Page 3 - SUV Cars

I have owned a Renault Kiger RXT CVT (automatic) for the past 3.5 years and have covered over 70,000 kms. I am a heavy user, covering at least 70 kms a day for office commute, 5-6 days a week with 10 kms of this commute being particularly bad rural roads. First, the good parts. The Kiger is built solid and performed admirably on rural roads. I rarely had any ground clearance issues. I also appreciated the hill assist feature in particular, as about 7 kms of my daily commute also involves rather steep uphill roads. The vehicle has good styling with excellent paint finishing which makes it standout from other budget SUVs. Mileage is excellent, and I am routinely able to get between 14-15 kms during routine commutes and about 17 kms plus on the highway. Performance is satisfactory if you accelerate the car gently without slamming the pedal (more on this later). The vehicle can easily hold a speed of 70-80 kms all day long and only complains if you accelerate past 110 kms on highways. For the first 2.5 years (60,000 kms), the vehicle gave no major problems and performed fairly well during both daily commutes and long rides (400 plus kms) on highways in extreme heat, heavy rains and severe fog/cold. Things have unfortunately gone downhill since then. The main problem that I have repeatedly faced with escalating maintenance costs and vehicle idling time for weeks in the garage is engine heating. I suspect this is because the Kiger wrings a lot of power out of a relatively small engine so maybe it runs 'hot.' You only need to have the car full (4 occupants) and luggage with AC on and going uphill on the ghat and the "engine fault" message flashes on your screen with the loud warning alarm. Initially, I assumed it was a minor sensor problem but the problem has continued to trouble even on normal flat roads. Coolant container has been changed, radiator has been cleaned and may now have to be changed. The engine itself may now need to be opened. To be honest and fair to Renault, I did not give my vehicle to the Renault Service Center but to a trusted mechanic in Pune with a well-established shop (where all my work colleagues and friends also give their cars). Speaking of servicing, Renault service centers in Pune are particularly bad with high servicing costs (upto Rs 15,000 for a regular service plus additional repair costs) and basic servicing shortfalls (repeated delays, interiors of the car not being cleaned etc). Part of the reason for this high cost is also the expensive engine oil required for the automatic version (around Rs 4000). Can a middle-class professional like myself not expect a vehicle for which I have paid close to 12 lakhs to atleast be designed in a manner that it can be easily serviced (with spare parts available) by a good mechanic. It is only when the vehicle is handed over to a service center other than Renault that the real crunch in spare parts becomes painfully clear. The vehicle has been in the garage for weeks and every time I get it back, the engine fault problem comes right back. Attempting to drive the vehicle despite the alarm is not an option as it risks overheating and seizing the engine. Luckily, I have a second car. But for this, my work commute would have been completely disrupted. Other issues include the interiors which are built to a price point and are not able to keep out the noise of the engine and the tyres. As said earlier, performance is satisfactory but slamming the accelerator pedal immediately reveals the engine's limitations with loud knocking sound and momentary loss of power, especially on slopes. The engine heating problem seems to be a common issue with many users reporting similar problems on social media forums. Overall, the Kiger unfortunately fails the one test that Indian buyers probably value the most which is reliability. Despite having a solid body, excellent mileage, great styling and satisfactory performance, the Kiger has simply not had the endurance and reliability which would make me want to count on it blindly and sell my other car. I still like the vehicle. I only wish it had lived up to its own high expectations that it set in the first 2 years.

Great driver's car. Excellent on the highways. Loved the way the suspension is tuned. Transmission tuning at low speeds could be better. Overall, a very good and capable car. It's a kind of vehicle that we might miss in the future, considering the EV influx. If you're someone who loves long drives on highways, this vehicle is for you.

The Range Rover Velar is generally praised for its stylish design, luxurious interior, and capable performance, both on and off the road, though it may not be the most rugged off-roader in the Land Rover lineup.

I bought this car 2.5 years ago, and I have driven only 16000 km. Within this span, I faced clutch failure twice. I was stranded with my family twice on the way. They brag about the so-called German standards and quality, but the clutch issue within a short span doesn’t agree with that. No proper response from the customer care or the dealers. Never go for this vehicle. Worst ever experience with Volkswagen.