Renault Kwid 1.0L
Renault Kwid is a global small car that
has been built on a CMF-A platform. This versatile architecture is used
worldwide to underpin the Kwid based on the needs of the particular market
Renault has ventured in. Reports emerged upon the Kwid’s launch in the last
week of September that ABS would be offered only if it’s feasible for the
domestic market and regulations suggest the technology is mandatory.
In some South American markets, it’s
being offered as standard but Renault were sceptical over whether Indian buyers
would like to pay extra premium for ABS and thus made it available on the
top-end variant as optional extra. The single airbag system offered on the
top-of-the-line RxT variant is being sold at a price tag of Rs. 3.53 lakh.
Some customers are reported to have felt
dissatisfaction over the single airbag unit but if recent report on Motorbeam
is anything to go by, Renault could offer ABS as well as Dual airbags in the
powerful 1.0L variant. The report goes on to say Renault is preparing Kwid to
stand on par with the competition by offering ABS and Dual Airbags as standard
across all variants and to comply with stringent 2017 Bharat NVSAP regulations.
The Renault Kwid 1.0L variant will be
the powerful engine to be featured on the small car and is more likely to be
launched in mid-2016. The Kwid’s current rivals are Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and
Hyundai Eon but the 1.0L variant will take on slightly higher positioned Alto
K10 and Eon 1.0L version.
The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, petrol
engine could be the one found under the bonnet of the Brazil-spec Kwid that
produces 77 hp mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The probability of an
AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) coupled with that power unit is highly
likely as Renault is gearing up to introduce automatic gearbox on its highly
appreciable Duster SUV come next year.
