Engine and Performance of Renault Kwid 1.0 L Petrol.
Any owner can live with features being less in the car but it is difficult for any owner to live with a car which is not giving the desired performance and most importantly does not deliver on F.E. Now, with respect to the Indian Car Scenario, in the entry level hatchback segment today, there is a cut throat competition among the automotive brands. The buyers have a plethora of choices to choose from and with the entry of KWID, the competition gets multiplied manifolds. Kwid, as marketed by Renault is a entry level hatchback offering the looks of an SUV for almost 1/3rd the price. In the past, Renault in India hasn't been much successful expect for the Duster. As I already compared it above with likes of Alto twins, Datsun et al, with the Kwid, I would say, Renault seems to have stretched to the its limits in the segment as far as possible. So, Kwid is being offered by Renault in 2 engine options i.e a
800cc and a 1.0L engine both mated to a
5 speed Manual Transmission and both are 3 Cylinder Petrol Engine. Kwid has indeed proved to be a refreshing new choice for those who got bored with the same monotonous hatchback designs offered in the segment by rivals. However, with flourishing competitors like Alto, Eon, and Tiago et al, will the Kwid be able to surpass them all in performance? Or will it go down flat? Let’s Check!
At launch the Kwid did not come with under-hood cladding but thankfully it has a cladding under hood now. However, it hasn't made much of difference to the engine sound though.
Ok, now, a normal car buyer has got nothing to do with how the car pulls, whether the NVH is high or low and whether the Torque is adequate or not. The only parameter he is concerned about is the Fuel Efficiency. But as an enthusiast and moreover with the trust of providing unbiased views for Kwid, I would like to say,
the 1.0 L engine did not impress me. The 1.0 L engine is provided
only to RXT and RXT (o) variants.
The all new 1.0 engine of Kwid delivers 68 PS Power and 91 Nm of Torque.
As I cranked the engine there was a very mild shakiness of cabin and same scene repeated after I switched off the engine after Test Drive. To test its potential, I drove it in traffic with AC on and I was utterly disappointed with the performance as simple as that. I mean come on even Tiago has 3 cylinder Petrol engine but it does not vibrate so much every darn time when AC is running and I actually felt the vibration mostly on the steering. I really can't believe that and neither I expected such a weak performance.
To check the in-cabin NVH, I revved the engine and not only it was pathetically loud, the car was vibrating and the people who parked their cars next to me, were looking as if I am going mad! Some of them even laughed at it.
To me the refinement levels are absolutely not acceptable. Now another thing, which I found common in even AMEO and now in Kwid, the engine sound is very much audible from outside and it sounds like a diesel mill is running under the hood and even if you are inside with the doors and windows properly closed, the engine's sound levels are high enough and can be heard and as I said above, the insulation used by Renault on door trims also are of average quality so even with that the sound filters in the cabin and not much of a pleasant experience it was.
I feel, after driving this 1.0 L engine that this engine is suited to an extent only for the city driving and that too if its driven between 60-80 km/h. The moment you pass 80-85 km/h mark, the performance begins to drop and howling begins. Coming to acceleration, from the traffic signal, the initial pick up was good with just slight press only but later at many places the throttle response wasn't as expected rather in clear words it was missing. I was actually at loss of words for those people who termed "
KWID 1.0 L as best package in the segment"! Due to the inappropriate throttle response at many places the Kwid felt hell of jerky. Hence, I would say in the engine department, Maruti is no doubt ahead of Renault. Having less number of cylinders doesn't mean that refinement shall too take a back seat. In simple words, Kwid is not meant for Enthusiasts who want reasonable performance.
Sharing a couple of videos for your benefit to understand the noise levels of the Kwid 1.0L
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qi24f4GZLU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3s2mMdel_A
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