Manufacturer Renault Class Entry-level crossover | Production 2015–present Body style 5-door hatchback | |
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Assembly Chennai, India (Renault India) Platform Renault CMF platform (CMF-A) | ||
The Renault Kwid is an entry-level crossover produced by the French car manufacturer Renault, initially intended for the Indian market. The production version was unveiled in May 2015. A concept version was previously unveiled in February 2014.
Contents
The Kwid has been elaborated by a French engineers team settled in India by Gérard Detourbet, a mathematician described as "an innovation a minute" who led the development team for the first-generation Renault Logan.
Characteristics and reception
The Kwid is the first car to be based on the new CMF-A platform jointly developed by Renault and Nissan. It is slightly larger than Renault's smallest conventional vehicle, the Twingo with a high sitting position and a 180 mm (7.1 in) ride height. At launch, the engine was a single three-cylinder, 800 cc unit with a 54 hp (40 kW) power output and 72 N·m (53 lb·ft) torque, coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission. Suspension is made up of McPherson struts on front and a torsion beam on rear. The car has a significant percentage of parts localisation and engineering by local Renault's personnel. The Kwid is aimed at competing with other small cars within the Indian market, as the Suzuki Alto, and incorporates uncommon equipment for its segment as a multimedia touchscreen. It was unveiled at Chennai on 20 May 2015 by Renault's CEO Carlos Ghosn. Ghosn said the car would be "a game changer for Renault in India." Sales started in September and had a "flying start" of 25,000 bookings in 2 weeks and 50,000 in 5 weeks, then 70,000 in 2 months, getting 10% of effective market shares in its segment.
The Kwid is 3,679 mm (144.8 in) long, 1,478 mm (58.2 in) high and 1,579 mm (62.2 in) wide. It has a large 2,422 mm (95.4 in) wheelbase and has an 180mm ground clearance. According to the Indian newspaper The Financial Express, Kwid's 300-litre boot space is "the most voluminous in its class" and its fuel efficiency is "class-leading", at 25.17 km/L (71.1 mpg‑imp). The Kwid comes with as many as 60 accessories for detailed personalisation. It will come with a 2 year/50,000 km warranty, for a price from Rs 2.56 lakh for the Kwid STD, to 3.53 lakh for the Kwid RXT (O).
At tests conducted in 2016, the Kwid scored a 0-star rating from British agency Global NCAP, a rating also achieved by many entry-level competitors in the Indian market, including localised versions of the Suzuki Alto, the Hyundai Eon, the Tata Nano, the Suzuki Celerio and the Ford Figo. The Kwid was also criticised for being one of the Indian models not having airbags as standard. Renault and other car manufacturers made objections to Global NCAP for its methodology and for ignoring India's own safety criteria.
The Renault Kwid 1.0-litre AMT produces 67 BHP at 5500 RPM and 91 Nm at 4250 RPM. According to MotorBeam VBOX texting, the Kwid AMT does the 0-100 km/hr sprint in 17.26 seconds.
Variants
The Kwid was launched with 4 trim levels:
Renault applied for the Kwid racer and Kwid climber trademarks, what makes observers expect some new variants of the Kwid after October 2015.
Indonesia
Launched in October 2016, Renault Kwid RxT 1.0 SCE (4X2) M/T, 999cc 3 cylinders 68 HP at 5.500 RPM and torsion 91 Nm at 4.250 RPM
Kwid concept
The Renault Kwid concept was unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo in India. The SUV-like concept incorporates a roof-mounted, remote-controlled quadcopter (called the "Flyer Companion"), swan doors and has large R16 wheels. According to Renault, the interior was "inspired by a nest" and has a 3-seat front and 2-seat rear arrangement.