v = git.version_info
    if v[0] > 1 or v[1] > 7 or v[2] > 0 or v[3] > 3:
        kwargs['progress'] = True

I have stared at this and I cannot see what the version check is attempted.
Why not simple something like: git_version_info > (1,7,0,3)?
Is that what this is attempting to do?