Clash Of Segments: Renault Kwid vs Hyundai Santro- Which Car To Buy?

Agencies Updated at: 27 Oct 2018 01:30 PM (IST)

One is a tallboy of the compact hatchback segment; the other is a scaled-down crossover in the entry-level space. So, which is THE one for you?

Hyundai Santro has been launched in India with prices ranging from Rs 3.90 lakh to Rs 5.64 lakh. Some of its variants are in firing distance of the Renault Kwid which retails within Rs 2.66 lakh to Rs 4.63 lakh (all ex-showroom Delhi). But if you are looking to get the best bang for your buck under Rs 5 lakh, which one of these should you go for?

Before we get down to the business, let’s look at the major differences between the two.

Renault Kwid	Hyundai Santro
A scaled down crossover: The Renault Kwid looks like an SUV in a smaller package. It is one of the more spacious hatchbacks in the entry-level hatchback segment	Tallboy design: This attribute helps in offering significantly superior headroom to the occupants. The Santro belongs to the compact hatchback segment as it’s bigger and has an engine over 1.0-litre in capacity
Comparatively modest quality levels: The Renault Kwid’s interiors have been crafted keeping entry-level hatchback segment in mind	Interior quality is top-notch: Quality has been Hyundai’s forte and the Santro takes the baton forward. Its interior quality is good enough to rival even cars placed a segment above
Rivals: The Renault Kwid is a natural rival to the Datsun redi-GO and Maruti Suzuki Alto	Rivals: The Hyundai Santro sits a segment above the Kwid and rivals the likes of Maruti WagonR, Celerio, Tata Tiago and Datsun GO
3-cylinder engine: The Kwid’s 1.0-litre engine’ NVH levels appear to be on the higher side owing to the 3-cylinder setup	4-cylinder engine: Given the bigger 1.1-litre engine with an extra cylinder, the Santro’s engine might turn out to be a more refined unit as far as NVH is concerned

Comparative Variants

Renault Kwid	Hyundai Santro
RXT driver airbag Rs 4.05 lakh	Dlite Rs 3.90 lakh
Climber MT Rs 4.33 lakh	Era Rs 4.25 lakh

There is a proper mismatch in terms of features as we have cherry picked the Renault Kwid’s top variants against the Santro’s entry level variants based on the fact that these are priced close to each other. Here’s what there is on offer.

Features

Renault Kwid RXT (O) vs Hyundai Santro D-lite

Car	Price
Renault Kwid	Rs 4.05 lakh
Hyundai Santro	Rs 3.90 lakh
Difference	Rs 15,000 (Kwid expensive)

Common features: Driver airbag, immobilizer, child safety door locks, halogen headlamps, electric steering wheel, a MID instrument cluster, rear seat bench folding function and remote opening for fuel lid & boot.

What Renault Kwid gets over Hyundai Santro: Front fog lamps, wheel covers, piano and leather inserts, chrome side air vents, manual AC with heater, touchscreen infotainment system with reversing camera, Bluetooth, USB & AUX support and two 12V sockets. Other features include front speakers and power windows, double glove box and rear parcel tray.

What Hyundai Santro gets over Renault Kwid: ABS with EBD.

Takeaway: Dual front airbags and ABS with EBD are two features that are a must-have for us to recommend any car. In the absence of a passenger airbag, we’d recommend buyers to buy a car only if they usually drive alone or will use the backseat while a driver drives it.

Since the Kwid doesn’t get ABS, no matter how many extra features it gets over the Santro, it’s the Santro that we’d recommend to buyers who’re driving alone, when it’s a question of picking one between the Santro’s base and Kwid’s RXT(O) variant. Since the Santro misses on one of the most basic features like an air con, we would further recommend buyers to increase their budget if they’re considering the Santro over the Kwid.

(Pictured: Hyundai Santro Asta)

Renault Kwid Climber vs Hyundai Santro Era

Car	Price
Renault Kwid	Rs 4.33 lakh
Hyundai Santro	Rs 4.25 lakh
Difference	Rs 8,000 (Kwid expensive)

Additional Common Features: Body coloured bumpers, manual AC, front power windows and 12V socket

What Renault Kwid gets over Hyundai Santro: Roof rails, faux skid plates upfront and rear, rear armrest, rear power windows, second 12V socket

What Hyundai Santro gets over Renault Kwid: Rear air con vents and ticket holder

Takeaway: If you are going to be chauffeur-driven or will be driving yourself then Santro makes more sense despite the features deficit for the same reason that the Santro gets ABS but the Kwid doesn’t. You might miss some of the basic features like an audio system and rear power windows but these can be fitted later while ABS can’t be.

(Pictured: Renault Kwid Climber)

Why Buy Renault Kwid:

We would have recommended the Renault Kwid over the Santro as it’s more value for money and feature loaded. But we won’t since it misses on ABS with EBD, which is a must-have in our opinion and Santro gets it as standard

Why Buy Hyundai Santro:

Hyundai after-sales support: The South Korean carmaker has a wide-spanning network which will prove useful for buyers staying in remote areas of the country
Bigger, more refined engine: An obvious benefit of Santro’s bigger engine will reflect in the driveability and refinement while driving in the city or on the highway. Since we are at it, the availability of an ABS unit is a boon when it comes to safety
Mature driving manners: The new Santro is based on the Grand i10’s platform and Hyundai has managed to tune its suspension setup quite well. Out on the highway when you’re doing speeds in excess of 80kmph, the Santro drives with the composure and stability that you’d expect from cars like the Swift and Grand i10
Interior quality: The Santro’s interior quality is by far the best that you’d find in any car in its segment or even above