Renault India today launched its Kiger with an aggressive pricing strategy, designed to disrupt the highly competitive compact SUV market. The Renault Kiger’s pricing ranges from Rs 545,000 to 955,000 (ex-showroom). Although the SUV shares platform (CMF-A+) with its cousin, the Nissan Magnite, Renault India has pegged the car Rs 4,000 cheaper at the entry and top levels to gain the newcomer advantage.

However, a variant-to-variant comparison shows that the Renault Kiger is slightly more expensive than the Magnite, which is already doing good for Nissan Motor India and writing a revival story for the carmaker.

Where the Kiger gains in the comparison is that it belongs to the relatively popular and stronger Renault brand (in India) and its expansive network in the form of 500 touch-points compared to Nissan Motor India’s 150-odd outlets. Furthermore, the Renault Kiger is also likely to benefit from the option of an additional drivetrain option – AMT.

Unlike the Nissan Magnite that comes only with a 5-MT or CVT gearbox options, the Renault Kiger will offer a 5-MT or 5AMT (christened Easy-R by Renault) in its 1.0-litre naturally-aspirated ‘Energy’ variants, and will offer both manual and CVT options for the 100bhp, turbocharged version of the same petrol engine.

The Kiger comes in four variants – RXE, RXL, RXT and RXZ – with LED tail-lamps, 16-inch rims and roof rails being standard exterior elements across the range. Renault is also offering the option of dual-tone body colours across all variants. The Renault Kiger will come in six colour options – Caspian Blue, Radiant Red, Moonlight Silver, Planet Grey, Ice Cool White and Mahogany Brown. Dual-tone option is chargeable at Rs 17,000.

The crossover comes with dual airbags as standard, and two additional side airbags in the higher variants. ABS and EBD and rear-parking sensors are standard as per regulatory requirements.

Focus on rural markets

One glance at both the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger is enough to ascertain the fact that the compact SUV cousins look to cater to mass-market requirements and are seemingly built to offer maximum value. As a result, while the Magnite is already seeing good customer response from rural and semi-urban areas, Renault India is also eyeing the same with the Kiger.

The company is gearing up to bolster its rural market penetration this year and is poised to expand network in Tier 2 cities. In an earlier interaction with Autocar Professional, Renault India country CEO and managing director, Venkatram Mamillapalle, had said, “I will focus on the rural market in 2021 and I am confident there will be potential for the Triber and the ‘new SUV’.”

“We have registered a jump in rural market sales of 30 percent over the last six months,” Mamillapalle had told Autocar Professional in this interview in December last year.

Digital tools and customisation

Renault India has also introduced innovative ways of reaching out to its customers. The Renault Virtual Assistant (RVA) is being claimed to enable Renault to reach out customers across all geographies. RVA will be available on Whatsapp and the web. It provides all information and details, along with the option of booking test drives and even facilitates bookings.

The company says that the Renault Kiger Virtual Studio is a state-of-the-art virtual studio which enables 360-degree views in a seamless fashion and allows the customers to configure, accessorise and make online bookings.

On the accessories and personalisation front, customers will be able to choose from a smart range of specially curated accessory packs for the Renault Kiger. There are five exclusive personalisation packs – SUV, Attractive, Essential, Smart, Smart Plus, including tech accessories like a wireless charger and air purifier which are increasingly becoming smart features in the compact SUV segment in India.

Renault’s aggressive pricing means that the new Kiger undercuts all its compact SUV rivals. Apart from its Nissan sibling, the Magnite, the Renault Kiger rivals other sub-4-metre SUVs like the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Toyota Urban Cruiser.