2016 Renault Kwid long term review, final report

Living with the Kwid, I was privy to its merits and quirks, and I have a list. Leading this has got to be the engine. While I could deal with the 0.8-litre, three-cylinder engine’s noise and, given my urban commute, wasn’t that affected by the lack of grunt on the highway, it was the jerky low-speed power delivery that was bothersome. And what’s frustrating is the fact that the 1.0-litre Kwid we got for testing is free from this low-speed hiccup. However, where our Kwid did deliver was fuel economy. In the last few months, it averaged between 12-13.5kpl which is rather good in my first-second-first gear crawl in heavy Mumbai traffic. One thing, though, the distance-to-empty figure disappears under 80km; ironic, because that’s when you need it the most.

Over time, the Kwid’s clutch became a bit harder, and that’s not something you expect in a car this new. Also, the effectiveness of the brakes seemed to be on a decline in just the short 7,000km that we covered. And remember, the car lacks ABS, so driving in the rains called for extra caution; you don’t realise its importance until you drive a car with no ABS and slightly weak brakes.

The Kwid is on its way back home now. It’s a car that I’ve liked for various reasons but it isn’t one that I would recommend wholeheartedly. It’s all down to the 0.8 engine which feels a bit rough around the edges. Having spent time with this version and driven the 1.0-litre car briefly, I believe the latter is the one to go for. The good news is, I’ll be able to justify my choice because the Kwid 1.0 will soon be taking the place of the 0.8 in our long-term fleet.