mm longer and substantially wider than the S-Presso and both models are quite distinctive in terms of looks and even in terms of exterior equipment. Following the new trend, the headlamps on the new Kwid have moved down to the bumper and it gets sleek daytime running lamps (DRLs) on the top, closer to the hood. The new treatment makes the front look even more butch and SUVish while the new grille design is now inline with other Renault models. In terms of elements, the RXT the new Kwid gets bumper and wheel arch claddings, door protectors, dual tone wing mirrors, integrated rear spoiler, Graphite grilles with chrome inserts, Tail lamps with LED guides, roof antenna and full wheel covers.

In addition to all these features, the Kwid Climber gets a fair dose of styling updates sporting body graphics, orange finished wing mirrors and roof rails along with orange and silver skid plates with orange inserts and orange inserts in the headlamp bezel.

The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso makes a bold presence with the design inspired from the Vitara Brezza

The Maruti Suzuki S-Presso on the other hand has a more upright stance. It is based on the Future S concept which was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo and it has the SUVish proportions intact with increased ground clearance, bold claddings all around and almost vertical pillars. The face borrows design cues from the Vitara Brezza housing a similarly designed grille and tall front bumper. In terms of elements, the S-Presso looks a little basic if you put it beside the Kwid. It gets all-around claddings, roof antenna and silver grille and 14-inch wheels on the top-spec variant. However, other elements like wheel arch cladding, door protectors and rear spoiler among others can be had with the accessory package.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki S-Presso vs Renault Kwid: Price, Specs, Features Comparison

The dashboard layout has been revised including a new touchscreen infotainment system with the Climber version getting orange accents

Interior

The Renault Kwid RXT variant gets all-black interiors and crossway fabric upholstery with red outline. The Renault Kwid Climber also gets all-black treatment along with orange highlights on the dash, seats and door pads which make it look funky. It also gets piano black touches on the central console and leather wrapped steering wheel. The all-new Kwid also offers best-in-class boot space of 279 litres, which is expandable up to 620 litres.

Maruti has tried to make the S-Presso fancier on the inside as well, replicating the Mini Cooper layout in the Central console. Though, the layout looks quite smart, the all-black colour theme takes away the sense of space in an otherwise fairly spacious cabin. That said, touches like orange trims around the central console and air-con vents look funky. Overall the cabin is quite practical as well offering pockets to keep stuff like your phone and wallets in the central console and on the passenger side of the dash. There are also pockets in the front doors, good enough for one-litre bottles while we wish Maruti would have given them even at the rear along with a tad more space in the boot.

The S-Presso also comes with a 7-inch Smartplay 2.0 infotainment system and gets a centrally mounted console

Features

The Renault Kwid RXT is equipped with features like 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Video Playback and Voice Recognition. It also gets a fast-charging USB port with a power output of 2.4A, plus a 12V outlet at the rear.

The S-Presso gets the same Smartplay 2.0 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system from the new WagonR and Baleno which is an inch smaller compared the Kwid. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other features, include phone assistance, steering mounted audio and Bluetooth controls, front power windows, HVAC, 12V power socket and rear parcel tray among others.

Both the Maruti S-Presso and the Renault Kwid use a 1.0-litre petrol engine, the latter gets a 0.8-litre version as well

Engine

The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine makes 67 bhp at 5500 rpm and a peak torque of 91 Nm at 4250 rpm. However, the engine is yet BS4 compliant, and the shift to BS6 is likely to happen next year. The engine is mated to five-speed manual gearbox as standard while AMT is optional.

The S-Presso on the other hand gets a big advantage getting a BS6 compliant engine. It gets the same 1.0-litre petrol engine from the Alto K10 hatchback which is now BS6 compliant. The motor puts out 67 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 90 Nm of peak torque at 3,500 rpm and is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox as standard along while an AMT unit is optional on the VXI and VXI+ variants.

Safety

Feature list on the Kwid includes driver-side airbag with an option of the passenger side airbag, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), driver & co-driver seat belt reminder, overspeed alert, standard across all variants. Optional features include a first-in-class reverse parking camera with guidelines.

The top trims of the S-Presso get safety features such as dual-airbags, rear-parking sensors, and speed sensing door locks while a driver side airbag will be offered as standard on the base models. Passenger side airbag, however will be optional.