The Renault Kwid has been officially launched in India. The French brand’s compact A-segment crossover will be available in four different variants starting from INR256,968 (RM17,100) for the base model, according to Indian Autos Blog.
Sitting on Renault-Nissan’s CMF-A platform, the Kwid has a wheelbase of 2,422 mm. In full, it measures 3,679 mm long, 1,579 mm wide and 1,478 mm tall. The compact crossover has a 180 mm ground clearance.
Powering the Kwid is a 0.8 litre three-cylinder petrol unit that makes a humble 53 hp at 5,678 rpm and 72 Nm of torque at 4,386 rpm (yes, exactly at those revs). It is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, and Renault claims that it can achieve 25.17 km/l based on India’s ARAI cycle.
The top-of-the-range RXT variant – priced at INR353,131 (RM23,500) – gets a dual-tone dashboard, digital instrument cluster with chrome accents, front power windows, an upper glove compartment, a seven-inch MediaNAV touchscreen and a roof mic. It also comes with remote key, while a driver airbag is optional – yes, singular, and it’s not even standard.
If you’re wondering, the base INR256,968 (RM17,100) model goes with black bumpers, black steel wheels and no fog lamps, air-con or radio. If that doesn’t seem basic enough, (electric) power steering and power windows have been deleted too. Even the cabin lights are not included.
Available in five colours, the Kwid is manufactured at the Renault-Nissan Alliance plant in Chennai. Renault claims that the Kwid’s maintenance cost is 19% lower than that of its closest competitors. A more powerful 77 hp 1.0 litre engine with an automated manual transmission will be introduced at a later stage.
