Is the Renault Kwid good for new drivers?

There is lots to like about Renault’s Kwid, but the car also has a few distinct flaws. Here we examine just how good this car is for first-time drivers.

Renault’s Kwid was launched in late 2016 as an entry-level car and it has achieved amazing sales success since then, despite some very critical road test reports in the media. In the past two-and-a-half years, the Kwid’s sales figures have seen it rule the entry-level class, with monthly figures often topping the 1 000 unit level.

Since its initial launch, the Kwid addressed one of the major safety criticisms levelled at it by journalists by introducing ABS braking. This system prevents wheel lock-up during very hard or emergency braking. ABS braking is now fitted to all Kwids on sale here from April 2019. This system brings it into line with its price competitors.

Renault targets first-time buyers with its Kwid.

At the launch of the Automated Manual Transmission version of the Kwid in mid-2018, Renault South Africa management referred to a concerted campaign to target first-time buyers of the little hatchback.

The Renault product specialist then told journalists, many of whom had criticised the Kwid, that the company had specifically targeted young female first-time buyers with the car, many of whom had had to rely on taxi transportation until signing up for the first taste of car ownership.

Free Insurance is a huge incentive.

One of the master-strokes of the Renault first-time-buyer campaign was to offer free insurance coverage for the Kwid for the first year of ownership. This scheme won Renault many sales and has since been imitated by Datsun, which offered the same one-year free insurance scheme with its Go when the Go was still on sale in. South Africa.

So what’s good about the Renault Kwid?

1. The Price. The Renault Kwid remains one of the cheapest new cars on sale in South Africa. The base model, Kwid Life, is R188 999 (the updated price for July 2023).
2. Looks. Out of all the small new cars on sale here around the R200 000 price bracket, the Kwid has plenty of personality in terms of looks. Renault is aware that it looks like a scaled-down SUV, and has even started referring to it as such in recent media releases.
3. Connectivity. The Kwid comes with a 7-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
4. Ground clearance. The Kwid is good over speed bumps and potholes.
5. Fuel consumption. The Kwid sips fuel at the rate of 5,5 to 6.0 litres/100 km
6. Free insurance for a year when buying a brand new Kwid.

What’s bad about the Renault Kwid?

1. Wayward steering. The Kwid tends to wander at highway speeds due to a very inaccurate steering system.
2. The body shell has a cheap feel to it, and there is lots of vibration from the engine through to the passenger compartment, especially on start-up.
3. The AMT (automated manual transmission) model offers two-pedal driving, so there is no pesky clutch or gear lever to operate. This would normally be good for new drivers, but the Renault system has such delayed responses to the accelerator that it can prove un-nerving, for instance, when trying to enter a busy roadway from a side street.
4. Earlier models have only one airbag for the driver, and as we’ve mentioned before, no ABS in models older than April 2019. This is no longer an issue in new models, however. If you’re buying used, make sure you have two airbags as well as ABS.
5. That free one-year insurance scheme may well lead to Kwid drivers failing to make insurance payments on their car once the first free year is up. Many young new-car buyers (of all makes) stop making insurance payments on their cars quite early in the contract period. This is something that is often not picked up by dealerships.

Verdict

Many buyers are attracted to a car by its looks first and foremost, and the “scaled-down SUV” appearance of the Kwid is something that rival manufacturers should be aware of. Here in South Africa, SUVs have strong appeal.

The second big factor is the smart dashboard layout with its touch screen. Renault has definitely put one over the competition here, recognising that young people often value their cyber connectivity more than they value personalised mobility! Here you might like to read more about the sales phenomenon that is the Renault Kwid.

There are lots to admire about the Kwid. Still, we feel there are competitors in this price category that offer superior cars, especially in terms of all-important highway speed stability.

For this reason, we would exhort our readers to not only take test drives in Suzuki’s Celerio, BAIC’s D20 Hatch, and Hyundai Atos, but also more substantial pre-owned, low mileage small cars such as the Suzuki Swift, Kia Picanto, Hyundai Grand i10, Ford Figo, and Toyota Aygo. Renault’s Sandero is a much more solid, better-handling, better-equipped car, and you can find pre-owned examples here.

Click on the following links to read more about the above-mentioned cars: Datsun Go, Toyota Aygo, Renault Sandero,  and Kia Picanto.

Keyword: Is the Renault Kwid good for new drivers?