Renault Kwid vs Maruti Alto vs Hyundai Eon vs Datsun Go

Launch Update: Renault Kwid has been launched at a price of Rs 2.56 lacs (Ex-showroom, Delhi). The car has introduced many-segment firsts and has been offered at a price that is extremely competitive, especially considering all the features offered by the zippy little French car. Check out the complete launch details right here: Renault Launches Kwid at Rs 2.56 lacs

With its Duster, Renault has managed to dominate the Indian compact SUV market for quite some time now, the car has helped Renault establish its presence in the Indian automotive market and with cars like the Pulse, which happens to be Renault’s cheapest car in the market at 5.2 lakh and other cars like the Scala, Fluence sedans, the Lodgy MPV and Koleos, Renault has managed to develop an impressive portfolio over the years. Around the world, this French automaker is revered to be a manufacturer of fun, zippy little hatches but in India, it hasn’t brought in a fun-to-drive, attractive, inexpensive small hatchback. Now it seems with the global launch of the Kwid, the company is all set to check that box as well and the bookings for this fun little car are now open. Kwid's price will be around Rs.3.5 lakh, which means that it will go head-to-head with the market leader, the Maruti Alto 800 and other cars in its segment like the Hyundai Eon and the Datsun Go. So we have quantified what the aftermath would be, when these big names of the small car segments battle it out.

The Grunt

Kwid comes with an 800cc petrol engine, details and specifications of which like the fuel efficiency, power etc, still remain undisclosed by Renault. The Alto comes with a 800cc petrol engines that deliver 48ps and the eon features an option of 1-L Kappa engine that produces a currently class leading 69ps of power and receives a close competition from the Datsun Go, which comes with a 1.2 L petrol engine that is capable of belting out 68ps. It remains to be seen whether the offering of the French automaker will be able to stand its ground against the Korean power plant.

The look

The Kwid surely exudes the SUV appeal and the muscular front and side profiles make sure of it. Unlike the Alto, Eon does manage to hold its own in the design department. According to Renault, Kwid will offer a ground clearance of 180mm, which is the highest in comparison to the other three cars and this also helps the Kwid attain an aggressive stance. Alto comes with 160mm, in comparison to Eon and Datsun Go, which offer 170mm. Renault also seems to be a firm believer of ‘bigger is better” as the Kwid will be 3,680mm long, which means that it will offer the maximum cabin space in comparison to the other three cars. Eon might be able to redeem itself thanks of its superior build quality, which remains to be reviewed for the Kwid.

Bells and whistles

Unlike its competitors, the Renault Kwid incorporates a MediaNav system, which is accessible by a seven-inch touchscreen. The car comes with other features like Bluetooth connectivity for smartphone, media playback from radio, CD and USB. The MediaNav system also includes GPS navigation system, which accepts voice commands. Taking in consideration that this system might just be available in the  top variant of the Kwid, which might cost around 4 lakh, it is still a feature that makes the car stand apart from the monotonous entertainment systems that we see in cars like the Alto, Eon and the Datsun GO, regardless of their variants. Kwid also comes with a digital speedometer, which must surely motivate its competitors to develop a better infotainment system. Besides these, there is another competitor emerging from Tata's stable, it's the all new Tata Zica, which is also expected to fall in its price range. 

Kwid is all set to be launched in India around this Diwali season. The only aspect that may hamper the wide array of features offered by the Renault Kwid will be its servicing. Currently Renaults service is restricted to its service centres in 120 Indian cities, which in comparison to the number of Maruti and Hyundai service center, don't measure up quite so well. Renault still manages to supercede Datsun in terms of the sheer numbers of its service centers. But if anyone from maruti or Hyundai is reading this, here is your chance! The small window of time between now and Diwali is your opportunity to bring in updated versions of your cars, which come with discounted prices or improved infotainment systems, maybe even introduce crossover variants, which offer better ground clearance. But Datsun, we don't think you have enough time to dish out more service centers, sorry.

Also See: Maruti Alto | Datsun Go

Check Out Comparisons of:

• Renault Kwid vs Alto 800
• Renault Kwid vs Eon

Read More on : KWID review