When Nissan waged a price war against its rivals with the Magnite SUV, it was about time that Renault did the same. The French carmaker didn’t disappoint and gave us the Kiger. Both the Kiger and the Magnite are absolute value for money propositions and have brought anything but success for their respective manufacturers. After starting exports to Nepal and Indonesia, Renault India has announced that it has commenced exports of its sub-4 metre compact SUV, Renault Kiger, to South Africa as well. The first batch of 760 Kigers was despatched from the Chennai port and will reach South Africa soon.
Official Statement
Mr Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO & Managing Director, Renault India Operations said, “With the launch of Renault KIGER, Renault forayed in the largest and the fastest-growing segment of the Indian automobile market. The commencement of Kiger exports to South Africa today and Nepal earlier this month highlights Renault’s strong commitment to the ‘Make in India’ mission, demonstrating the competence of India’s design, engineering and world-class manufacturing capabilities. Renault’s diverse range of offerings in passenger vehicles has been consistently well-received by the people of South Africa. Our latest offering Renault KIGER will further bolster our existing portfolio in the country with its distinctive SUV look, great space, smart features and world-class sporty engine.”
“We look forward expand the exports of KIGER to many international markets soon including Indonesia, other parts of Africa and the SAARC region, along with growing our customer base in India,” he added.
Renault Kiger
Under the hood, the Kiger will get the option of the Triber’s 72PS 1.0-litre petrol engine and a new 100PS HRA0 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. The naturally aspirated unit comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard along with an AMT. The turbo-petrol engine, on the other hand, gets a CVT in addition to the 5-speed manual transmission. It is made for an everyday user, not a hardcore enthusiast.
Value for money quotient is high on this package as it significantly undercuts its rivals. The base naturally aspirated petrol engine gets an AMT which the Magnite misses out on. It is pitted directly against the Magnite.