Americans drive Renault Kwid in India for 1600 kms. Here’s what they have to say [Video]

The Renault Kwid is the cheapest model that the Indian subsidiary of the popular French carmaker has on sale in India. In our market, the Kwid rivals the highly popular Maruti Suzuki Alto models. This rugged-looking entry-level hatchback sells in decent numbers every month and has been successful in making a name for itself in our car market. However, what happens when a couple of Americans decide to drive it for roughly 1600 kms in India? Here’s a video that takes you through their rather adventure-filled journey.

The American duo, Alex Roy and Ed Niedermeyer, drives from Chennai to Mumbai. As you might have guessed, both the foreigners are totally shocked to see the state of lawlessness that prevails on the Indian roads. They are also pretty amused to see cows and other cattle freely roaming on the public roads. Ed even talks at length about how driving in India is a totally different experience from driving anywhere else in the world. However, he is quick to add that the Indian drivers, in spite of not being law-abiding, are probably the best in the world. He says so because he is surprised by the fact that many Indian drivers regularly spend hours behind the wheels in spite of the tough conditions they have to drive in.

Alex Roy and Ed Niedermeyer are totally floored by the way the Kwid performs flawlessly throughout the challenging road trip. The only complaint they have with this car is that it has only one 12 V electric socket to charge their gadgets. Other than that, they are pretty happy about the way the car’s 1.0-litre engine performs. They are also pleased with the airy interior, light controls, and the powerful air-conditioning. It’s noteworthy here that the Kwid comes in two engine variants – 0.8-litre and 1.0-litre. Both the cars are available with a 5-speed manual transmission. Additionally, the 1.0-litre engine can be ordered with a 5-speed AMT.

The Climber variant is the top-of-the-line trim-level that features a slightly more stylish exterior. The manual transmission variant costs Rs 4.78 lakh (ex-showroom) while the AMT variant has been priced at Rs 5.11 lakh (ex-showroom). The car is based on the top-end RXT(O) trim, which means it gets features like HVAC, power-steering, front electric windows, and a touchscreen infotainment unit. Powering the Kwid Climber is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that outputs 67 bhp and 91 Nm. The Kwid Climber has an ARAI-tested mileage of 24.04 kmpl.

Video source – The Drive on Youtube