South African Renault Kwid Bags 2 Stars From NCAP, Safer Than Indian Kwid?

Renault Kwid is among top-selling hatchbacks in the carmaker's portfolio. In its segment, it rivals with the likes Maruti Alto 800 and Datsun Redi-GO. Recently, at the Global NCAP crash test, Renault Kwid, which is made in India for South Africa has scored a 2-star rating. This clearly shows that the automaker has worked hard to enhance the built quality of the car because the Renault Kwid sold in the Indian market in 2016 scored zero-star, as the model that was put to test had no airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners. Because of their aggressive pricing, automakers around the country do not put much effort in upgrading the built quality of entry-level cars, but new buyers are now getting well aware and are only preferring cars of good built.

The Africa-spec Renault Kwid is retailed with two-airbags as standard. The SUV has got two stars for adult and child occupant protection categories. As one can see in the images that the neck protection is good, but the protection at the driver’s chest area is pretty critical. Moreover, the child occupant safety of the hatchback is very poor. The automaker still needs to work hard to enhance the overall built quality of its entry-level offering. The built quality of 2020 Renault Kwid sold in the Indian market is not known. After the results of GNCAP crash test, we expect that the automaker will try to enhance the overall quality of the hatchback.

Talking about Renault Kwid, the hatchback is powered by an 800cc and 1000cc powertrain. The former develops 53bhp of power and 72 Nm of torque, while the latter puts out power and torque outputs of 67bhp and 91 Nm. The 800cc motor comes paired with a 5-speed MT, while the 1000cc powertrain is offered with a 5-speed MT or a 5-speed AMT. It gets retailed at a starting price of Rs 2.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the base trim and goes all the way up to Rs 5.12 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the top-spec variant.