Made-in-Chennai Renault Kiger jumps from two to four stars in Global NCAP crash test
The updated Renault Kiger, built in Chennai with six airbags and ESC as standard, has scored four stars for adults and three for children in Global NCAP's latest Safer Cars for Africa test.
The Renault Kiger has finally shaken off its awkward safety report card. Global NCAP says the updated, Indian-built Kiger it tested for South Africa has scored four stars for adult occupant protection and three stars for child occupant protection – up from two stars and one star for the older two-airbag car it tested under the same Safer Cars for Africa campaign.
The test car came off Renault's line in Chennai, the same plant that builds the Kiger sold in Indian showrooms. Renault upgraded the car after the poor first result and sent the new version back for voluntary testing.
What changed
The difference is mostly kit. The older car had two airbags, no electronic stability control (ESC) and no ISOFIX child-seat mounts. The updated Kiger gets six airbags, ESC and ISOFIX as standard, and Global NCAP says it also meets the UN127 pedestrian-protection rule and its own ESC and seatbelt-reminder requirements.
In numbers, Autocar India reports 25.20 out of 34 points for adults and 30.21 out of 49 for children. The 18-month-old dummy got full protection in both the frontal and side tests, and in the side pole test the adult dummy's head and pelvis were well protected.
Where it still falls short
Four stars is not a clean bill of health. Global NCAP rated the footwell area and the bodyshell unstable in the frontal crash – meaning the structure could not take further loads. One door opened during the side impact test, which cost points, and chest protection in the side pole test was only marginal. For the three-year-old dummy, the head touched the interior in the frontal test, and head exposure wiped out all of its side impact points.
Global NCAP chief Richard Woods welcomed the improvements and said six airbags must become a standard requirement. Fair enough – but airbags cannot fix a body that folds where it shouldn't.
What it means for Indian buyers
This was a test of a South Africa-bound car, not a Bharat NCAP test of the India-spec model, so treat it as a strong hint rather than a final verdict for Indian roads. Still, the Indian Kiger shares the Chennai production line, and Renault's own India website lists side and curtain airbags, electronic stability program, traction control, hill start assist and tyre pressure monitoring on the car, with 21 standard safety features.
The Kiger starts at ₹5.81 lakh (ex-showroom; prices vary by state) for the Authentic version and goes up to ₹8.50 lakh for the Emotion, according to Renault India. That keeps it among the cheapest compact SUVs on sale, up against the Nissan Magnite (its mechanical twin), the Tata Punch, Hyundai Exter and Maruti Suzuki Fronx.
The FHM take
Credit where it's due: Renault heard the criticism and fixed what it could, and six airbags as standard at this price is a genuine win for first-time SUV buyers. But an unstable bodyshell and a door that pops open are not small footnotes. If you are shortlisting the Kiger, like it for the value – and keep an eye out for a Bharat NCAP test of the India-spec car before you call it the safe choice.
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