Renault Kwid to get 1.0-litre petrol unit

Not so long ago Renault announced that it will be making its entry into the small car segment with its newest offering Kwid. The French manufacturer revealed the car at their facility in Chennai and announced its launch around the festive season. 

The Kwid will sport a newly developed 800cc 3-cylinder 4-valve engine that they claim will return best in class fuel economy. This is the first car to be developed from the alliance with Nissan and will be based on the CMF-A platform that also underpins the Datsun Redigo. 

But that’s not all; to ensure that they enter the small car market in style, Renault has a lot planned for the Kwid. Reports suggest that a few months into the launch, the Kwid will also be introduced with a larger 1.0-litre engine. To keeps things fresh over time, a AMT transmission Kwid might also be on cards but will only be launched in the first half of 2016. 

Unlike most cars makers fighting in this class, Renault has taken a different approach to entry-level hatchback offerings. The imposing design makes the Kwid stand out from the over-crowded small car space. The high bonnet leading into the bold honeycomb grille up front gives it an imposing stance. In profile and even at the back the Kwid gets crossover like styling with a large ground clearance of 180mm. 

The Renault Kwid will go on sale in September-October 2015 to cash in on the festive season, but during this time just the 800cc unit with the manual transmission will be launched. The larger engine and the AMT will follow later in 2016. Renault will bring in the Kwid at an introductory price of around Rs 3 lakh. When it gets launched, it will take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Alto and the Hyundai Eon.