With prices of the Renault Kwid out, we see how it stacks up against the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon in a quick specification and price comparison.
Exteriors – One look at all the cars and it is easy to say that the Renault Kwid is the best looking car out here. This is mainly due to its bigger dimensions, beefy styling and high ground clearance. In fact, it looks more like a mini SUV. The Hyundai Eon gets a lots of character lines flowing around in line with the fluidic design concept but the car looks a bit old now and needs a facelift. The Maruti Suzuki Alto got a design change recently and it looks neutral in terms of design. While no one would call it a looker, it wouldn’t be called bland styling either.
Interiors – While the quality of interiors is the best in the Hyundai Eon, it is the Renault Kwid which has an upper hand in terms of features since it comes with a touchscreen infotainment system with inbuilt navigation. The black interior theme of the French hatchback makes it much easier to maintain than the two-tone interiors of the other two cars. However, there’s a downside to that. Although the newest car here has the highest interior space, it doesn’t feel as roomy as the other two due to the black interiors. It also gets the biggest boot and has plenty of storage spaces in the cabin.
Engine and Fuel Efficiency – Powered by an 800cc engine, the Renault Kwid competes only with the 800cc variants of the other two cars. In terms of power, the Renault and Hyundai cars are closely matched with the BHP figures being almost similar. The Alto 800 lags behind as it is almost 15% down on power. Combine the higher power to the lower weight of the Kwid and it becomes the fastest hatchback out of the trio. Not only the most powerful, it is also the most fuel efficient one here delivering 25.17 km/l which is the highest for a petrol car in India.
Safety and Service – Since these are entry-level hatchbacks, none of them come with any standard safety features. While the Maruti gets a driver airbag option in the mid and top variant, the Hyundai and Renault get it only on the top end variant, again as an option. Coming to the after sales service, Maruti wins this very easily due to its vast network spread all across India. Hyundai also isn’t too far from the Japanese company when it comes to network but Renault lacks in this part greatly. The service network is pretty small but the company is expanding it at a rapid pace and has come up with its unique virtual showrooms.
Pricing and Verdict – Talking of the pricing, the Hyundai Eon commands a premium of roughly Rs. 60,000/- over the Maruti Suzuki Alto which seems like a lot for the bit of additional power and better quality interiors. The Renault Kwid also undercuts the Hyundai Eon by around Rs. 60,000/- and is very close to the largest selling hatchback in the country. But, for that price it gets more power, is considerably bigger and looks better. Yes, it is lighter than the other two cars but structural integrity is said to have not been compromised with. Overall, the Renault Kwid makes a compelling case for itself.
