Exclusive! Renault Kwid-based MPV – Triber – caught on video for the first time

Renault is currently planning to launch a slew of vehicles in the market and double their sales in India by 2021. The new launches that have been planned for the Indian market include a 7-seater MPV that is based on the Renault Kwid’s CMF-A platform. We thank our reader Kalpana Subramani from Trichy, Tamil Nadu who sent us the first ever video of the upcoming Triber in India.

The Triber seen in this video was parked on a roadside. It is the same test mule that was spotted a few days back on the Indian roads and was caught on camera. The Triber name has been officially revealed by the manufacturer in India but the exact launch date is not known. However, the 7-seater MPV is expected to be launched before the end of this year.

Now that Renault has officially revealed the name, the test mule carries the name on the side even though it is heavily camouflaged and does not reveal much about the design of the car itself. The Triber will be similar to Datsun Go+ but it is expected to be much more premium and feature-loaded when compared to Datsun’s seven-seater.

Renault is using a highly modified version of the CMF-A platform to underpin the upcoming Triber. It will get three-row seating and the front-end design will be inspired by the Kwid. The 7-seater MPV gets three-row seating but it will be much cheaper than the likes of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Mahindra Marazzo. Unlike most other MPVs, the third-row of the Triber is removable that makes the vehicle extremely flexible. It can offer a lot of cargo space when needed and two extra seats can be placed whenever required. It will be a unique set-up and will be seen in a mass segment vehicle for the first time but it remains to be seen how successful it becomes and how the market accepts it.

The engine details of the upcoming Triber are not known yet. However, the MPV is likely to be powered by a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine in the market. Also, Renault can utilise the 1.2-litre petrol engine that powers the Nissan Micra in the Indian market. Possibilities of using the same 1.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that is available with the Renault Kwid cannot be ruled out too. A diesel engine is not expected in the Triber as the more stringent BS-VI emission norms that will be in place next year will make it difficult for the small diesel engines to be compliant with the new norms. Renault will put an attractive price tag on the Triber to ensure that it gets a lot of attention on the roads.