2021 RENAULT KIGER TURBO CVT

The Renault Kiger manual has been one of our top picks when it comes to compact SUVs, can the turbo CVT similarly impress?

- TUHIN GUHA

When we first drove the Renault Kiger, we came away impressed enough to pick it over its sibling, the Nissan Magnite, as well as crowd favourites like the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Kia Sonet. But that was the turbo manual. But does the Renault Kiger continue to feel similarly well-executed when paired with the CVT?

Driving impressions

The Renault Kiger CVT uses the same Nissan-sourced Xtronic gearbox that’s fitted to the Magnite, pairing with the same 1.0-litre 100PS three-cylinder turbo-petrol. Similarly, the torque output stands at 152Nm, a slight 8Nm down compared to the manual version.

And there are no surprises on the move. This CVT remains one of the better examples of this technology that we’ve experienced in recent memory. In regular use, there’s no real delay between you press down on the throttle and the SUV gaining speed. This stands for situations ranging from stop-go city traffic as well as at higher, highway speeds. It’s only past 4,000rpm that there’s some of this delay, but that shouldn’t be concerning to most Kiger buyers. This means that there’s a perfectly natural flow to the CVT’s operation with no jarring interruptions, enough for you to not miss the manual control this gearbox doesn’t come with.