French carmaker Renault has recently reaffirmed its commitment to the Indian market by committing a fresh investment of US$600 million. The brand has also inaugurated a new design centre near which is said to be the largest design centre outside of France. The company aims to encourage local talent for the design of its new vehicles, and also aims to increase market share. The company has revealed details about its upcoming launches:
Renault Triber Facelift
This will be the first model from the slew of products the brand has announced. It has been a good 6 years since the Triber was first introduced. The same model has continued in the market since its launch, and the car feels outdated by today’s standards. This makes it the perfect time for Renault to launch a facelift and freshen things up. The exteriors could see a thorough makeover, while the interiors could see feature revisions, and some design revisions to the overall interior layout can also be expected. Safety features are also said to undergo a thorough revision. The engine is expected to be the same, so the 1.0-litre NA engine will continue as is. This engine produces 72 BHP and 96 Nm of torque, and is mated to a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic transmission. There are rumours of Renault introducing the turbo petrol engine with the Triber, but given the Triber’s MPV characteristics, a turbo petrol engine might be a total mismatch. These are just rumours, and nothing is concrete as of now regarding this.
Renault Kiger
Just like the Triber, the Kiger has also become too long in the tooth. Rivals such as the Skoda Kylaq, Tata Nexon have set the bar really high, and for the Kiger to catch up, it is essential for Renault to give it a thorough makeover. Powertrain options will remain the same, with most of the focus being on exterior and interior styling. The feature list will also be thoroughly updated to match the competition.
Renault Duster
The Duster was the product that started the midsize SUV concept when it was first introduced. However, as time passed, the Duster lost its sheen due to more advanced and better rivals, and it had to be discontinued eventually. Renault now wants to bring back the Duster and reclaim the throne from the competition. The new Duster will be based on the CMF-B platform, and will get an extremely rugged and modern exterior design, with a funky and functional interior. The Duster will reportedly come with 2 engine options, namely a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and a 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine. Both of these engines are expected to be paired with manual and automatic transmissions. The Duster will come loaded with features, such as a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10-inch infotainment screen, automatic climate control, and many more.
Renault Bigster
The Bigster is the bigger version of the Duster and will get an additional row of seats. The Bigster will share a lot of things with the Duster, such as the engines, exterior and interior design, and the feature set.
Renault Kiger EV
Renault aims to set foot in the affordable EV segment, and to do this, they have decided to introduce an electric version of the Kiger. The exact details have not been revealed regarding this model, and only time will tell more about the Kiger EV. Once launched, the Kiger EV will compete with products such as the Tata Punch EV and Mahindra XUV 400. The launch timeline has not been specified for the Kiger EV.
