Five years in the making: Renault's Kwid made quite an impact since arriving in 2015

When you google the cheapest and most fuel-economical car money can buy, you can expect the following car to pop up: the Renault Kwid.

First launched in 2015, the Indian-built Kwid has risen through the ranks as the popular choice for many consumers looking for an entry-level offering that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. In fact, payment options start from as low as R1999 a month.

The Kwid has not been around for all that long but has quickly become the French brand's bread and butter model in South Africa. It recently underwent a facelift while still retaining its very competitive starting price of R150 900.

In February of this year alone, it sold a whopping 892 units. Its closest competitors, the Datsun GO, Suzuki Swift, and Hyundai Grand i10 sold 242, 761, and 674 units, respectively.

Read the original article here.

2019 Renault Kwid. Image: Renault

A strong seller

Many people have praised it as the perfect city car mainly because of its frugal 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that offers an impressive 4.4l-litres/100km fuel usage. Earlier versions provided very little in terms of safety and convenience features, but Renault has remedied it by offering more in terms of these concerns. 

Available in Expression, Dynamique, and range-topping Climber trim, you get a reverse camera, a 20.32cm touchscreen display integrated with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with dual airbags and ABS+ EBD.

It also has very odd, yet unique features like the three-hole, 14-inch wheels, and even the floor console mounted automatic transmission dial. The element of 'less equals more' is applied to give the interior a spacious feel.

As far as performance goes, it is not the fastest thing on four wheels and packs 50kW and 91Nm, mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. It's aimed at the university student and first-time car buyer demographic that need to get from point A to B while still being able to enjoy the connectivity features that come with it.

Robin Classen is the editor of Car Choice.

Disclaimer: Wheels24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of contributors/columnists published on Wheels24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24 or Wheels24.