The fight for the wallets of South African motorists continues with Renault’s Kwid, which has been repositioned and with a new naming convention celebrating 10 years on our roads with around 70 000 units sold.
The most important aspect is that Renault claims the crown for the most affordable passenger car in South Africa. The Renault Kwid Evolution has a price tag of R178 799, which is R1 cheaper than Toyota’s Vitz 1.0 MT at R178 800 and R101 cheaper the Suzuki S-Presso GL MT at R178 900.
The entry trim level, previously known as Life, will be called Evolution, and the middle spec, formerly Zen, will be named Techno. The top spec Climber name will be retained.
New feature updates will be introduced on the Evolution and Climber variants from the end of November 2025. These include an 8-inch touchscreen for the Evolution model, as well as six airbags in the Climber model, packing greater value into the model offering.
Other value-adding features on the Kwid include a reverse camera and electric windows on the Techno and Climber variants, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, a USB and Aux across the range, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, central locking and reverse parking sensors.
Kwid pricing:
Kwid Evolution (R178 799), Kwid Techno (R199 999), Kwid Techno AMT (R209 999), Kwid Climber (R212 999) and the Kwid Climber AMT (R222 999).
Renault Kwid Evolution |
Toyota Vitz 1.0 MT |
Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 GL MT |
|
Price: |
R178 799 |
R178 800 |
R178 900 |
Engine: |
1-litre, 3-cylinder |
1-litre, 3-cylinder |
1-litre, 3-cylinder |
Power: |
50kW |
49kW |
49kW |
Torque: |
91Nm |
89Nm |
89Nm |
Gearbox: |
5 MT |
5 MT |
5 MT |
Boot capacity: |
279-litre |
295-litre |
239-litre |
Insurance: |
1 year |
- |
- |
Warranty: |
5-year/150 000km |
3-year/100 000km |
5-year/200 000km |
Service plan: |
2-year/30 000km |
4 Services/60 000km |
2-year/30 000km |
The South African motor industry has lost one of its longstanding business figures following the passing of Jebb McIntosh, the group chief executive of Combined Motor Holdings (CMH), on Monday, 2 November 2026.
“South Africa’s automotive industry has been AGOA’s largest user, but for the sector the preference has already been largely overridden by the 25% Section 232 tariffs applied on vehicles and components. Losing AGOA adds a further cost to an industry that has already absorbed a significant shock.”
Foton has started building vehicles in South Africa, and the first overseas vehicle manufacturing base of BAIC Group is now in Gqeberha.
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