Renault Kiger Facelift Review: More Appealing Inside And Out

Four years after Renault entered the subcompact SUV segment in the country with the Kiger, the French carmaker has launched its heavily updated facelift right at the onset of the festive season. The brand has made wholesale changes to the Kiger, which include design updates as well as feature additions. That’s not all; Renault is also claiming improvements in drivability. Earlier this week, we spent some time with the SUV to gain a better understanding of it.

Design and Features

It's a completely new face on the Kiger facelift.

The Kiger has become the second car from Renault after the recently launch Triber facelift to sport the new brand logo, which is immediately likeable. What also stands out is the new Oasis yellow colour, though it is only available on the higher trims. The grille, tri-octa LED headlamps, and fog lamps all sport a different look, while the reworked hood gives the SUV a more sporty appearance. The 16-inch alloys get a fresh look too, and on the turbo, the red brake callipers look quite nice. Another good thing is that all the variants get 16-inch wheels.

Also Read: Renault Kiger Facelift Launched In India At Rs 6.30 Lakh

Kiger has become a more attractive-looking SUV than earlier.

Roof rails are standard, too, but the variant will decide the look. It is black on the higher trim levels and silver on the base models. The rear look is what I liked the most. It's almost a coupe-style roofline with a standard-fit spoiler and new C-shaped LED tail lamps. More character is added by the skid plates, and their colour will once again depend on the variant chosen. Overall, it's fair to say that Renault has made an already good-looking car even better when it comes to design and that will help in pulling more customers to its showrooms.

Tech & Interior

Cabin has become more premium with the addition of new features.

A major facelift is expected to come with big changes in the cabin too. Key additions have been made, the biggest among them being the addition of ventilated seats in the top Emotion trim. That makes the Kiger the most affordable car in the country to get the feature. Also new are the semi-leatherette seats with a fresh colour theme, but are again found only in the higher trims. The 8-inch touchscreen is the same as before and gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, but what’s new is the addition of a multi-view camera that adds to safety. However, the resolution could have been better.

Also Read: New Renault Triber Makes India Debut; Launched At Rs 6.29 Lakh

New semi-letherette upholstery is provided on higher trims.

Renault has also added auto headlamps and automatic wipers to the Kiger for the first time, while features like a wireless charger, auto dimming IRVM, Arkamys sound system and ambient lighting continue from before. The Kiger has always had a spacious and ergonomic cabin, and that is one of the highlights of the SUV. There’s a big storage space under the front centre armrest, while the door pockets can also fit a lot. And not to forget the twin glove boxes that add to the practicality. A full digital cluster is there on the top trim, while the top CVT also has the remote engine start courtesy of the key card.

The second row is practical to use in all aspects.

The second row continues to be good on space, even for someone of my height (6 feet). There’s enough headroom, knee room and under thigh support to make those long journeys comfortable. There are two adjustable headrests, and all passengers now get 3-point seatbelts with reminders, another worthy addition to the SUV. 60:40 split is also standard now, and these changes have made the second row of the Kiger a much better place to be in. Boot space at 405 litres is amongst the highest in the segment.

Engine & Performance

Engine options continue from before on the Kiger.

Renault has continued with the two petrol engine options seen earlier on the Kiger. The 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine that makes an underwhelming 71 bhp & 96 Nm is available with all four trims, while the more powerful 1.0 Turbo is offered in the top two trims. While the former gets manual and AMT options, the Turbo engine variant gets a CVT along with the standard-fit manual. It is the top Turbo CVT variant that I got to sample at a wet iCAT test track in Manesar, which meant I could go fast but with some caution.

Also Read: 2025 Renault Kiger Facelift Variants Explained

Renault claims better NVH levels on the facelift.

Now Renault has made two big claims with this facelift when it comes to dynamics. First, that NVH levels have improved and second and more importantly, that the CVT's performance has gone up to make the drive a little more peppy. On a closed track with almost no traffic around you, it wasn’t the best situation to test both these claims, but I didn’t really have a lot to complain about the insulation levels. The cabin was pretty silent with the engine grunt barely audible, though some tyre noise could be heard.

Drive modes on top trims add to versatility. 

The CVT's performance varies with the kind of throttle input given. Press it hard, and the rubber band effect is still quite evident, but a gradual buildup makes it perform in a much better way. This combination, I feel, is still skewed towards giving you a stress-free ride in the urban chaos rather than going all out on fast expressways. The manual with Turbo, which sadly I didn’t get to sample, could be that combo for you in case you love being behind the wheel all the time.

Ride & Handling

Dynamics are sorted and drive inspires confidence.

There were no real complaints about the Kiger’s ride quality with the pre-facelift car. That is the case with the new model as well. Though at the test track we couldn’t really sample most real-world conditions, the suspension still gave a reassuring sense that it can take on the bumps and potholes that come its way. Is this a car that you can throw around corners at high speeds with all the confidence? Well, Renault gave us the conditions to test that and while I was quite happy with the dynamics while changing lanes at high speeds, a little more engaging steering would’ve made the experience even better.

Safety

Kiger now has a longer list of safety features than earlier.

It's good to see Renault’s increased attention to safety in the Kiger facelift. Apart from 6 airbags, many other features like traction control, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring system and electronic stability control are being offered as standard across all variants. Isofix child seat mounts are also now standard; however, the SUV still doesn’t get disc brakes on all the wheels. A ‘Take a break’ reminder and follow-me-home headlamps are provided only on the top variant.

Prices

For what it offers, the Kiger is priced pretty well. It starts at Rs. 6.29 lakh, ex-showroom, and this base variant, called Authentic, is offered solely with the naturally aspirated petrol paired with a manual gearbox. Renault is not offering the AMT option on the base and top variants with this engine. The turbo has even fewer options, with just one manual and two CVT trims to choose from. Even at the top, the Kiger doesn’t feel overpriced, which augurs well for the SUV in this competitive segment.

Verdict

Kiger has become a more potent option in the subcompact SUV space.

With the facelift, a good-looking SUV has become a proper looker. The cabin has become more premium, and the prices are appealing too. It may be far from being an enthusiast’s car, but it makes a sincere effort to be one. Plus, it feels really well-suited to play its primary role with ease, which is taking you from A to B every day with relative ease. Renault has launched the new Kiger at a time of the year when buyers flock to showrooms, and this facelift will just give them another good option in a competitive segment.