Renault Kwid long term review, first report

But there are some nasty bits. First of all, the glovebox on the top half of the dash has a very flimsy build and keeps popping open because of the poorly-engineered latch mechanism that gave way after just a few days making the lid completely unusable. The Kwid, even in our top-spec RXT (O) trim, does not come with internally adjustable mirrors. Besides, the mirrors aren’t very sturdy and get loose, forcing you to adjust them frequently. I would have preferred a quieter engine too. The Kwid’s 800cc three-cylinder sounds thrashy and intrudes into the cabin.

What really stands out in the Kwid is the ride quality. It is superb and absorbs most surface imperfections with ease, quite an accomplishment for a car shod with puny 155/80R13 tyres. As for fuel economy, it delivers 15.3kpl overall but I’m yet to get an idea of how frugal it is in real-world bumper-to-bumper traffic. More on that in the next report. Stay tuned!