Road Review: Renault Kiger 1.0 Turbo Intens CVT

The Renault Kiger was recently launched in South Africa in a wave of pre-event publicity that brought with it high levels of expectation and anticipation.

Under normal circumstances the cars I receive for road test purposes are driven and the review published within a few days. With the Renault Kiger, specifically the 1.0 Turbo CVT, I have been wrestling with mixed emotions for a couple of weeks.

Basically, I am disappointed. This is a purely emotional response as there is nothing inherently or specifically wrong with the Kiger. It fits neatly into its market segment, offers sufficiently good levels of active and passive safety, is reasonably comfortable but, it underperforms physically and ‘spiritually’.

Kind of the ‘Tiger ‘ is more pussycat than mighty hunter.

Renault was an early pioneer of the three-cylinder 1,0-litre turbo engine but the 74 kW and 160 Nm just seem inadequate with the CVT gearbox more indecisive than it should be.

Admittedly, the test routine does put pressure on the vehicle some way beyond what the average buyer would put it through and I have to point out for the daily A-B urban run, the Kiger will tick all the necessary boxes.

The Kiger is built on the same platform as Alliance partner Nissan’s Magnite, but is its own car from that base and the exterior of the vehicle has sculpted lines with a higher ground clearance, aluminium finish skid plates and a rear window finished off with an integrated spoiler.

Up front are LED daytime running lights. The lower part features tri-octa LED PURE VISION headlamps, while the tail light units with glossy black inserts outline the rear double C-shaped lighting signature.

Inside, it is fairly roomy – 710 mm between the seats, second row legroom of 222 mm and elbow room of 1 413 mm.  Boot space is 405 litres, which can extend to 879 litres with the second row of seats folded down and there is onboard storage capacity of 29 litres, including four 1-litre water bottle holders and two cup holders. The central armrest has a deep storage space of 7,5 litres while the glove compartment has a volume of 10,5 litres, with the upper and lower glove box capacity totalling 14,9 litres.

The centre console features an 8-inch floating touchscreen with wireless smartphone replication for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system not only offers voice recognition through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but also Bluetooth connectivity that can pair up to five devices, a USB socket for faster charging and a built-in MP4 video player.

The higher spec models offer a multi-sense driving experience as well as ambient lighting. The multi-sense feature enables the selection of different driving modes for a completely different driving experience – i.e., Normal, Eco or Sport mode. Normal mode offers an optimum driving experience for city driving conditions. It also provides useful information such as real-time and average fuel consumption all in a blue colour look. Eco mode provides a drive which is inclined towards economic driving practices, changing the overall appearance of the TFT to green. 

Sport mode provides a drive experience with crisper engine response and faster shifting. The overall TFT screen turns to red with quick information of acceleration gauge, torque, power ratios etc.

Shifting from Sport to Eco is akin to running into a brick wall, such is the change to the system. Eco is totally gutless and is useful only for bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions or cruising a flat stretch of highway. I would venture most buyers will opt to keep it in Normal or Sport all the time and accept a slightly heavier fuel consumption result.

Overtaking or just simply having fun motoring will also prompt use of the manual option.

I am a great fan of the Renault Duster and my expectation was the Kiger would bring everything about that into a B-segment sized package.

Accepting it is a smaller vehicle, it just does not have the sure-footed feeling of the Duster and is a bit ‘soft’ in corners with quite a lot of body roll and front end wash under hard cornering. Equally, it misses out on the transitional alacrity of the Clio.

What it does gain is a brand new, quality sound system – the auditorium 3D sound system by Arkamys, with eight onboard speakers (four 6,5-inch speakers, four tweeters). The system automatically adjusts sound volume according to the speed of the vehicle.

Safety spec includes a reinforced body structure, anti-lock braking with EBD, ESP, ISOFIX (for child seat safety), four crash bags (front + passenger + front side bags), seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters, rear parking sensors, impact sensing door lock and pedestrian protection.

As is the case across Renault’s entire product range, the new Renault Kiger comes standard with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anticorrosion warranty, with service intervals at 15 000 km.

I have no doubt sales figures will enshrine the popularity of the Kiger, considering it has fairly competitive pricing in the segment.

It just did not give me the ‘wow’ feeling I was hoping for.

https://bit.ly/3wLX5Qz

Colin-on-Cars - Renault Duster refreshed

Boasting more horizontal lines and a wider rear, the refreshed Renault Duster comes with an array of new colours and added tech features.

The Renault Duster is distinguished by exterior styling with refreshed exterior design cues, contemporary and more refined interior with distinct design accents within the cabin, superior quality finishes and a range of high-end equipment to ensure heightened comfort and superb driving pleasure, smart features inclusive of an improved Multimedia Rear-View Camera, newly designed 16-inch Alloys and 17-inch Diamond Cut wheels.

The new Renault Duster has a ground clearance of 210 mm and approach and departure angles of 30° high approach and 34° departure angles respectively, deeming it suitable for all terrain driving.

State-of-the-art equipment includes on-board GPS Navigation, and importantly wireless smartphone replication mirror compatibility, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

All models have anti-lock Braking  with EBD in conjunction with EBA,  rear Park Distance Control and Hill Start Assist.

It is available with  with two versions of the 1.5 dCi turbo-diesel engine - manual or EDC – across the various derivatives.

The Diesel 1.5 dCi 4x2’s engine has outputs of 66 kW and 210 Nm, while the 4x2 EDC and 4x4 Manual versions have outputs of 80 kW and 250 Nm and 260 Nm respectively.

As is standard across Renault’s entire product range, the Renault Duster Model range comes standard with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. Services take place at 15 000 km intervals, and a standard 3-year/45 000 km service plan applies.

PRICING

- Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4x2 R337,900

- Duster 1.5 dCi Zen EDC 4x2 R376,900

- Duster 1.5 dCi Zen 4x4 R376,900

- Duster 1.5 dCi Intens EDC 4x2 R384,900

https://bit.ly/31wCJiy

Colin-on-Cars: Road Review - Renault Koleos 2.5 Dynamique 4x2

There is a huge difference in what a potential buyer and an automotive designer sees when looking at the profile of the same vehicle. While it all may come down to subjective interpretation, the truth is very often that potential buyer has a hard time distinguishing between the new generation and the pre-refresh versions.

Indeed, having had the – then – latest iteration of the Renault Koleos in April and just recently received the refreshed version, I struggled to see as much difference between the two as the Renault designers and refer to the comments made by the Senior Vice-President of Corporate Design, Laurens van den Acker: “New Koleos completes the styling renaissance of the Renault range that began with Clio in 2012. As a designer, the challenge was to imagine an SUV that was not only elegant, but also dynamic and modern. 

“To achieve this, instead of diluting the traits traditionally associated with SUVs, we accentuated the segment’s familiar cues thanks to taut, powerful, horizontal lines, along with muscular haunches and high ground clearance.  New Koleos subsequently exudes an inner strength. It is every inch an SUV and every inch a Renault.” 

Indeed, I had to look quite hard to really pick up on themore pronounced front grille with chrome insets, extending to the chrome-underlined fog lamps.  In the lower part, the bumper has a new and more impressive skid plate.

The Koleos retains distinctive features such as its chrome trim extending horizontally down the whole wing, making the front-end appear longer. The front and rear lights of the Koleos replicate the full LED lighting signature, that is now part of the new Renault design language. The C-shaped Daytime Running Lights extend beyond the headlight units themselves to create an even more forceful gaze.  

Dependent on the version – the test unit being the 2.5 Dynamique 4x2 – it is available with Pure Vision Full LED main- and dipped- beam lights. For significantly enhanced night-time visibility, this technology provides a beam 20% more powerful than that of halogen headlights.

And, considering the parlous state of many of our roads, this lighting boosts comes in more as a ‘must have’ than an optional extra. 

The permanently-lit tail lights feature Edge Light technology that generates a clear, bright 3D effect visible both close up and from a distance. 

The rear of the New Koleos has also been redesigned, with a skid plate extending higher on the bumper and transverse chrome insets in synergy with the front end.  The third stop lamp has been extended while the twin chrome exhaust pipes have been retained for a sporty touch.

Inside the Koleos is generously proportioned and roomy and the driving position ensures excellent viewing to spot those potholes before they swallow you whole. In terms of pure aesthetics, the Koleos now features a stylish satin-finish chrome for the steering wheel inserts, gear lever and air vent surrounds, along with a pleasant-to-the-touch finish for the centre console. The interior also features cushion-backed materials for the dashboard and door panels.

On the side of thoughtful, the design of the doors protects the sills from soiling and protects passengers clothing from getting dirty when entering or exiting the car.

The 464-litre boot has a convenient removable floor positioned at the same height as the sill to form a flat floor that houses a full-size spare wheel. Handles located in the boot enable the Easy Break system, allowing the 60/40-split rear bench to be folded instantly to free up a carrying capacity of 1 795 litres.

Motive power comes from a 2,5-litre petrol engine with a power output of 126 kW, 233 Nm of Torque, CO2 emissions of 188 g/100 km and fuel consumption from 8,8 l/100 km.

It drives through a X-Tronic CVT gearbox that remains mercifully muted under hard acceleration and is fairly quick to make its final gear selection for the moment, but is a bit slow in making the downshifts and tends to over-rev when building back up to the selected speed on cruise control.

Still, it cruises serenely along and the long-haul is achieved in comfort with a good deal of silence from road, tyre and suspension noise. The short game is equally comfortable with the bonus of really wide opening doors to make ingress and egress a lot easier.

In general, it handles predictably with some front-end push when pressed into a corner but, with the full array of safety equipment including traction control, it will quickly recover from minor over-enthusiastic twirling of the steering.

Peace of mind comes with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty plus, a 5-year/ 90 000 km service plan and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty, with service intervals at 15 000 km.

https://bit.ly/3n4pn4p

 Eye of the tiger

Derived from an old Sanskrit word, Kiger means Tiger and Renault is quick to point to the front lighting setup of the newcomer to its range as having tiger eyes. 

Whatever your interpretation, the new Kiger introduces another player into the growing B-SUV market segment and intends luring buyers with a car packed with standard features across two engine options.

 

The all new Renault Kiger is the latest design evolution pioneered by the Head of  Group Design, Laurens Van Den Acker, who explains: ‘’True to the promise of the show-car, Renault Kiger is a robust, dynamic and generous SUV. Armed for travel in the urban jungle we also designed it for escape and confront any type of roads with serenity. Kiger has a SUV coupé look, but its long wheelbase promises great habitability and volume on board. Its “smart cabin” has been specially designed to encourage sharing and conviviality.” 

Built on the same platform as Alliance partner Nissan’s Magnite, the Kiger is its own car from that base and the exterior of the vehicle has sculpted lines with a higher ground clearance, aluminium finish skid plates and a sporty rear window finished off with an integrated spoiler. 

The front end is accentuated by Renault’s LED daytime running lights. The lower part features tri-octa LED PURE VISION headlamps, while the tail light units with glossy black inserts outline the rear double C-shaped lighting signature, with LED tail lights.

 

Renault has also dropped it Dynamique and Authentique nomenclature in favour of the global Life, Zen and Intens naming convention for its various spec levels and the top of the range (Intens) derivative is distinguishable by a two-tone body colour.  

Inside, it is fairly roomy – 710 mm between the seats, second row legroom of 222 mm and elbow room of 1 413 mm.  Boot space is 405 litres, which can extend to 879 litres with the second row of seats folded down and there is onboard storage capacity of 29 litres, including four 1-litre water bottle holders and two cup holders. The central armrest has a deep storage space of 7,5 litres while the glove compartment has a volume of 10,5 litres, with the upper and lower glove box capacity totalling 14,9 litres. 

The centre console features an 8-inch floating touchscreen with wireless smartphone replication for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system not only offers voice recognition through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but also Bluetooth connectivity that can pair up to five devices, a USB socket for faster charging and a built-in MP4 video player.

 

The higher spec models offer a multi-sense driving experience as well as ambient lighting. The multi-sense feature enables the selection of different driving modes for a completely different driving experience – i.e., Normal, Eco or Sport mode. NORMAL mode offers an optimum driving experience for city driving conditions. It also provides useful information such as real-time and average fuel consumption all in a blue colour look. ECO mode provides a drive which is inclined towards economic driving practices, changing the overall appearance of the TFT to green.  

SPORT mode provides a drive experience with crisper engine response and faster shifting. The overall TFT screen turns to red with quick information of acceleration gauge, torque, power ratios etc. 

The new Renault Kiger boasts a brand new, quality sound system – the auditorium 3D sound system by Arkamys, with eight onboard speakers (four 6,5-inch speakers, four tweeters). The system automatically adjusts sound volume according to the speed of the vehicle. 

The new Renault KIger is fitted with 2 engine variants: 

An aspirated 1,0-litre engine with an output of 52 kW and 96 Nm of torque and a three-cylinder turbo-charged 1,0-litre petrol engine with a power output of 74 kW and 160 Nm of torque on the manual.  

The 1,0-litre naturally aspirated engine is either paired with a five-speed manual gearbox or the EASY-R five-speed AMT gearbox that features a manual mode to allow the driver to operate in fully automatic or sequential mode. 

The 1,0-litre turbo energy engine is either mated with a five-speed manual gearbox or an X-Tronic CVT gearboxt.

 

Safety spec includes A\a reinforced body structure, anti-lock braking with EBD, ESP, ISOFIX (for child seat safety), four crash bags (front + passenger + front side bags), seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters, rear parking sensors, impact sensing door lock and pedestrian protection. 

As is the case across Renault’s entire product range, the new Renault Kiger comes standard with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anticorrosion warranty, with service intervals at 15 000 km. 

PRICING:

 

> KIGER Life 1.0L   2yr/30,000km  SP                               R199 900 (incl. VAT) 

> KIGER Zen 1.0L   2yr/30,000km SP                               R214 900 (incl. VAT) 

> KIGER Zen 1.0L  AMT  2yr/30,000km SP                      R224 900 (incl. VAT) 

> KIGER Zen  1.0L  Turbo   3yr/45,000km SP                  R249 900 (incl. VAT) 

> KIGER Intens 1.0L  Turbo 3 yr/45,000km SP                R269 900 (incl. VAT) 

> KIGER Intens 1.0L Turbo CVT  3yr/45,000km SP         R289 900 (incl. VAT) 

SP = Service Plan

 Lighting tech adds to Renault Koleos upgrade

The Renault Koleos has been given a fairly significant refresh for 2021, sneaking its way onto showroom floors just days ahead of the launch of the all-new Kiger. . .more of which coming soon. 

Sporting new LED headlights to go with the more pronounced front grille and new, wider rear tail lights, dependent on the version, Koleos is also available with Pure Vision Full LED main and dipped- beam lights. 

For significantly enhanced night-time visibility, this technology provides a beam that is 20% more powerful than that of halogen headlights. 

The permanently-lit tail lights feature Edge Light technology that generates a clear, bright 3D effect visible both close up and from a distance.

 

The rear of the New Koleos has been redesigned, with a skid plate extending higher on the bumper and transverse chrome insets in synergy with the front end. The third stop lamp has been extended while the twin chrome bumper garnish have been retained for a sporty touch. 

In addition to having one of the longest wheelbases in its class, the Koleos’ wheelbase of 2 704 mm and overall length of 4 672 mm frees up roominess for all occupants.

Rear passengers benefit from knee room (289mm) while there is also 464 litres of space in the boot which can grow to 1 700 litres with the rear seats folded down. 

Boasting a Euro NCAP five-star rating, all Koleos models come standard with anti-lock assisted by, EBD, EBA, ESC and Hill Start Assist (HAS). Other key safety features include Blind Spot Warning (BSW), 360˚ Park Assist sensor system (all round sensors) and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which are standard on the Dynamique grade. 

Inside, Koleos features a satin-finish chrome for the steering wheel inserts, gear lever and air vent surrounds, along with a pleasant-to-the-touch finish for the centre console. The interior also features cushion-backed materials for the dashboard and door panels.

 

Version dependent, the front seats come with six-way power adjustment and lumbar adjustability and the centre console can slide 80 mm forwards, enabling the ideal driving position to be set. 

The Koleos also is equipped with smartphone replication offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The R-LINK 2 Sat Nav and Multimedia is offered in two touch screen formats (Model dependent), a 7-inch horizontal screen on the Expression grade and an 8,7inch vertical screen on the Dynamique grade. It also features a voice recognition system activated from the steering wheel in order to manage sat nav, phone calls, apps, e-mails and radio.  

Both USB portals are now located under the centre console, at the base of the gear lever, for greater convenience. 

Koleos is powered by a 2,5-litre petrol engine with a power output of 126 kW, 233 Nm of Torque, CO2 emissions of 188 g/100km and combined fuel consumption from 8,1 l/100 km. 

The X-Tronic automatic (CVT) transmission performs more like a multi-ratio automatic whenever the driver needs to accelerate quickly. At the same time, this continuously variable transmission ensures seamless gear shifts when accelerating slightly, as in heavy traffic, for example. 

New Renault Koleos is available in two trim levels – Expression and Dynamique, comprehensively spec’d from the base level upwards.                                                                                                                                     

As is the case across Renault’s entire product range, the Koleos comes standard with a 5-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty plus, a 5-year/ 90 000 km service plan and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty, with service intervals at 15 000 km. 

PRICING:

 

Ø    KOLEOS Expression 2.5 CVT 4x2                               R484 900 (incl. VAT)

Ø    KOLEOS Dynamique 2.5 CVT 4x2                               R534 900 (incl. VAT)

Road Review: Renault Triber 1.5 Prestige manual 

There are apparently 100 possible seating configurations available in the Renault Triber and I must confess I did not get to investigate every possibility during my time with the car – suffice it to say it is an extremely versatile small car. 

It can quickly change from a 5-seater to a 7-seater configuration, in the former offering boot space of 625 litres, while, the cabin provides reasonable for passengers in all rows. 

The SUV-inspired Renault Triber is well named and easy to see doing duty as a Mom’s Taxi ferrying a tribe of kids to soccer practice and the like. In that, it does occupy a niche space in the small SUV arena by daring to be a bit different. 

I can see, appreciate and enjoy what it set out be but my big gripe is there is no way of hiding luggage when the seats are folded away and, sadly, in this South Africa I believe that protection is vital. 

Up fron the Triber features projector headlights, daytime running lights and comes standard with roof rails that have a 50 kg load capacity. 

A ground clearance of 182 mm and SUV skid plates along with a prominent crease in the hood, strong shoulder lines, wheel arch flare and cladding suggest sturdiness. 

The modular seating configurations include:  Camp Mode [2-seater]; Surf Mode [4-seater]; Life Mode [5-seater] and Tribe Mode [7-seater] and EasyFix seats allow for the two rear seats within the third row to be completely removed with ease. 

The interior of the vehicle is equipped with stowage spaces of up to 31 litres, with a cold storage facility within the centre console and lower glove box and a drawer under the driver’s seat. 

The power steering wheel has newly introduced steering mount controls with thumb contours, while a gear shift indicator on the digital tachometer assists with driving at an optimum speed for better fuel efficiency. 

I found the 1,0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine a trifle vocal from quite early on in the rev range but the 52 kW and 96 Nm from the dual VVT system keeps it urban capable with downshifting required only on the longer and steeper hills. 

Although Renault claim 5,5 l/100 km from the five-speed manual, the overall average on the test cycle ended closer to 6,00 l/100 km – still, this equates to around 670 km on a full tank of fuel. 

The 8-inch MediaNav Evolution touchscreen comes integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, Voice Command button and video playback on the screen, while a Smart Access Card allows Keyless Entry and Stop/Start functionality and a Reverse Parking Camera with guidelines helps with parking in tricky situations. 

Aside from the four vents in the front row, an added feature is the two independent controls for the air-conditioner with vents on the second and third rows. 

The Triber is equipped with anti-lock braking and emergency lock retractor, 3-points safety belts in the front and second row seat belts (side only) with retractors, three-point without retractor in the third, pyrotechnic pre-tensioner driver seat belt, load limiter driver and passenger seat belts, driver and passenger crash bags and reinforced body structure. 

Triber comes standard with a two-year/ 30 000 km Service Plan, plus a five-year/150 000 km mechanical warranty and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. Services take place at 15 000 km intervals.

The 185/65 R15 wheels and tyres provide adequate grip for the task the Triber was designed for and the car should really be enjoyed in that context.