The face-lifted Renault Kwid
Having been introduced in 2016, the Renault Kwid has taken its fair share of criticism from a lot of motoring journalists and If you are looking for that in this article you will not find much of it. I think a lot of people have been rather tough on the car, it is a budget car after all and not an Executive sedan or a Hot hatch, just that a budget car.
Having had sold over 27 000 units in South Africa since its inception in 2016, The face-lifted Renault Kwid has been quite beefed up and I like it. The exterior changes make it something worth looking at. I think the designers at Renault know exactly who they are targeting, it looks very youthful. The revised front-end which now has LED Daytime Running Light strips (a feature which is standard across the range), integrated headlights and chrome grille inserts, the frontal styling enhancements gives it a very charming character and I approve. There are three derivative’s to choose from and I am pretty sure that the Climber will be the front runner. (Pricing and other derivatives below)
The interior has also been tweaked, with the Dynamique and Climber derivatives benefiting from an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality, the Expression derivative is equipped with a basic radio with Bluetooth functionality. A new cloth upholstery, steering wheel, an LED illuminated instrument cluster and a new-look dashboard just to name a few things.
The Renault Kwid's safety specification has been beefed up and all derivatives are now equipped with 2 airbags, ABS with EBD, rear park distance control and a reverse camera with guidelines (Dynamique and Climber).
Engine and Fuel Consumption:
The Renault Kwid is not a Performance car, please understand that, you get the same 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine which produces 50 kW and 91 Nm of torque, please do not get your hopes up, the car is meant to get you from point A to B and that is about it. Fuel consumption figures are claimed at 4.7 L/100km for the manual derivatives while the Auto derivatives are claimed to consume 4.4 L/100km, you are driving for free in my humble opinion.
My final Verdict - Please do not expect much from this budget car, it gets you from A to B and that is about it, the addition of the safety features are also a definite plus, it will be slow and sluggish with about 3 middle sized people in the car with their luggage but it is a huge fuel saver and a perfect city run around car, its a 5 out of 10 for me.
Pricing and Derivatives
Kwid 1.0 Expression M/T - R144 900
Kwid 1.0 Expression AMT - R154 900
Kwid 1.0 Dynamique M/T - R154 900
Kwid 1.0 Dynamique AMT - R164 900
Kwid 1.0 Climber M/T - R164 900
Kwid 1.0 Climber AMT - R174 900
The Renault Kwid is now sold with a 5-year/150 000 km warranty, 2-year/30 000 km service plan and 1-year insurance included.
