EXCLUSIVE: Facelifted Renault Kwid launching next month

Renault India will have a packed festive season in 2019. While the French automaker launched the facelifted Duster last month, this month, it’ll be the Triber compact MPV that will make a market debut. Soon to follow will be the facelifted Renault Kwid hatchback, whose sales have been falling precipitously. In September 2019, Renault India will launch the facelifted Kwid, and this should do its bit to arrest the sales slide and put the Kwid back into the reckoning among entry level hatchback buyers. The facelifted Kwid will get a slew of stylistic changes, mainly inspired by the K-ZE – the electric variant of the hatchback that’s already been launched in China. Apart from a refreshed front end, the car is likely to get a once over on the inside, making it look and feel a lot fresher. The car’s been spied testing multiple times in the run up to launch.

What will be interesting to see is whether Renault will give the Kwid 1.0 a bump up in power and torque output. The same engine on the Triber makes 72 Bhp-96 Nm, which is much higher than the 67 Bhp-91 state of tune that it’s offered with in the Kwid. Also, Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) compliance is likely for both the 800cc and 1 liter engines of the facelifted Kwid. The gearbox options will remain unchanged though: 5 speed manual and AMT.

The Kwid is already available with ABS, twin airbags, reverse parking sensors, seat belt reminder and speed alerts in order to meet Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program (BNVSAP) norms. The facelifted car isn’t likely to add any new safety features. In terms of pricing, the Kwid Facelift could get slightly pricier if Renault makes the car BS6 compliant, but even otherwise don’t expect a big price hike as the market is pretty slow.

The Kwid currently sold in India has been Renault’s best selling car right from its launch in 2014. The car is 5 years old now and in need of a makeover given the increasing competition. The Kwid is built at the Renault-Nissan joint manufacturing facility at Oragadam, Chennai. The SUV-inspired butch looking hatchback is based on the CMF-A low cost car platform that’s meant specifically for emerging markets. This platform is shared with the Datsun RediGO and the upcoming Triber compact MPV will also use a lengthened version of this platform. Apart from selling the Kwid in India, Renault also exports the car to many emerging markets where it’s sold as a budget, entry level car. The India-spec Kwid is offered with 800cc and 1 liter engines, both triple cylinder units. Renault is likely to introduce the electric variant of the hatchback in India during 2022.