-The Kiger will be Renault’s take on the compact SUV segment

-It will be based on the same CMFA+ platform shared with the upcoming Nissan Magnite

Renault India has officially unveiled the concept version of its B-SUV which will be named as the ‘Kiger’. The production-ready version of the compact SUV will be first launched in India followed by other international markets. It will be underpinned by the CMFA+ platform built under the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Another compact SUV to share the platform is its cousin, the Nissan Magnite.

First look at the images of the concept version of the Kiger reveals a bold and masculine look with a shorter A-pillar and raised bonnet line. The front is divided into two-scale LED headlights with a single strip across the two-slat grille with neon indicators that could make way for LED DRLs on the production model. The second set of lights are bumper-mounted LED headlights and a mesh-like air intake and skid plate at the bottom. On the side, the Kiger concept flaunts a sloping roofline merging into the C-pillar making a floating roof-like design. It also gets roof rails, flared wheel arches with thick body cladding and chunky 19-inch alloys offering 210mm of ground clearance. The rear looks striking with a curved crease line below the windscreen and a set of double C-shaped LED tail lamps, a roof-mounted spoiler and a central exhaust system at the bottom.

Details regarding the interior of the new Renault Kiger concept remain unknown at the moment although the company has stated that it will introduce a brand-new turbo petrol engine. This could be the same 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine as seen on the forthcoming Magnite making 97bhp and 160Nm of peak torque and is likely to be paired with a five-speed manual and a CVT unit. Another speculated engine would be a 1.0-lite NA petrol motor producing 76bhp/96Nm torque with a manual transmission. The production version of the Kiger will be revealed in the coming months and it will be interesting to see if Renault carries forward the 80 percent design cues as claimed in its media report.

Commenting on the new product planned for India, Venkatram Mamillapalle, Country CEO & Managing Director, Renault India Operations, shared, “Renault KIGER is our all-new B-SUV which will stand out as an attractive, smart and exciting offering from Groupe Renault. We are delighted to announce that the global launch of Renault KIGER will be in India, after which it will be launched in other markets across the world. After KWID and TRIBER, Renault KIGER is the third global car from Groupe Renault to be launched in India first, followed by other markets. In line with our strategy for India, Renault KIGER will exemplify disruptive innovation. It will be launched in the B-segment, which accounts for more than 50% of the total industry sales, thereby enabling us to grow our presence across the country. In a short span of time, Renault has already crossed the 6,50,000 sales milestone in India and we look forward to continue on this progressive journey with Renault KIGER.”