Renault has just lifted the curtain on its latest small hatchback – the Kwid in Chennai. The Renault Kwid was unveiled by the CEO and Chairman of the Renault-Nissan Group, Carlos Ghosn. The affordable hatchback is to be priced at under INR 4 lakh and will take the battle to the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Alto and Hyundai Eon. This little Renault will also be launched in other markets globally and will feature palatable styling, as you can see.
The Kwid has been designed to look like a mini SUV.
The Renault Kwid’s chrome garnished front grille has a twin-slatted layout looks quite aggressive. They neatly merge into the headlight cluster and the front bumper looks chunky. The Kwid also gets pronounced wheel arches which further accentuate the hatchback’s SUV inspirations. There’s also a body-coloured spoiler and large windows for an airy feeling cabin. Laurens van den Acker – Senior Vice President, Corporate Design said, “At first glance, the Kwid blends an emotional design with the need for reassurance expressed by customers. Its SUV lines mirror its tough, robust character and underpin its distinctive, modern look.”
Renault Kwid is to be a global car, so this launch is important for the carmaker.
The hatchback is be based on the Group’s CMF-A (Common Module Family – Affordable) platform which is specific to our market. The Kwid is designed to look like a small SUV, according to the carmaker. The hatchback has a ground clearance of 180mm, stretches 3.68 metres in length and is 1.58 metres wide. The Renault Kwid also has short front and rear overhangs, further boosting the car’s SUV appeal. This feature also makes it rather Powering the new Renault hatchback is a 0.8-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine with twin-cam and 4-valves/cylinder. This engine, that has been codenamed BR-8 comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Although a diesel engine isn’t on the cards, an automated manual transmission could be in the future.
Carlos Ghosn, CEO and Chairman of Renault-Nissan Group (right) unveils the Kwid.
Ghosn said, “With Kwid, Renault continues to pursue its strategy of accessible mobility for all to step up its international growth. Using a new Renault-Nissan Alliance platform and following the trail blazed by the Duster, the Kwid will enable Renault to continue its expansion and address the needs of customers who want a vehicle that is stylish, robust and easy to use.”
The Kwid has a rugged look, especially for a hatchback of this size.
The Renault Kwid will be available across India in showrooms during the festive season later this year. Renault has confirmed that the Kwid will be priced between INR 3-4 lakh (ex-showroom). Renault will localise 98% (60% from Chennai itself) of the parts to achieve that affordability and will also open 280 outlets by the end of 2015. According to Ghosn, the Renault Kwid features an all-new platform. This same platform will also be used on the upcoming Datsun Redi Go. We will keep updating you as our man in Chennai beams us more on the same.
The Renault Kwid will utilise 98% localisation in India.
The Kwid is powered by an 800cc, three-cylinder petrol engine.
Also, here’s a link to the original Renault KWID Concept. We will update you with more details and images as we get them. So stay tuned to Motoroids for more on the Renault Kwid.
