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2022 Renault Kiger Review — Renault Sticks To The Kiger’s Original Success Formula

One
of
the
SUV
sub-segments
that
is
turning
out
to
be
a
hot
favourite
with
the
masses
is
the
sub-compact
crossover
segment.
The
bestseller
in
this
segment
is
currently
the
Renault
Kiger
and
for
good
reason.
It
is
one
of
those
vehicles
that
offer
a
long
list
of
features,
decent
performance,
and
great
value
for
money.

Renault
India
has
debuted
the
2022
Kiger
with
only
a
couple
of
updates.
These
updates
are
only
aesthetic
in
nature
and
the
mechanical
aspect
of
the
Kiger
remains
the
same.
We
drove
the
new
Renault
Kiger
in
the
scenic
locales
of
Kerala
to
see
what
it
is
like.
Read
on
to
know
more.

Design
&
Style

This
is
the
area
in
which
the
Renault
Kiger
has
seen
the
most
changes.
The
biggest
update
comes
in
the
form
of
a
new
exterior
colour
called
Stealth
Black.
The
new
Renault
Kiger
features
a
couple
of
exterior
additions.

Up
front,
it
features
the
same
fascia
as
the
2021
model.
It
features
a
split
headlamp
setup
that
is
quickly
gaining
popularity.
The
LED
DRLs
flank
the
unique
grille
with
chrome
trim.
The
Renault
logo
is
massive
and
also
protrudes
into
the
bonnet
space.
The
bumper
houses
the
LED
headlamps
and
at
the
bottom
is
a
new
skid
plate.

Move
over
to
the
side
and
you
would
find
the
Turbo
decal.
The
16-inch
alloy
wheels
are
sure
to
grab
your
attention.
Some
might
find
that
Renault
has
overdone
the
design
on
the
alloy
wheels
while
some
others
feel
it
is
premium
and
stylish.

The
Renault
Kiger
gets
all-round
body
cladding
while
the
rear-end
is
pretty
simple
and
tidy.
The
Renault
logo
takes
prominence
once
again.
The
unique
C-shaped
LED
tail
lamps
are
still
very
much
present
and
the
Kiger
now
looks
much
better
in
the
Stealth
Black
shade.

Cockpit
&
Interior

The
Renault
Kiger
is
one
of
the
most
stylish
cars
in
the
segment
quite
naturally,
one
would
expect
the
same
styling
to
be
present
inside
the
vehicle
as
well.
However,
this
isn’t
really
what
you
find
when
you
tug
on
the
chunky
door
handles
and
swing
the
door
wide
open.
The
interior
has
all
the
features
you
would
expect
of
a
car
in
this
segment,
however,
it
could
do
with
some
more
style.

Right
in
front
of
the
driver
is
a
three-spoke
steering
wheel
with
mounted
controls
for
the
audio
and
cruise
control.
Behind
the
steering
wheel
is
a
digital
instrument
cluster.
In
the
centre
is
a
7-inch
TFT
screen
that
displays
the
various
gauges
and
quite
a
lot
of
information
is
thrown
up
for
the
driver
to
take
in.
Flanking
the
screen
to
the
left
is
the
temperature
gauge
and
to
the
right
is
the
fuel
gauge.

Taking
centre
stage
on
the
dashboard
is
an
8-inch
touchscreen
infotainment
unit
with
Android
Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay.
It
is
pretty
intuitive
and
easy
to
operate.
Beneath
the
screen
are
the
centre
AC
vents
and
under
them
are
the
controls
for
the
air-conditioning.
The
three
dia;s
that
are
used
to
adjust
the
temperature,
fan
speed,
and
AC
mode
also
have
in-built
LCD
screens.
This
is
a
very
nice
touch
and
is
something
we
liked.

Beneath
the
AC
controls
is
the
start/stop
button
and
a
USB
port
as
well
as
an
AUX-In
port.
You
also
get
a
wireless
smartphone
charger
and
what
makes
it
unique
is
the
fact
that
there
is
a
power
on/off
button
for
the
wireless
charger.
This
simply
means
the
phone
can
just
be
placed
there
even
when
it
doesn’t
require
further
charging.
Very
clever
indeed.

The
styling
on
the
door
pads
is
very
nice
indeed
with
a
unique
door
handle.
You
get
the
Red
Fade
dashboard
accents
and
Red
Stitch
interior.
On
the
whole,
the
Renault
Kiger
is
a
nice
place
to
be
in.
It
certainly
isn’t
the
most
stylish
interior
out
there,
but
it
is
very
practical
and
functional.

Practicality,
Comfort
&
Boot
Space

Renault
has
always
sold
cars
that
are
practical,
comfortable,
and
functional
from
the
inside
and
stylish
on
the
outside
and
the
Kiger
is
no
different.
The
seats
are
very
comfortable
indeed.
The
driver’s
seat
gets
height
adjustment.
These
seats
also
get
a
good
amount
of
bolstering
on
the
sides
to
keep
occupants
in
place
while
a
corner
is
taken
at
speed.

There
is
no
room
for
complaints
when
it
comes
to
the
front
seats.
At
the
rear
though,
the
headroom
and
under-thigh
support
could
have
been
better.
Legroom
and
knee
room
are
great
and
we
can
see
occupants
using
the
Renault
Kiger
on
long
drives
without
getting
much
fatigue.
Passengers
at
the
rear
even
get
adjustable
headrests,
dedicated
AC
vents,
and
a
fold-down
armrest
with
cupholders.

There
are
multiple
cubbyholes
across
the
Renault
Kiger
that
occupants
can
make
use
of.
Be
it
the
two
gloveboxes
up
front,
the
cupholders
in
the
centre
console,
the
storage
space
underneath
the
front
armrest,
or
the
door
pads,
the
Renault
Kiger
offers
great
practicality.
The
Kiger
also
boasts
one
of
the
largest
boots
in
the
segment.
With
a
capacity
of
405-litres,
the
boot
can
swallow
quite
a
bit
of
luggage.

Engine
Performance
&
Driving
Impressions

As
aforementioned,
the
Renault
Kiger
remains
unchanged
mechanically.
It
is
still
powered
by
the
same
engine
options.
The
base
powertrain
option
is
the
ENERGY
1.0-litre
petrol
engine.
It
is
a
999cc,
3-cylinder
unit
with
a
maximum
power
output
of
71bhp
at
6,250rpm
and
a
peak
torque
output
of
96Nm
at
3,500rpm.
It
can
be
paired
with
either
a
5-speed
manual
gearbox
or
a
5-speed
AMT.

The
same
engine
is
available
in
a
more
powerful
state
of
tune.
This
time,
the
999cc
petrol
engine
is
turbocharged
and
puts
out
98.6bhp
at
5,000rpm,
and
152Nm
between
2,200
and
4,400rpm.
This
engine
can
be
paired
with
either
a
5-speed
manual
transmission
or
a
CVT
gearbox.

The
car
we
drove
was
equipped
with
the
turbo-petrol
engine
and
CVT
gearbox.
The
engine
offers
great
performance,
but
we
ended
up
wishing
for
the
manual
gearbox
instead
of
the
CVT.
There
are
no
complaints
with
the
CVT.
It
functions
just
as
a
CVT
should,
and
CVT
gearboxes
are
less
engaging
which
is
what
made
us
wish
for
the
manual.

If
an
engaging
drive
is
not
your
priority
and
only
getting
from
point
A
to
B
is
what
you
need
the
Kiger
for,
the
CVT
does
a
great
job.
However,
we
would
pick
the
manual
variant
which
we
have
driver
earlier.
To
know
more
about
how
the
turbo-petrol
manual
Renault
Kiger
drives,
read
our

detailed
review.

The
Renault
Kiger
features
a
stiffly
sprung
suspension
setup.
As
a
result,
bumpy
roads
will
see
you
slowing
down
quite
a
bit.
The
stiff
suspension
also
means
the
Renault
Kiger
handles
very
well
and
while
body
roll
is
present,
it
is
very
well
under
control.
The
brakes
are
adequate
and
do
their
job
very
well.

On
the
whole,
the
Renault
Kiger
features
a
very
likable
engine.
However,
the
CVT
lets
it
down
quite
a
bit.
Other
than
this,
there
are
no
complaints
and
the
Renault
Kiger
continues
to
be
a
nice
drive.

Safety
&
Key
Features

The
Renault
Kiger
has
always
been
one
of
the
safest
cars
in
its
segment.
Nothing
has
changed
when
it
comes
to
the
safety
aspect.
Even
in
terms
of
the
features,
the
Renault
Kiger
still
holds
its
own.

Renault
Kiger
Safety
Features:

–
4
Airbags
–
ABS
with
EBD
–
Rear
View
Camera
–
Front
Parking
Sensors

Renault
Kiger
Key
Features:

–
29-Litres
Of
Cabin
Storage
Space
–
Cooled
Lower
Glovebox
–
8-Inch
Touchscreen
Infotainment
–
Android
Auto
&
Apple
CarPlay
–
Wireless
Smartphone
Charger
–
Automatic
Climate
Control
–
Cruise
Control
–
Drive
Modes
–
Keyless
Entry
&
Go

Colour
Options

Single-Tone:

–
Caspian
Blue
–
Moonlight
Silver
–
Ice
Cool
White
–
Mahogany
Brown
–
Stealth
Black

Dual-Tone:

–
Radiant
Red
–
Metal
Mustard
–
Caspian
Blue
–
Moonlight
Silver

Verdict

The
Renault
Kiger
has
always
been
a
likable
car
and
a
brilliant
buy.
It
is
great
value
for
money
and
offers
a
lot
of
features.
The
fact
that
it
looks
so
stylish
makes
it
even
better.
Now,
in
the
new
Stealth
Black
shade,
the
Renault
Kiger
looks
stunning
and
this
shade
is
certainly
our
pick
of
the
various
colour
options
available.
If
you
are
considering
the
Renault
Kiger,
pick
the
turbo-petrol
with
the
manual
gearbox.

Source

July 27, 2022
MITSUBISHI EVO VI TME #001 GOES TO AUCTION

Just a few weeks ago, Mitsubishi sold it’s own Evo VI TME from its heritage collection for over £100k, now this week, chassis number #001 of the official 250 UK TME cars goes to auction having covered just 11k miles.

If you were hooked in by the 10km Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 that eventually sold for £359k recently, then this 11k mile Mitsubishi Evo TME #001 will certainly peak your interest as it heads to Silverstone Auctions for its sale at The Classic, Silverstone, this Saturday July 31st.

With a guide price of £115,000-£125,000 plus 12.5% buyers premium, plus VAT, it could top the price paid for the example owned by Mitsubishi, which sold for £100k.

The Mitsubishi Evo VI TME #001 being sent to auction is very special indeed. Not only is it a genuine Evolution VI Tommi Makinen Edition (CP9A / SNGF2) SCP car (i.e.1 of 212), but it is also an official UK-market example. This means it was officially imported by Mitsubishi-affiliated ‘Ralliart UK’, hence it would have been professionally SVA’d and is supplied with UK service books, a calibrated speedometer, an unleaded-spec fuel restrictor, cold-climate battery and an alternator, plus it is individually numbered with a plaque in the cabin – and not just any number in this case, here it reads #001, making this car the very first UK-market TME – always a special designation amongst enthusiasts and collectors, whatever the car.

Remarkably, this very special car has covered a fully verifiable 11,000 miles from new, supported by MOT and service records. It has had just two owners, the last since 2003. The car was previously lightly modified cosmetically under the bonnet, which has now been put back to standard specification, with the only modification remaining being the stainless-steel exhaust (the original item will accompany the car). The underside has been sympathetically detailed, not restored, with ‘factory’ grey underseal still remaining (this was applied to all UK cars by Ralliart).

The car naturally comes with an accompanying large history file, with many receipts, plus its original and complete book-pack (including service schedule). The car has just had a full cam-belt service (and a full MOT) as part of its recommissioning.

Silverstone Auctions are privileged to offer for sale such a rare and special car, considered by many as the ‘ultimate Mitsubishi’ for the road. Indeed, for modern-classic collectors in America, they can now, as of 2023, legally import and enjoy these cars – what an opportunity! ‘Type UK’ TMEs are hugely coveted and rightly so, and this is car #001 of that short production run; rarely do examples this exceptional appear for sale on the open market, not to be missed.

You can check out more information about this Mitsubishi Evo VI TME #001 via Silverstone Auctions’ website.

Source

July 26, 2021
FORD TRANSIT CONNECT RS: COMMERCIAL SUCCESS

The MS-RT Transit Connect is pretty cool in stock form, but pretty cool was not enough for Jo Lawrence. Behold, the world’s first Ford Transit Connect RS.

Feature from Fast Ford. Words: Dan Bevis. Photos: Ade Brannan

Vans. They’re sensible and functional things, aren’t they. People buy them because they need to haul stuff about – they’re rugged, dependable, practical and versatile. What they aren’t, though, is exciting. At least, not usually.

“I didn’t buy this Ford Transit Connect with the intention of doing what I’ve done to it,” says Jo Lawrence, gazing at his extraordinary van with the dazed expression of a man desperate to reconcile how he got from that point to this.

He continues, “After all, it is still my daily-driver. I sleep in it, throw mountain bikes in the back, go to the tip, take my daughter to nursery; it’s still very much used as a van.”

Perhaps we oughtn’t be totally surprised. Modifying cars – and Fords in particular – has been Jo’s modus operandi since he was a kid. The tuning adventures started when he became a mechanic at the age of 15; things got serious when he met like-minded enthusiast Will Robson, and the pair eventually formed WRTuning.

Jo fell in love with the idea of the Mk2 Focus RS when it was released, and he just had to have one; after owning and modifying that for eight years he levelled-up to a Nissan GT-R – only to find that it was actually a bit too PlayStation (“Fast, but no fun”), so he downsized to a Fiesta ST180, before moving back into Focus RSs with a vengeance.

So when someone with this sort of background buys a van, it’s not just going to be any old van. Indeed, Jo went for a 2017 MS-RT Transit Connect – the rakish variant packing a full aggressive bodykit, chunky OZ Racing wheels and a quad-exit stainless exhaust. It was already modded from new, so that’s job jobbed, right?

Ah, no, it doesn’t quite work like that. The MS-RT Connect may be very cool, but for people like Jo, any newly-acquired vehicle is a blank canvas. The mods started small with a gentle ‘I’ll just change this and upgrade that…’ mentality, before getting steadily sillier.

Some simple speaker upgrades came first, along with soundproofing and carpeting the rear, and then the thought occurred to make a custom roof-lining in the style of the starlight setup you find in Rolls-Royces. Having drilled 450 separate holes to feed through fibre-optics, Jo was starting to feeling quite connected to the Connect, and then the thing happened that so often transpires to push a build forward: Jo and his brother-in-law had a few drinks, and reality began to get distorted.

Jo says, “The idea of fitting a bigger engine was just a silly thought at first. But after a few beers on the sofa, my brother-in-law happened across a damaged Mk3 Focus ST on Facebook that was complete but couldn’t go back on the road. It looked like the perfect donor, and suddenly that silly thought became a reality; a few messages later, the deal was done.

“The initial plan was a long-term project, but that quickly changed as Ford Live at Knockhill was only a week away, so it had to happen ASAP.”

The game was afoot. Jo and Will dragged in the Focus, tore it to bits, then pushed out the empty shell and brought in the Transit. Now, it takes a certain strength of character to pull a perfectly good and functional vehicle to bits just for the sake of it, but Jo was focused on a higher purpose: big power, right now – and so within a few hours the Focus engine was in, and then the fun could really start.

The gearbox, shafts, radiator and intercooler all bolted in largely without hassle, so then it was a case of modding the Focus fuel pump to fit the Transit tank and various other detail jobs.

He says, “After what felt like days, but was actually only hours, we fired it up. Basically nothing worked – the airbag light, ESP light, EML… The dash was like a Christmas tree!. But after some fiddling with Forscan and UCDS software, we managed to code the ABS module, get some lights gone, and then moved on to basically a full rewire of all electrics: wipers, speakers, windows, lights – you name it, we did it.”

The van made the Knockhill deadline (as if there was ever any doubt); it even enjoyed a few laps of the track, and everything was looking rosy. But fast-forward six months and disaster struck: a misfire developed.

Jo says, “It turned out that the block was scrap. And I thought instead of sourcing another 2.0 EcoBoost, it was time for the 2.3 from the Focus RS, so it was back into the workshop for me and Will.”

Engine duly sourced, the game of swapsies commenced, with Jo opting to fit a Quaife LSD to the six-speed ’box. Having enjoyed such immediate success with the ST transplant, a few unexpected hurdles presented themselves owing to the fundamental differences between the ST and RS engines.

Jo says, “The mechanical side of things was simple, but the van required a full engine loom, including engine bay loom, full rad pack, lambda sensors, modifications to the downpipe, another Airtec intercooler… And then I ran into ECU issues. The van would start, but ran horribly. After a few days of head-scratching and many phone calls, help came in the form of Peter Tranda, ECU god at TRS Performance.”

With Peter working his magic, the Transit believed itself to be a Mk3 Focus RS. Jo ran it in for a few days to ensure all was well, then applied Revo Stage 2 software. And, just like that, he had a daily-driver Transit with somewhere north of 400bhp.

Jo smiles, “Since the van thought it was an RS, I decided to go all-in and turn it into the world’s first Transit Connect RS. With the Mk3 RS leather Recaros, steering wheel, cluster and boost pod, it’s now complete.”

It’s simple when he puts it like that. Like any van should be, the Ford Transit Connect RS is still practical and versatile. It’s just that now, with that RS DNA, those nursery runs and trips to the shops happen a lot more rapidly.

Tech Spec: Ford Transit Connect RS

Engine:

2261cc EcoBoost (Mk3 Focus RS), Revo Stage 2 software, Revo RS carbon intake, Revo sound suppressor, Milltek downpipe, custom cat-back exhaust system by Calum Hayes Fabrication (retaining MS-RT quad tails), Airtec RS intercooler

Power:

400bhp-plus (owner’s estimate)

Transmission:

Focus ST250 gearbox, Quaife LSD, RS clutch

Suspension:

Front: KW V3 coilovers; rear: custom coilovers; poly wishbone bushes

Brakes:

Mk3 Focus RS Brembo brakes

Wheels & Tyres:

8.5 x 19in Revo RV019 wheels, 245/40×19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres

Exterior:

Original MS-RT bodykit

Interior:

Mk3 Focus RS heated Recaro seats, Mk3 Focus RS steering wheel, Mk3 Focus RS Mountune gearknob, Focus centre console modified to fit, Focus gauge pod moulded into dash, fully carpeted and soundproofed rear, custom Rolls-Royce-style starlight roof, bulkhead removed, rear seat conversion

Source

July 23, 2021