If you’ve been daydreaming about a compact SUV that looks sprightly on the showroom poster and promises wallet-friendly fuel figures, meet the Renault Kiger 1.0L turbo petrol-CVT — or at least the version of it that the marketing brochure hopes you will buy. We took the turbo petrol-automatic to the real world (Delhi NCR city traffic and the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, for the pedants) to see whether that pretty claimed mileage actually translates into anything other than a number that looks good in italics.
Introduction
The Renault Kiger with the 1.0L turbo petrol-automatic powertrain is pitched as a city-friendly compact SUV that doubles as a reasonable highway cruiser. In theory, it offers the peppy charm of a turbocharged small engine and the convenience of a CVT automatic — which, to many buyers, reads as “easy to drive and not too thirsty.” The target audience is urban commuters who want SUV styling, occasional highway trips, and a price that doesn’t require taking out a second mortgage. In practice, we ran a rigorous tank-full-to-tank-full test to discover how this little ensemble behaves in true city mazes and actual expressway cruising.
Key Features
1. 1.0L Turbo Petrol Engine
The star of the show is the 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It’s the kind of mill that promises punch out of a small package — decent mid-range torque and enough enthusiasm to keep merges and overtakes non-eventful. The flip side, and the one you’ll notice on the fuel report card, is that turbochargers are great at excitement but less so at economy when city driving insists on stop-start monotony.
2. CVT Automatic Transmission
Renault pairs the turbo with a CVT for that gloriously smooth, rubber-band-like acceleration curve that is soothing until you want feedback. CVTs are efficient on highways at steady speeds — they keep the engine in its sweet spot. In urban crawling, however, the CVT tends to keep revs higher and can contribute to worse-than-expected consumption unless you’re droning at a constant pace, which is not how Delhi traffic works.
3. 40-Litre Fuel Tank
A modest 40-litre tank keeps things compact and light. The upside: lower weight and potentially better dynamics. The downside: you’re refilling more often than in larger SUVs. Real-world ranges in our testing spanned roughly 354km (city-only) to 499km (highway-only), depending on your noble — or reckless — devotion to highways.
4. Claimed vs Real Fuel Economy
Renault’s claimed mileage for this variant sits at 17.7kmpl, a number that reads impressive at a glance. Our measured results, however, produced a more humble 9.82kmpl in city run and 13.86kmpl on the highway — impressive as honesty is, it’s a painful reminder that the brochure’s claims belong in a parallel universe where traffic lights obey you.
Pros and Cons
Let’s play that old favourite: deliberate, balanced, and slightly sarcastic — pros on one hand, cons on the other.
Pros
- Peppy turbo engine that makes the Kiger feel livelier than its price tag suggests.
- CVT makes traffic less stressful and cruising on highways smoother than a stiff coffee.
- Compact dimensions and SUV styling make it attractive for city parking and curb appeal.
- Highway mileage (13.86kmpl) is respectable for a turbo-CVT combo when driven sensibly.
- Real-world fuel calculations and range estimates allow you to plan sanity-check refuels.
Cons
- City mileage is disheartening: 9.82kmpl — a 45% negative deviation from the claimed 17.7kmpl.
- CVT tends to keep revs higher in stop-and-go and can punish fuel economy.
- Smaller 40-litre tank forces more frequent petrol standstills compared to larger rivals.
- Claims vs reality gap means your wallet will feel the brochure’s betrayal.
User Experience
Driving the Kiger through Delhi’s ritualized chaos (our city loop was 102km, average speed 22kmph, and about 4 hours 40 minutes of agony and amusement) yields a mixed bag of sensations. The turbo gives you a brisk shove when merging or overtaking — a pleasant surprise if you’re used to the laggier 1.0 NA engines — and the CVT keeps transitions buttery. It’s pleasant to pilot on a clear expressway: in our 106km highway loop around Sohna, we averaged about 60kmph and completed the run in 1 hour 45 minutes while sipping fuel more politely than in the city.
But urban life reveals the Kiger’s Achilles heel: the CVT and turbo pairing demands thoughtful throttle application if you want decent economy. In stop-start traffic, the engine never finds a comfortable rhythm; the gearbox’s habit of holding revs to eagerly seek torque works against you. Add air-conditioning, a couple of passengers, and the occasional brisk acceleration to escape an aggressive autorickshaw, and your mileage drops to a disappointing 9.82kmpl — which translated to a refill of 10.39 litres after our city drive and a bill of Rs. 1,007.83 at Rs.97/litre.
Comparison
Compared to naturally aspirated rivals or small-diesel alternatives, the Kiger’s turbo-CVT combo is a philosophical choice. If you prioritize throttle response and a perky personality, the turbo is better than the usual 1.0 NA units. If you prioritize low-cost commuting, some small diesels or even non-turbo petrols with clever gearboxes might return better day-to-day numbers in city traffic.
Against direct petrol-automatic rivals, the Kiger falls behind brochure claims but remains competitive in terms of highway comfort and reasonable equipment for the segment. Its highway figure of 13.86kmpl sits in the respectable zone for turbo petrol automatics, even while being 22% lower than claimed. In short: it’s less of a fuel miser than a fun accomplice — with consequences.
Who Should Buy This
Here’s the selective shopping list — who gets joy, and who gets buyer’s remorse:
- Buy if you are an urban dweller who occasionally slices through highways for weekend escapes and values a spirited engine more than literal fuel economy gospel readings.
- Buy if you prioritize driving feel, compact parking ease, and a competitive package at an accessible price — and you accept that city mileage will be closer to single digits than the brochure’s fantasies.
- Avoid if most of your life is inbox-to-office-to-school runs in thick city traffic and you treat fuel economy like a dietary restriction; the Kiger’s 9.82kmpl city figure will sting over time.
- Consider alternatives if you do frequent long-distance runs and prefer diesel efficiency or hybrids; while the Kiger is decent on highways, it’s not class-leading.
Value for Money
Value isn’t merely about having the lowest sticker price; it’s about running costs, too. At Rs.97 per litre during our test, the Kiger’s city cost works out to about Rs.9.88 per kilometre and Rs.7 per kilometre on highways. Those numbers are useful therapy if you like to budget precisely. For a 50:50 mix of city and highway usage, expect an effective mileage around 11.84kmpl and a per-kilometre fuel cost of roughly Rs.8.19. That’s not catastrophic, but it’s not miraculous either.
With a 40-litre tank and real-world range between roughly 354km (city) and 499km (highway), you’ll be stopping for fuel often enough to notice petrol attendants by name. For consumers who value the turbo’s pep and the convenience of the CVT and can tolerate higher urban fuel bills, the Kiger can still be good value. For those who are calorie-counting every kilometre, there are more economical scissors in the drawer.
Practical scenarios where it shines: city buyers who enjoy an engaging throttle, couples or small families who do longer weekend drives (the highway mileage is kind to pocket and temper), and buyers who want SUV-like looks at a subcompact price. Scenarios where it stumbles: heavy city commuters with long daily crawls, and buyers who compare brochure claims against their monthly petrol card with unforgiving arithmetic.
Given the facts and real-world numbers, the Renault Kiger 1.0L turbo petrol-CVT is a likeable compact SUV that asks you to be realistic with expectations: it’s fun and competent, but the mileage promises in glossy brochures are aspirational rather than operational. If you prioritize driving pleasure tempered with the knowledge that city running will cost you more petrol than the claimed figures suggest, buy it; otherwise, shop with a calculator and a stern expression.