Doesn’t it look good? Groovy, probably, is the correct word! What you see here is the mid-life update of the hugely popular entry-level car, the Kwid. In its refreshed avatar, it starts at Rs 2.83 lakh and goes up to Rs 4.85 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Even though the prices have increased compared to the pre-facelift model, they still undercut those of the recently launched Maruti Suzuki S-Presso. What is noteworthy is that the S-Presso is BS6-compliant and the Kwid is still BSIV-ready. Also, the Maruti gets a 1.0-litre engine in all its forms, whereas the Renault’s range starts with a 0.8-litre mill. Here’s the complete price list of the Kwid facelift:

So, what’s new? In the design department, the refreshed Kwid boasts a new front end with split headlamps, new bumper and a redesigned grille. Before you wonder, hidden within the upper half of the headlights are LED-powered DRLs, and they are standard across the range. The car also gets new wheel covers and the option of dark grey alloy wheels. Thanks to the bigger wheels, which are now 14 inches in diameter, the ground clearance has gone up from 180mm to 184mm. Completing the exterior makeover are minutely reprofiled taillamps which now feature LED units.

Changes inside the cabin include a slightly restyled dashboard and the placement of the AMT selector knob. The latter now rides on the centre console and not on the lower half of the dashboard. The refreshed model also ups the game in the features department. It boasts an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a full-LED instrument cluster. Kwid enthusiasts will tell you that both those features have been lifted directly from the Triber. The standard kit includes an airbag for the driver, rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD, seatbelt reminder for front occupants and high-speed warning. A passenger-side airbag and rear power windows are also on offer with optional variants of RXT MT, RXT AMT, Climber MT and Climber AMT.

Unsurprisingly, the Kwid facelift gets the same powertrain options as before. There are three engine-transmission combinations available. The range starts with a 0.8-litre engine which produces 53hp/72Nm and comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. For those who want a bit more power can choose the 1.0-litre petrol mill which generates 67hp/91Nm. Apart from the same manual gearbox that does duty with the smaller engine, the bigger one is also available with a 5-speed AMT (automated manual transmission).

The refreshed Kwid does liven-up the small car segment. However, will it be able to withstand the bombardment from the S-Presso? Not to forget, the Datsun Redi-Go is also an option to consider.