Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid Comparison – Exterior, Interior, Specifications, and Price

Budget hatchbacks have come a long way since the first Maruti 800 roared to life on Indian roads, but the formula has remained the same; bare-bones basic commuter. The Renault Kwid is one car that comes closest to this definition but shakes things up a bit with a little style and personality. The SUV-ish appeal and spot-on pricing have made the Kwid Renault’s most successful product in India, but the segment is about to see a new challenger.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso follows the same formula as the Kwid. It is a bare-bones basic commuter, but with SUV inspired styling. The result is quite impressive, and for people looking to buy their first car, it is a great option to consider. Even better than the Kwid? Well, let’s compare the two in our Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid comparison post to find out how these small cars stack up against each other in terms of design, specifications, and prices. 

Also See: Maruti Alto K10 vs Maruti S-Presso Comparison

Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid – Exterior Comparison

Exterior Design

In terms of looks, there are plenty of similarities between the two. Both these cars are not traditional hatchbacks, but rather urban crossovers. With an SUV-ish stance, both the S-Presso and Kwid are taller, and have great road presence owing to that.

While Maruti Suzuki S-Presso hasn’t been officially unveiled yet, we have a speculative rendering based on spy pictures. The design is extremely conservative, favouring straighter lines than luscious curves. The short bonnet and the steep front windshield make the side profile rather stubby.

The Renault Kwid is a nice-looking car but has been around for quite some time now. It is even more of a conservative design than the S-Presso, but it's also very easy on the eyes. The high bonnet, large front grill, and the sloping front windshield, coupled with the muscular shoulder line and wheel arch claddings, give the car more SUV-like personality than the S-Presso. Overall, we’d say the Kwid still takes the cake and is the winner of this part of our Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid comparison. That said, the Kwid definitely requires a facelift to fend off the heat from the S-Presso. 

Also See: Upcoming Renault Kwid facelift Spotted with C-shaped LED taillights

Exterior Dimensions

Both the cars are extremely small, slotting neatly below the sub-4-metre category. The Kwid is the larger of the two, except for height. It is more than 10 cm longer and almost 6 cm wider than the S-Presso, although the latter is more than 9 cm taller. The little Renault also has a larger wheelbase, which gives it an overall better stance and slightly better interior comfort as well.

The S-Presso is underpinned by Suzuki’s Heartect platform, which is extremely light yet strong, but it still is heavier than the Kwid. Ground clearance is the same on both these cars, high enough for even some (extremely) light duty off roading. High speed-breakers? Potholes scraping the underbelly? Well, these two cars aren’t affected by such problems!

Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid – Interior Comparison

Interior Design

The interiors of the S-Presso haven’t been revealed yet, but spy pictures have revealed a few details. The colour scheme for the interior is all-black, although higher specs could get dual-tone colours with a lighter blend. The windows in the S-Presso are large, and the cabin feels roomy. The instrument console is centre mounted in the dash, which is somewhat disappointing. It might also skip on a tachometer, sporting only a large speedo, fuel and temperature gauges, and a few tell-tale lights.

The Renault Kwid also has a dark interior colour scheme, but with a brilliant premium touch. On the higher trims, you get a dual-tone interior paint scheme, complete with smartly placed inserts on the dashboard and door panels, and a smattering of colour on the seat fabric. The highlight though, is the digital instrument cluster. The Kwid has a simple but good-looking LCD instrument cluster, but that too lacks a tachometer. There is also a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the higher trims, which makes the car feel more premium than it is. 

Also See: Upcoming Maruti Cars in India 2019

Interior Dimensions

With similar exterior dimensions, it’s no surprise that the cars are similar on the inside too. Both these cars only seat four people in comfort, and seating five is not very plausible unless the rear seat passengers are three small children.

The Kwid has the best boot space of all its competitors because of its utilitarian design. It is almost twice the volume of the Alto K10, which is quite impressive. With a total of 300 litres of space available, you can mount enough luggage for an airport run for two adults. The boot space of the S-Presso isn’t known yet, but due to its smaller dimensions, it will probably be slightly less than on the Kwid. Hence, even in this part of our Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid comparison, it's the latter that emerges as the winner. 

Safety Features

Maruti cars usually aren’t the safest of the bunch, and its small hatchback fare the most horribly. We don’t expect a good crash test rating, and the list of safety equipment will also be thin, probably comprising of only the following: Antilock Braking System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, driver-side airbag, speed alert system, and front seatbelts reminder.

The Renault Kwid is another car that performs horribly in safety tests. It was given a zero-star rating for safety by Global NCAP, which is the lowest possible score, as you might have guessed. It gets Driver-side Airbag, Antilock Brakes, speed alert system, and front seatbelt reminder. That’s the problem with building cars on a strict budget. To meet costs, certain corners must be cut, and most of those corners are cut safety-wise. 

Also See: Renault HBC Sub-4-Meter SUV To Launch Next Year

Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid – Specification Comparison

The Maruti S-Presso is powered by a BSVI compliant 1-litre 3-cylinder engine, which produces a max power of 67 bhp and a max torque of 90 Nm. You have the choice of either a 5-speed Manual or a 5-speed AMT automatic gearbox. The manual is light and easy to operate, while the AMT is slow and clunky but is even easier to operate owing to the lack of a clutch pedal. Automatic transmissions make it easier to negotiate city traffic.

The Renault Kwid soprts a similar powertrain as the S-Presso. It is powered by a 1-litre 3-cylinder engine that churns out 67 bhp and 91 Nm of max power and max torque respectively. It is only BSIV compliant at the moment, but Renault states it will have the BSVI engine ready before the April 2020 deadline. While the numbers are the same, the Kwid is a lighter car, and will be a slightly better performer in the real world. The Kwid also has a smaller 800cc engine, which is lower on power but higher on efficiency. It only comes mated to a 5-speed manual, and has rather pathetic performance.

In terms of handling, neither of these cars will set your pulse racing with excitement. This is due to the higher centre of gravity and raised ride height. And although body roll isn’t a huge problem, it still is a bother. Taking things slow is the mantra here. Hence, there's no clear winner of this part of our Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid comparison. 

Also See: Renault Cars Discounts In September 2019

Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid – Price Comparison

Maruti has always had killer pricing on all its models, and the S-Presso will not be an exception. There will be four trim choices, and prices are estimated to range between ₹ 3.25-4.7 lakh (ex-showroom). If that is indeed the case, the Alto will make a strong contender in the segment. Still, the Kwid is more versatile, with a larger range of prices available. The 0.8-litre variants of the Kwid range from ₹ 2.75-4.02 lakh, and the 1.0-litre variants from ₹ 4.21-4.76 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi). The only problem is that the smaller engine Kwid is too underpowered, and the larger engine variant is more expensive than the S-Presso.

Also See: Maruti S-Presso Entry-level Variant Spotted For The First Time

Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid – Verdict

Both these cars are evenly matched on paper, with neither pulling ahead of the other, simply because they are unable to. Both these cars have similar performance, fuel efficiency, interior space, etc, while none has enough safety equipment on-board. All things considered, our Maruti S-Presso Vs Renault Kwid comparison has been declared a tie.