RENAULT KWID SMALL DUSTER

 INTRODUCING RENAULT KWID   

 

            LIVE FOR MORE

      Live for adventure. Live for discoveries. Live for fun. Make every day more memorable in the Renault Kwid. A bold, distinct design complements state-of-the-art technology and class leading space. Get ready to live for more.

     Renault is currently one of the mass-market/budget car players in the Indian market without a vehicle in the A-segment. Its alliance partner, Nissan, had launched the Datsun budget brand in 2013 and currently has two vehicles with this moniker. Looking to join the fray, Renault has unveiled a hatchback-based crossover called the KWID.

   The Renault Kwid challenges conventions. A chiselled, muscular front end flows into a dynamic profile, giving it a distinct, striking stance. The Kwid’s short front and rear overhangs coupled with high ground clearance exude an impression of strength and robustness. The bold, structured grille design highlights the logo and further emphasises the Kwid’s SUV credentials, while its headlights incorporate the brand’s new lighting signature with a C-shaped chrome trim.The Kwid sets new benchmarks on the inside. Class leading space complements state-of-the-art technology. The piano black centre console comes with a chrome-surround and houses the MediaNav system which comes with a seven-inch (18 cm) display, an unprecedented size for the segment.

Exterior

   The Renault KWID has lines similar to that of the Datsun GO but now gets body cladding, flared wheel arches and a forward leaning stance giving it a muscular appearance. It is the first car in the Indian market to debut the French automaker’s honeycomb grille and new headlight design. It gets an aggressive front bumper design that extends outwards and in the top spec variants houses the fog lamps.

    The side profile reveals the heavily flared wheel arches and forward leaning stance. The windscreen sharply rakes towards the rear. There is plastic cladding at the base of the doors which are the colour of the wheel arches and basically serve the purpose of rub rails.

At the rear, the glass section is small and slopes forward while there is a sharp lip on the middle of the boot door. The plastic cladding sits right below the boot door and houses the number plate. Renault has given the KWID a small spoiler which we believe will be standard across all variants.

The KWID appears to have the same interior from the Pulse which is basically the layout of the Nissan Micra. However, while the layout is the same, the feature list will have many first in segment items. It gets a fully digital instrumental cluster, Media-NAV infotainment system, front power windows and AC. While the instrument cluster, power windows and AC are expected to be standard across all variants, we believe that the Media-NAV infotainment system will only be offered in the top-spec variants.

                                                         Engine and gearbox

The engine is expected to be an 800cc three-cylinder unit that will produce around 50bhp and 90Nm of torque. Power will go to the front wheels via a five-speed manual. We also believe that this car is likely to debut an AMT from the Renault-Nissan stable. There will be no diesel model but a 1.0-litre model with higher power figures will arrive six months later. It is also possible that there may be a CNG model but this will only materialise based on demand.

                                                            Price and competition

The KWID is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh and will compete with the Chevrolet Spark, Tata Nano, Datsun Go and the Hyundai Eon. It will be launched during the festive season and most likely with an introductory price.