Renault Kwid facelift launched at Rs 2.83 lakh - rivals the Maruti Suzuki S-PRESSO

The Renault Kwid facelift gets a redesigned front end, bigger wheels and small touches in the cabin make it more appealing than the outgoing model

After selling more than three lakh units of the Kwid in India, Renault has given the Kwid a much needed makeover and has also packed some additional features into the hatchback. The Kwid facelift is launched at Rs 2.83 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi NCR. In Kerala the car has been launched at Rs 2.96 lakh while in the rest of India, the Kwid will start at Rs 2.93 lakh. The Kwid will primarily rival the Maruti Suzuki S-PRESSO, which was launched at Rs 3.69 lakh.

Redesigned front end on the Kwid facelift

The biggest change on the outside is the redesigned front end. The chrome grille merges with the new silver striped LED DRLs which are positioned above the headlamps. This design has been trending lately amongst SUVs such as the Tata Harrier and MG Hector. The Kwid now gets bigger 14-inch wheels, over the 13-inch ones on the older generation car. Ground clearance too has been increased by 4mm and at 184mm, the Kwid now stands taller than earlier.

Maruti Suzuki S-PRESSO launched at Rs 3.69 lakh

Upgrades to the interiors

The cabin of the new Kwid appears more premium in comparison to the outgoing model. Customers can choose between an orange and white fabric upholstery with striped embossing, or crossway fabric upholstery with a red outline. The leather wrap with color stitching on the steering wheel along with the dashboard with a piano black accent are the fresh styling tweaks to the cabin.

There’s also a new flat-bottomed steering wheel and the new 20.32cm touchscreen is now equipped with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and voice recognition. The AMT dial has been shifted to the floor console and the instrument cluster is now a digital LED unit. The Kwid facelift also offers a fast charging USB port with a power output of 2.4A along with front and rear 12V power sockets.

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More importantly, the Kwid facelift complies with the new safety regulations. This includes a standard driver side airbag with an option of passenger side airbag, ABS with EBD, driver and co-driver seat belt reminder, and speed alert system, standard across all variants. The rear-view camera now provides guidelines.

Same powertrains

Powering the Kwid facelift are the same set of 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre engine options. The former makes 53.2bhp at 5678rpm and 72Nm of torque at 4386rpm while the 1.0-litre engine produces 67bhp at 5500rpm and 91Nm of torque at 4250rpm. Both engine options can be had with a five-speed manual transmission while the 1.0-litre engine is offered with an AMT as well.

The S-PRESSO and the Kwid facelift are very closely priced. Both cars look promising in terms of features and boast of having SUV inspired designs. While we know how the Kwid drives, we will know which one is better after driving the S-PRESSO. Watch this space for more.