Watch Renault Kwid vs Maruti Alto 800 Comparison by CarDekho. Know more about Renault Kwid at [ Ссылка ] and Alto 800 at: [ Ссылка ]
You can compare both the cars on the following link: [ Ссылка ]
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Renault’s latest offering has managed to ruffle quite a few feathers in the entry level segment. The Kwid looks like nothing else on offer, has a whole lot of kit for the price and is customizable as well. But, does it have what it takes to lure people away from a no hassle experience that Maruti Alto 800 offers? Let’s find out.
Exterior
The Kwid is a bigger car in every possible aspect, be it in height, width or length. The Duster inspired styling is definitely unique and turns quite a few heads. The large grille, smoked-out headlamps and the flush fitting fogs give the Kwid a muscular face. The Alto 800 on the other hand looks clean and even docile for that matter. It gets petal shaped headlamps, a slender grille and a large bumper. While the Kwid gets some bulging wheel arches, the Maruti keeps it simple again - just a clean character line swooping across the length of the car. The Kwid sits higher, thanks to its 180mm ground clearance compared to the Alto’s 160mm. You also get larger 13-inch wheels with the Renault compared to the 12 inches on the Maruti. While the Alto 800 still has hints and cues of the old Alto, the Kwid follows the ‘SUV-inspired’ styling cue. The Renault is definitely the fresher design amongst the two, and gets our vote for the edgy styling.
Interior
The bigger dimensions of the Kwid result in better space inside the car. The front seats on either car are more or less on par; both in terms of comfort and space. Coming to the rear bench, Kwid is marginally better than Alto 800 both in terms of legroom and headroom. However, squeezing three people in the rear bench of either car is a strict no-no.
The top-end RXT variant gets an all-digital instrument cluster, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports radio, CD, USB, Aux and Bluetooth compatibility, the same system doubles up as Navigation as well. The Alto gets a bare basic unit that supports USB, Aux-in & Radio paired to a couple of speakers.
Both cars get front power windows, air conditioning and central locking in their respective top-trim avatars. The Kwid gets a couple of gloveboxes, a shelf and some more coffee cubby holes while the Maruti doesn’t score too high here, with storage space being limited to lesser cubby holes. The 300-litre boot space in Kwid compared to 177-Litre on the Alto is icing on the cake.
Engine and Performance:
While both cars get a 3 cylinder 800cc powerplant, the power delivery is slightly more aggressive on the Renault compared to the Alto. The Alto feels proper twitchy and nervous out on the highway, more so if you are near triple digit speeds. The Kwid feels slightly more relaxed at such speeds and rides flatter too. The suspension on both cars are tuned for comfort and they absorb the undulations on the road quite well. However, a lot of thuds and jolts will get transferred into the cabin if you are a bit too quick over the bumps. It is slightly less evident in the Kwid, thanks to the extra 20mm of ground clearance.
The steering is slightly heavier on the Kwid too, and it does feel more composed and stable at high speeds. In comparison, the lighter steering on the Alto makes city commutes and not to mention parking, an absolute breeze.
On the safety front, both cars get a driver’s airbag as an option on the top spec versions.
Verdict :
The Kwid seems to have arrived, and It looks all set to dethrone the Alto. It looks like nothing else on the road has more space, a better level of kit, rides better and is more fuel efficient.That gives it enough points to make it the current choice out of the two. The Kwid is still new to the game, whereas the Alto has been around for more than a decade. It remains to be seen how the Kwid fares in terms of cost of ownership, maintenance and service.
