Renault Kwid Vs Tata Tiago

This comparison might look like a mismatch but it’s far from being one. As soon as Tata announced the killer pricing of the Tiago it ended up not only rivalling the Maruti Celerio but it also shook up the entry-level hatchback segment. You might argue that the Tiago in the XZ trim is much more expensive than the Kwid in the top RxT option variant. But here we are comparing the mid XM Revotron-spec Tiago which is just around Rs 23,000 more than the Kwid and is similarly equipped. For that money you get 400cc extra, a premium cabin and great on road manners. While the Tiago is Tata’s ticket of resurgence, the Kwid has already done that to the French manufacturer. It has a spacious cabin, great fuel efficiency, modern features and its mini SUV design has won many Indian hearts.
So which is the best first car for you? Tata’s talented new kid, the Tiago or the already established hunk the Renault Kwid?
Read our extensive Road test comparison to find out.

The design language for both these cars is as different as chalk and cheese. Where the Kwid with its crossover theme is all about muscle, the Tiago is more about finesse and balance.

At the rear the taut wrap-around tail lamps and the crease running across the boot-lid lends it a lot of character. The profile is dominated by the mildly flared wheel arches and the prominent crease running across the shoulder which gives it a sporty stance.

In contrast the Kwid looks much more menacing, thanks to the rugged looking bits like the matte grey cladding around the car, faux skid plates and optional chunky roof rails up top. The high 180mm ground clearance further establishes its mini crossover credentials. The large upright honeycomb grille, high bonnet and chunky headlamps gives it great presence and the recesses for the fog lamps look stylish too.

In profile, the flared wheel arches with plastic cladding gives it a mini Duster look. At the rear Renault hasn’t gone overboard and the snug tail lamps and chiselled boot lid looks modern. The only grouse we have is that the weedy 13-inch wheels look a bit too small.

This is the segment where the Tiago has a clear advantage over the Kwid. For starters the cabin design is modern and the dashboard looks mature. The hexagonal theme from the exterior continues inside with the centre console, speaker grille and the steering boss design. Quality, especially on the upper portions of the dashboard and the door pads, is nice with the fish skin-like graining. Lower down, the plastics do look a bit hard and panel gaps aren’t as consistent, but it’s still quite decent for the class. Overall Tata has done a good job in terms of overall quality and consistency is better than even the Bolt.

The Kwid’s cabin looks modern too, thanks to the minimalistic yet smartly styled dashboard, with the seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system dominating the proceedings. This touchscreen system is not only unique at this price point, but it also gets features like a navigation system that is unheard even in cars twice its price.

We also liked the large, easy-to-use knobs for the AC controls and also the convenient placement of the Aux/USB ports on the music system. The digital instruments add further to the contemporary look of the cabin, but we only wish it was brighter and easier to read on the move. But in terms the quality the Kwid’s cabin looks budget with hard plastics all-round and panel gaps are inconsistent.

This is where the Tiago has a distinct advantage over the Kwid. The Tiago’s cabin is more practical too and it gets a massive 22 storage cavities. On the downside all of them except the glovebox are shallow and narrow.

The Tiago scores well when it comes to seat comfort. The front buckets are well contoured and you sit at a good height. Even at the rear you have enough space thanks to the scooped out front seats and thin door pads. But you do sit a bit low which affects under thigh and even headroom is not in abundance. The backrest too, is a bit too reclined and the seatback offers too much lower back support which can be a bit irritating.

The Kwid surprisingly has more knee and headroom than the Tiago. Visibility out of the front windscreen is really good and the high bonnet gives it an SUV’ish feeling . The front seats are surprisingly good despite limited bolstering. Even the backseat is very usable with good space and the long squab and well-angled backrest make it a nice place to be in. On the downside the Kwid’s cabin is a touch too narrow and sitting three at the back is an uncomfortable experience.

The Kwid has the bigger boot of the two at 300-litres. In comparison the Tiago gets a much smaller 242-litre trunk and the loading bay is not as well shaped either.

As far as equipment is concerned it is quite a mixed bag. We have compared the Kwid in the top RxT option variant and the Tiago in the mid XM. The Kwid comes quite well loaded and apart from the standard features it gets front fog lamps and gets a dash mounted large touchscreen unit which houses a music system and navigation system.

Although the Tiago lacks these features it does come with height adjustable steering wheel, power windows for both front and rear passengers and a trip computer all of which the Kwid doesn’t come with.

In terms of safety none of these cars score that well. The Kwid in this trim gets a solitary driver's airbag which the Tiago doesn’t get. You can pay around Rs 18,000 more and get twin airbags on the Tiago, but that makes it Rs 40,000 more expensive than the Kwid.
The Kwid, thanks to its smaller motor, is the more efficient of the two. It returned a healthy 14 kmpl in the city and 18 kmpl on the highway. In comparison, the Tiago despite its much more powerful motor, returned a decent 13.1 kmpl in the city and 17.5 kmpl on the highway when driven in Eco mode.

The Kwid’s 799cc engine, on paper, should be a strong contender, its light 669kg kerb weight. But when you drive it, you come away unimpressed. The power output of the motor is a meagre 52bhp. It responds well and the Kwid keeps up with traffic easily, but ask any more of it and you will be disappointed.

Once past 2,500rpm, power delivery is quite weak and you need to down-shift quite rapidly to keep progress respectable. As a result, flat-out acceleration to 100kph takes a leisurely 17.93 seconds. The gearbox too is notchy and you have to give an extra push to slot in the gear.

Even in terms of in-gear times the Kwid struggles with times of 17.08 seconds in the 20-80kmph third gear dash. On a positive note, the Kwid feels quite relaxed while cruising around 100kmph. But it’s when travelling with a full load that the Kwid’s motor feels strained and this makes overtaking a tricky affair too.

The Tiago’s larger 1199cc motor, on the other hand, understandably feels much more responsive at any given speed. The all-aluminium motor feels peppy and quite flexible from the word go and, despite also being a three-cylinder motor, vibrations are kept in check.

Since its engine is larger than the Kwid’s, the Tiago has better pulling power too. It pulls quite well from low speeds and spins quite freely to its redline. As a result the Tiago is much faster in every acceleration test we conducted. The 0-100kmph sprint takes 16.32 seconds and the Tiago reached 140kmph ten seconds before the Kwid. On the downside, there is a fair bit of engine noise when the motor is worked hard.

Thanks to the great visibility, compact size, small turning circle and light controls the Kwid is the easier car to drive of the two. But if you enjoy driving, the Tiago is the one to go for. The steering is more direct and weighty, the car has more grip and it feels more secure at speed as well. The ride is mostly brilliant too. You do get the occasional thud from the suspension over sharp edged bumps, but it is generally pliant at low speeds and a lot more composed at higher speeds, and it has that all important big-car feel. Sound insulation is top draw too and the Tiago feels quiet and relaxed at any given speed.

The Kwid’s low-speed ride is softer and more absorbent than the Tiago. However, go faster and the car gets skittish and doesn’t handle bad bits with the authoritativeness of the Tiago. It gets thrown off by bigger bumps as well, and this forces you to exercise caution. The Kwid doesn’t feel as secure as the Tiago as this light 669kg hatch gets affected by strong crosswinds quite easily. Even when it comes to handling, the Kwid simply doesn’t make the cut. The steering is too light and vague, it runs out of grip faster and the brakes aren’t as good as the Tata’s. When you push hard into corners there is considerable body roll (Kwid doesn’t get antiroll bars) and you have to stick to moderate speeds to appreciate the Kwid.

Renault Kwid
The Renault Kwid when launched late last year was a game changer and is a surprisingly good car. Despite its compact size, it’s got a spacious cabin and modern features like the touchscreen interface with navigation really sets it apart. The mini SUV stance, great fuel efficiency and the low asking price makes it a mouth watering prospect too. But in this test the Kwid had to fend off a rival from the upper class thanks to the Tiago’s killer pricing. When compared to the Tiago the Kwid’s interior doesn’t feel up to the mark, the engine could have done with more zest and ride and handling is not the best too.

Tata Tiago
In this entry-level hatch face-off, the Tiago comfortably emerges the winner. It offers the best combination of acceptable performance, great driving dynamics, a big car feel and comfort. But the biggest praise you can give the Tiago is despite its low asking price it doesn’t feel like a compromise. It feels solidly put together, cabin quality is impressive, rides and handles well, and the engine is quite peppy too. Despite being Rs 23,000 more expensive than the Kwid in this mid XM trim the Tiago feels well worth the extra money and in our eyes is the one to go for.

Photos:Kapil Angane