The Renault Kiger impresses with a 4-star GNCAP safety rating
The subcompact SUV segment in South Africa has seen many additions in recent years but few have had the same impact as the increasingly-popular Renault Kiger. This sub-4-metre compact SUV is European-made and assembled in India. Today, it is the best-selling car in its B-SUV segment thanks to modern styling, advanced driver technologies, an affordable price tag and now, a four-star Global NCAP safety rating.
What Is Global NCAP?
To answer this question, we take you back to 1978 when America became the first country to conceive a programme providing car crashworthiness information to consumers. As such, the US-NCAP model formed the basis for similar programmes including the Global New Car Assessment Programme or Global NCAP for short.
It is a major project of the Towards Zero Foundation which is a charity registered in the UK. It serves as a platform where new car assessment programmes from around the world can collaborate and promote the universal adoption of the United Nation’s most important motor vehicle safety standards. The crash test involves the following:
- A 17-point Adult Occupant Protection score: This takes into account driver injury readings from four body regions, i.e. head and neck; chest; knee, femur and pelvis, leg and foot. Cars with a seatbelt reminder, four-channel ABS and some form of side-impact protection receive additional points.
- The 49- point Child Occupant Protection score takes readings from 18- month-old and 3-year-old-sized dummies placed in manufacturer-recommended child seats. Vehicles with child restraint system markings, three-point seat belts, Isofix, etc also receive additional points.
The growing concerns over safer vehicles among consumers has encouraged carmakers to take note and manufacture safer vehicles. This is evident in the latest Global NCAP crash test ratings for the popular sub-compact SUV, the Renault Kiger.
How Did The Renault Kiger Perform In The Global NCAP Crash Test?
The Renault Kiger has been awarded a four-star safety rating by Global NCAP. It is now only the second Renault vehicle – after the Renault Triber – to receive a four-star safety rating in the Global NCAP crash test. According to the Global NCAP test, here is a breakdown of the Renault Kiger results:
- Scored 12.34 out of 17 points in adult occupant protection
- Scored 21.05 points out of a maximum 49 in the child occupant protection category
- Good protection to the driver’s and front passenger’s head and neck
- Front passengers’ chest received adequate protection
- The footwell area was rated “stable”
Currently, Global NCAP does not perform side-impact tests but since the Renault Kiger lacks side and curtain airbags, it might limit the protection offered in the event of a side-impact crash. Despite this, the Renault Kiger still received a four-star rating which is a clear indication of how far the automaker has come in making safer vehicles.
“There has been significant progress on vehicle safety design since we began our tests in 2014 but, as we see from our latest results, there is still more to be done to achieve the high safety standards that consumers in India rightly demand,” said Global NCAP Secretary General Alejandro Furas.
What Safety Features Are On The Renault Kiger?
The Renault Kiger is the French carmaker’s latest Indian-made budget crossover which is based on the Renault Nissan Alliance’s CMF-A+ platform giving it more interior space than the competition. In terms of safety, let’s look at the top-spec Renault Kiger as this model comes standard with all the safety features. The Renault Kiger 1.0-litre turbocharged derivative includes:
- ABS (Anti-lock brakes)
- EBD (Electronic brakeforce distribution)
- Reverse-view camera and Parking Sensors
- Front Airbag – Driver & Passenger
- Side Airbags in Certain Models
- Load Limiter & Pretensioner (Driver Only)
It’s important to note that the base model Renault Kiger only features two airbags while the mid-range and top-spec derivatives get side airbags as well. The suspension and high-profile 16-inch tyres deal with most road imperfections pretty comfortably while the good ground clearance of 205 mm makes the Renault Kiger quite stable on gravel roads.
How Much Is The Renault Kiger In South Africa?
The range of Renault Kiger vehicles starts from R204,900 for the non-turbo 1.0 Life. The mid-range Zen is from R219,900 while the Zen Turbo and Intense Turbo go up to R259,900 and R299,900 respectively. To find out how incredible the Renault Kiger is, book a test drive at your nearest Group1 Renault showroom. Our experienced sales team will also provide you with all the information you need.
