Renault Kwid is gearing up to storm the Indian small car market this festive season with its novel design approach. The big small car will lock horns with venerable Maruti Alto 800 which has been ruling the market for decades and Hyundai Eon. Here is an on-paper spec comparison of the trio.
Dimensions
All the three cars are conceived to be cheerful urban commuters and hence settle of very compact dimensions. However, Kwid’s SUV-like styling has naturally made it the biggest car in the segment by a considerable margin. The car has a length, width, height and wheelbase of 3,679 mm, 1,579 mm, 1,478 mm and 2,422 mm respectively. Maruti Alto 800 measures 3,395 mm in length, 1,490 mm in width, 1,475 in height and has a wheelbase of 2,360 mm. Hyundai Eon is 3,495 mm long, 1,550 mm wide, 1,500 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,380 mm.
Engines and Gearboxes
All the three cars are powered by 0.8 litre three-cylinder no-frills petrol engines which are developed with strict running and maintenance costs targets, so differences aren’t very noticeable in the figures. Eon’s motor tops the power chart at 56 PS, closely followed by Kwid which manages to put out 54 PS. Alto 800, the country’s best selling car, makes do with 48 PS. Both Eon and Alto can also be had with 1.0-litre petrol engines. 5-speed manual transmission is standard across the range.
In terms of torque output, again Eon takes the lead with 74.5 Nm but only by a very small margin. Kwid offers 72 Nm while Alto 800 is good for 69 Nm.
Mileage
Small engines combined with light kerb weight is the formula for high fuel efficiency and the creators of all the three cars know this very well. Renault has pushed the light weighting game further to arrive at a class leading economy of 25.17 kmpl. The top selling Alto returns 22.74 kmpl while Eon finds itself to be the least efficient car at 21.1 kmpl.
Tech spec comparo
Renault Kwid vs Maruti Alto 800 vs Hyundai Eon Spec comparoFeatures
Here are the model wise features highlights of the budget hatchbacks (top-end variants).
Renault Kwid: 7-inch touchscreen multimedia infotainment system with MediNav, Bluetooth, two front speakers, USB and Aux-in, optional driver airbag, fully digital instrument console, front power windows, central locking, AC, power steering, immobilizer and foglights.
Maruti Alto 800: Optional driver airbag, central locking, audio system with USB and Aux-in, front power windows, power steering, AC, immobilizer.
Hyundai Eon: Driver airbag, keyless entry, central locking, engine immobilizer, foglights, front power windows, 2-DIN audio system, AC, power steering.
Also read – Renault Kwid Review
Prices
Maruti Alto 800 is priced between INR 2.56 – 3.72 lakhs making the most affordable car of this lot. Hyundai Eon retails for INR 3.10 – INR 4.27 lakhs (all prices are ex-showroom, Delhi). Renault Kwid price is in the range of INR 2.56 – 3.53 lakh, putting it even below the Maruti Alto 800.
That is some serious challenge to India’s best selling car as the Kwid not only offers more space, better looks, more safety and features, but is also less expensive. Clearly, the Kwid comes out as the winner of this comparo.
