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

A tallboy with nostalgic value or a scaled-down crossover that's been a sensational success? Which one should you put your money on?

The Hyundai Santro has been launched in India at prices ranging from Rs 3.90 lakh to Rs 5.64 lakh. At this price range, some of its variants inevitably go up against the Renault Kwid, which retails at prices ranging from Rs 2.66 lakh to Rs 4.63 lakh (all prices, 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 comparing specific variants, let’s take a look at the major differences between the two.

Renault Kwid	Hyundai Santro
A scaled down crossover: There’s no denying that the Renault Kwid does mimic the looks of an SUV, albeit in a smaller package. It is one of the more spacious hatchbacks in the entry-level hatchback segment	Tallboy design: This design trait results in significantly superior headroom. 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 at par with cars even from 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 NVH levels on the Kwid's 1.0-litre engine aren't very well managed, 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

Comparable 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 compared the Renault Kwid’s top variants against the Santro’s entry-level variants since these are priced close to each other. Here’s how they compare.

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, MID instrument cluster, foldable rear seats and remote opening for fuel lid and boot.

What Renault Kwid gets over Hyundai Santro: Front fog lamps, wheel covers, piano and leather inserts, chrome side aircon 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 glovebox 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 must-haves 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 are chauffeur driven.

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 for those who drive alone. Since the Santro misses out on one of the most basic features like an air con, we would suggest you to stretch your budget if you’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, the Santro Era makes more sense over the Kwid Climber, despite missing out on features, simply because it gets ABS which the Kwid doesn’t. You might miss out on 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:

• The Renault Kwid does seem like a value for money proposition over the Santro as it’s more feature loaded. But we won’t recommend it since it misses out on ABS with EBD, which is a must-have in our books and the Santro gets it as standard.

Why Buy Hyundai Santro:

• Hyundai’s after-sales support: The South Korean carmaker has a widespread network which will prove useful for buyers staying in remote areas of the country

• Bigger, more refined engine: An obvious benefit of the Santro’s bigger engine will reflect in the driveability and refinement while driving in the city or on the highway. And while you're at it, it would be safer too, thanks to ABS.

• 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 it

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