There was a lot of buzz surrounding the Renault Kwid especially since before today not much was known and Renault even managed to keep the name secret till now. So, the meet this part hatchback part crossover that is the Renault Kwid. To be launched later this year during the festive season the big news other than those looks is that Renault has said it will be priced between Rs 3-4 lakhs (thanks to 98 percent localisation), that has got you sitting up right? Well, read on for our first India review.
Renault Kwid Exterior
This is without doubt the biggest USP of the Renault Kwid and you will also agree. It simply looks like a car that belongs to a much higher segment than being a Maruti Alto rival. What Renault have done is that they infused an SUV like design into a hatch and it surely looks fantastic having way more presence than others in its class. It does not look compact at all but it is at 3.68 meters long and 1.58 meters wide plus has a healthy ground clearance of 180mm. The SUV like stance will pull customers into showrooms no doubt with its upright stance, big grille and headlights having the brands C shape pattern.
Move to the side and it looks more like a crossover with cladding and big wheel arches. The rear though is soft looking in comparison but the cladding adds to the muscle factor. Build quality on first impressions is good though some cost cutting is there like a single wiper. The Renault Kwid will be the first Renault-Nissan Alliance model to use the CMF-A platform.
Renault Kwid Interior
Step inside and the surprises continue as again on first impression it looks premium and is loaded with features (top-end trim). The design is neat yet funky. Quality is good and we liked the piano black centre console which has the Media-Nav multimedia/navigation system which comes with a seven-inch (18 cm) display.
The Media-Nav system includes the radio and Bluetooth technology for hands-free telephony plus the instruments are all digital, again these are features that you do not get in this segment or even the higher segment. In terms of safety it has an optional airbag.
The flexible CMF-A Platform has meant that Renault has extracted the best amount of space. The front seats are comfy and there is good headroom while the rear is decent (but more than rivals) plus it has a big boot (Renault says best in class).
Renault Kwid Engine, price and launch date
In terms of engines the Kwid will have an 800cc petrol engine with a 5-speed manual. A more powerful engine with an AMT gearbox option is expected in the future. Renault is betting big on the Kwid and along with India it will sold in other markets also. To be launched in the second half of 2015 (around September, October).
The Kwid will have the base variant starting at Rs 3 lakh while the top-end variant will be priced at Rs 4 lakh, now that is just brilliant value and just unthinkable when you look at it. It looks more expensive and Renault says that we are offering an SUV at this price so why would you buy something else. Renault is also in process of increasing its sales and service network by 2015 with increasing the number to 205. So is the Kwid a game-changer? Sure looks like it.
