The Maruti Suzuki Ignis has got a bigger engine under the hood, but that doesn’t scare the Renault KWID Climber a bit In India, the entry-level hatchback segment is overcrowded with too many offerings from numerous manufacturers. If you are looking to purchase your first car and you have a budget of around INR 5 lakh, picking a car may turn into a puzzling affair for you. To help you deal with the dilemma, we’ve drawn this comparison between the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and the Renault Climber KWID. Now, you must think why we’ve stacked these two cars against each other. The reason is that these two rides are the two best seller hatchback cars in India at the juncture with modest price-tags. To keep the comparison balanced, we’ve chosen the Maruti Ignis Delta variant which is priced at INR 5.74 lakh and the KWID’s top of the trim Climber variant which bears a price-tag of INR 5.31 lakh. Powertrains- The Ignis Delta is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces a peak power of 81.80hp and 113Nm of torque mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. For a small hatchback, the power figures are decent and better than the KWID. The Renault KWID comes with a smaller 999cc petrol engine and therefore, it only makes 67hp and 91Nm but it is mated to an automatic gearbox. The question is, do you genuinely want your first car to be powerful or do you want it to cruise in a hassle-free manner through the traffic? Features- Visually, the interior of the KWID is wacky and feels more premium with a sporty steering wheel with perforated leather, dual-tone colour job on the dashboard and orange highlights around the AMT dial and surround system. Sadly, the Ignis offers an interior that bears a serious tone to it. The KWID has a boot space of 280 litres whereas the Ignis has 260 litres. Safety- Both the cars are identically balanced with EBD, ABS, engine mobilizer, central locking system, child lock and airbags for the passenger and driver. However, the KWID misses out on the ISOFIX child seat mounts and speed sensing door locks. Our verdict- Overall, the KWID is a premium model over the Ignis with better mileage, smooth ride and build quality. The Ignis is a peppier model, but it has average NVH levels, a crammed cabin and poor build quality. In a single line, the Ignis is meant for those who prefer a bigger engine with little more safety features.
