Are the updates on the 2025 Renault Kiger enough to give the sub-four metre SUV better ammo in a hotly contested segment? We find out
Words: Gaurav Davare
Photography: Kalidas M
Since February 2021, the Renault Kiger has been a player in an intensely competitive sub-four-metre SUV segment. Sure, it has received incremental updates over the intervening years, but the fierce competition in this segment isn’t dying down anytime soon; rather, it’s only becoming more intense. Thus, it was time for a proper midlife refresh for the Kiger, and it has arrived. The question is, are there enough changes to still consider the Renault Kiger a worthy competitor in this space? We had the opportunity to get up close and personal with it in a rather unique manner, by pushing it to the limit at the ICAT testing facility in Delhi, which offers a variety of curated courses.
Much like the 2025 Triber, the most visible changes on the 2025 Renault Kiger are up front. Apart from the new Renault logo, there’s a fresh look for the front and rear bumpers, featuring a more prominent aluminium finish for the skid plates to give it an SUV identity. More importantly, there’s a new front grille that reminds one of the Megane. This is complemented by a sleeker set of LED daytime running lights (DRL) with LED fog-lamps now added to the mix. Even the bonnet has been slightly tweaked to give it a fake hood scoop-like effect. It doesn’t necessarily add muscle to the Kiger’s character, but freshens things up.
As for the side profile, the familiar silhouette, rugged high stance, and roof-rails remain. What is different is the new 16-inch alloy wheel design and red brake callipers, which are definitely a step up from before. At the rear, the only real change is a clear-lens view for the LED tail-lamps, which makes them stand out. Renault has also decided to add new Oasis Yellow and Shadow Grey paint options, my personal preference being the latter. Overall, modest exterior changes, but enough to be easy on the eyes, especially for potential young buyers.
Inside, you’ll notice much of the cabin layout remains the same, but you do get a new dual-tone black and grey theme, which is a welcome change over the all-black theme from before. What I particularly liked here were the contrast stitching on the leatherette seats and steering wheel in the traditional Renault yellow colours.
The major gains come in the features department with ventilated front seats, automatic headlamps, and rain-sensing wipers. The car now also gets six airbags as standard and a 360-degree camera that offers satisfactory resolution for the Kiger’s price range, but it would’ve been ideal to also include the option of a bird’s eye view. While the feature additions were much needed, I feel it would’ve been an even sweeter deal had the 2025 Renault Kiger also gained things such as an electric sunroof, powered front seats, multi-zone climate control or even connected car technology. Nevertheless, the additions nicely complement an existing feature package that covers the necessities like an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a seven-inch digitised driver’s display, keyless entry with push-button start, cruise control, automatic climate control, wireless charging pad, and an air filter. Apart from these, much of the cabin remains unchanged, which also includes the fairly comfortable second-row seats that are good enough for two grown-ups and a very usable 405-litre boot.
Mechanically, the facelift Renault Kiger remains unchanged with the option of either a 72-hp 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine or a 100-hp 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard for both engines, with a five-AMT for the naturally aspirated petrol and a CVT automatic gearbox option for the turbo-petrol engine. There’s also an optional CNG kit limited to the 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol-manual combination, as a retrofit through authorised dealerships. For our drive, we had the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol CVT set-up with a variety of curated courses at ICAT to enable the Kiger to stretch its legs.
One of the courses was an oval section, smaller compared to the likes of NATRAX, but enough for a car of this stature. While it’s extremely uncommon for a facelift model to get a new powertrain option, it would’ve been nice if the Kiger got it, because the turbo-petrol unit isn’t the most enthusiastic; you need to keep it in a high rev-band to make the car gain proper momentum, especially while trying a quick sprint. On the other hand, if you’re going for a calm cruise around the city, the engine feels refined for a three-cylinder unit with great driveability. The CVT automatic gearbox also helps its case with a linear progression, masking most of the turbo lag, and the usual rubber-band effect of the CVT is barely noticeable.
Renault claims that it has improved the Kiger’s NVH levels with enhanced dash and cowl insulation, thicker floor carpets, and insulated A-pillars, but I didn’t really notice much of a difference, so there could be room for improvement. The not-so-enthusiastic powertrain is somewhat made up for with its ride and handling dynamics. I got a perfect chance to test that at the Gymkhana course with a tight and twisty slalom section. No matter how hard I threw the Kiger around, it felt properly agile with the rear end only coming a little loose, possibly due to the track being very wet that day. This, combined with a comfortable ride, makes for a fairly enjoyable driving experience.
Considering the 2025 Renault Kiger is a modest update overall, the positive thing is that the price hike is also minor, with prices ranging from Rs 6.29 lakh to Rs 11.29 lakh (ex-showroom). Yes, there are still a few things missing in the feature package, but it covers the necessities and retains the positive points of being easy to live with, compact enough for the urban jungle, and still being priced competitively, thus making it a compelling choice within its segment.
Also Read:
Renault Kiger Gets A Midlife Refresh
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