Renault Really Wasn't Kwid-ding

There is a lot of buzz around the Renault Kwid. And with good reason - or at least so Renault would have us believe. The Kwid is built on Renault's new CMF-A platform, and is the first product coming off of it. Renault and Nissan are looking a range of future compacts in various body styles on this platform. But lets not digress. The Kwid has 98% local content, which help fulfill the promise of affordability made by Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn when the Kwid was first unveiled in May. In fact he had said the car's prices across all variants would stay between Rs 3 and 4 lakh.

Also See: Renault Kwid Photo Gallery

So what do you get for it? The Kwid is 3679 mm in length (longest in class) and has a width of 2423 mm. The SUV inspired design does give you a crossover feel. The car gets a 3 cylinder engine with a displacement of 799 cc. Power output stands at 53 bhp and peak torque comes in at 72 Nm. The engine is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. The Kwid's claimed mileage is 25.17 kmpl - highest figures for any petrol car in India by the way.

Extensive use of plastics and aluminum has helped Renault keep the Kwid light In fact it claims the Kwid is the segment's lightest at just 660 kgs. The car also gets best in class ground clearance of 180 mm and a boot space of 300 litres.The car also gets an all digital instrument cluster panel and a 7 inch touch infotainment system with Navigation. Renault says that car meets all the requirements for safety in the country and will still remain a robust car in this segment. Now as we know that means little in light of very little regulation, but what is important is that the Kwid is claimed to be future-ready to adopt any and all safety regulations the government is likely to impose in the not-so-distant future. We believe that since many CMF-A offerings will also be exported by Renault India, and so it would need to build in certain safety and regulation-led capability to cater to various markets.

Also Read - All You Need to Know About Renault Kwid Compact Car

The Kwid is to be launched in 4 trims and will sport 5 colour options. Renault will also offer some customisation options. - like 20 decal and 60 accessory options. Renault also has created an app for the Kwid that will allow potential buyers to get all the information about the car and also to book it. Renault meanwhile has seen its network grow from 35 dealerships in 2011 to 205 dealerships today. It expects the Kwid to contribute to its plan of achieving 5% market share in India. The Kwid will hit the market by mid October, with bookings starting on Sep 14th 2015.