BOTOXED UP

Renault's Kiger gets a glow-up that's small in effort but big in impact

- By Yash Sunil Photographs Amit Naik

Check Renault India's website today and you'll find just three cars on sale: the Kwid, the Triber and the Kiger. That's a surprisingly thin lineup from the brand that once rewrote the rules of the sub-four-metre SUV space with the Duster back in 2012. But since the Duster's exit in 2022, it's the Kiger, launched in 2021, that has shouldered the responsibility, carving out its own space in a crowded compact-SUV market and, in many ways, keeping Renault India afloat. Naturally, expectations from the Kiger facelift are high; after all, this is its first proper update in nearly four years. The real question, though, is whether Renault has managed to time it just right, or if these changes arrive a little too late.

Back when Pablo first reviewed the Kiger, he couldn't stop raving about its design, and I remember having the same reaction when I first saw it. Renault had nailed the stance and proportions, and that's what gave the car its personality. With this facelift, they've wisely resisted the urge to start over. The bumper is new, with a polygonal air intake that sharpens up the face. At the same time, the muscular bonnet bulge remains, giving it a planted, confident look. The tri-projector headlights are familiar but neatly integrated, and the DRLs now stretch into a slim horizontal grille. Around the headlight clusters, Renault has added some small sculpted details to keep things fresh. In profile, little has changed apart from the new 16-inch alloys, and the roof rails continue as before. At the rear, the tail-lamps are carried over wholesale, which gives the facelift a very front-heavy overall impact.