Spec Comparison: Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 AGS Vs Renault Kwid AMT

The Renault Kwid is just about everywhere in the news. It has been clocking excellent sales numbers for the French carmaker, Renault, and has become a role model for many carmakers present in India. Even though the little hatchback from Renault was launched just over a year ago, in September 2015, it is currently one of the best-selling cars in India, consistently cracking the top 10 list since the past few months. Having said that, the Kwid is still nowhere near to what the Maruti Suzuki Alto does, and has been doing, to the sales charts over the past decade. Month-on-month it has clinched the top spot for being the best-selling car in India.

To take on the mighty Maruti Suzuki Alto, the Kwid was launched with a 0.8-litre engine and earlier this year, the French auto major introduced a more powerful, 1.0-litre variant of the Kwid. Now, though, we have the Kwid AMT (Automated Manual Transmission), on sale, which locks horns with the AGS (Auto Gear Shift) version of the Alto K10. Let’s put them on paper and objectively work our way through to find the better of the two.

Dimensions:

There is no doubt why the Kwid became an instant hit as soon as it was introduced. In terms of dimensions, the Kwid AMT is identical to the standard Kwid and it annihilates the Alto K10 in just about every aspect. While the Kwid is longer, wider and taller than the Alto K10, it’s ground clearance is better than almost all hatchbacks available under the Rs 10 lakh mark. Similarly, the boot in the Kwid is not only more commodious than that on the Alto K10 but also dwarfs the luggage compartments found on other Maruti Suzuki products such as the Wagon R, Celerio, Ritz and the Swift. The only thing that works against the Kwid is the smaller fuel tank capacity. Cars like the Kwid and the Alto return good fuel-economy, but more fuel on-board, for day-to-day driving is never a bad thing.

Engine And Transmission:

This where both the cars are evenly matched. The performance figures are nearly identical and so is the ARAI fuel-economy. Both engines are peppy enough to help manoeuvre the cars around the busy streets of any city. Neither engine is too happy north of 100kmph as both the 3-cylinder motors become uncomfortably loud. Even the automated manual transmissions that both the cars feature have the same number of gears. While the engine on the Renault is tuned to pump out all its power slightly quicker on the rev-range, the one on Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 is faster in delivering all of its available torque.

Features:

Let’s start with the new-comer first. The Kwid AMT is only available in its top-spec variant, the RXT (O). On the outside, it gets front fog-lamps, protective wheel-arch cladding, designer ‘1.0-litre’ decals on doors and blacked-out B-pillars to give the car a sporty stance. It is inside the cabin where the Kwid really tries hard and succeeds in impressing anyone who is after an entry-level car. It gets a dual-tone dashboard, digital instrument cluster, a sporty steering wheel with piano black accents, front power windows, electric power steering, two glove boxes, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with built-in navigation capability and Bluetooth audio streaming and telephony and driver-side airbag.

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Over to the Alto K10 AGS now. On the outside of the Vxi (O) trim, with AGS, the Japanese car gets full-sized wheel covers, blacked-out B-pillars, chrome front grille, front fog-lamps and body-side molding. Step inside and the Alto K10 greets you with silver accents on the dashboard, steering wheel and the doors, along with driver-side airbag, vanity mirror for the front passenger, rear parcel tray, piano-black finish on the centre console, front power windows, audio system with CD/MP3/USB/Radio playback, central door locking, key-less entry and internally adjustable rear-view mirrors.

While the Kwid is certainly more generously equipped between the two, the Alto K10 has the legendarily reliable Maruti Suzuki logo on it, which translates to nothing will go wrong provided the customer doesn’t fiddle with any of it.

Price And Warranty:

While the Kwid AMT is available in only one trim, the Alto K10 with AGS tech is available in two different specs, both of which are further available with metallic and non-metallic body-colour options. The Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 AGS comes out to be at least Rs 10,000 cheaper than its French counterpart, but the Kwid more than makes up for the extra money by offering a standard warranty of 10,000 km more.

In the end, it all depends on what one wants from their entry-level car. Renault is new in India and Maruti Suzuki has been ruling the roads in the country for close to three decades. No doubt the Kwid is tempting with its spacious cabin, large boot-space, rugged dimensions, class-leading features and peppy performance. But when an automotive brand goes up against Maruti Suzuki, the largest carmaker in India, it just can’t match the Japanese carmaker’s robust after-sales network, reliability of the products and excellent resale value.