New grunt compliments sharp pricing, economy & design
Renault trotted its new Kiger Turbo out to the local media in Cape Town on Friday, where we had the short opportunity of driving it too. Sharp pricing, great fuel economy and an assertive design have made Kiger among Renault’s top sellers in South Africa with 28,000 units sold since 2021. Now the Turbo returns to add crisper performance and more tech to the November facelift to satisfy a growing local need for affordable SUV‑like cars.
The Turbo builds on Kiger’s formidable blocks to deliver on Renault’s promise of attainable innovation. “Kiger Turbo brings meaningful improvements to performance, technology, design and safety,” Renault South Africa CEO Shumani Tshifularo explains. “These enhancements reinforce Kiger as a most compelling option in the competitive compact SUV segment.”
A 74 kW 160 Nm litre turbo triple
The big change is the addition of this 74 kW 160 Nm litre turbo triple driving the front wheels via either a 5‑speed manual or X‑Tronic CVT automatic gearbox. With Multi‑Sense eco, normal and sport drive modes, safety spreads from electronic stability control with traction control on Iconic models to ABS and EBD with brake assist; six airbags, TPMS and ISOFIX tethers.
Renault promises around twelve seconds to 100 km/h and as good as five and a half litres per hundred economy. Out short drive in a CVT version revealed reasonable performance and fair road manners. Let’s reserve judgement to when we have a had a unit for the Auto Test.
Kiger Turbo also brings a bolder design, a smarter dual tone cabin and more advanced tech. Set apart by unique Tri‑Octa LED headlamps, a revised grille and spoiler and 16‑inch Evasion diamond‑cut alloys on Iconic models, Renault has always promised big‑car practicality in a compact footprint in Kiger.
Dual tone Kiger cabin looks better the part
With 205 mm ground clearance, generous storage from the 405 to 879 litre boot, 29 litres of convenient interior storage and 50 kg‑rated functional roof rails, Kiger certainly delivers. The cabin looks far better the part to some previous Indian-built Renaults, even if among the surfaces are harder plastic to the touch.
The 8‑inch CarPlay and Auto touchscreen infotainment with wireless charging and a has real button control, which is a huge plus, and there’s a functional 7‑inch TFT instrument cluster, as well as hands‑free key card convenience. Iconic models add high spec smart card access with remote engine start, belongings and take‑a‑break reminders.
Add automatic lights wipers and climate control with rear vents, a multi-view camera and wireless smartphone replication. Available in six cool yellow, red, grey, silver and white blue hues, Kiger Turbo comes with a standard 5-year 150 000km mechanical warranty and a 2-year/ 30 000km service plan, with optional extensions available through over 80 Renault dealers nationwide.
Kiger Turbo competitive in a tough market
Starting at R279K for the 1.0 Turbo Techno through the R299K iconic to the R330K Iconic CVT, Kiger goes to market against the similarly powered R293K Nissan Magnite Turbo Visia, the up to R415K Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Turbo, Mahindra XUV 3XO Turbo peaking at R455K and the up to R450K Kia Sonet Turbo. Naturally aspirated rivals include the Suzuki Fronx and Toyota Starlet Cross twins starting at around R300K. – Michele Lupini