Aim was to create a car that was robust, designed for active families.
In an interview with Business Today, Renault India CEO & MD, Sumit Sawhney, has divulged that the Renault Kwid development team had tested the A-Segment vehicle in Japan, Korea and France apart from India.
He was quoted saying:
The vehicle testing took advantage of the alliance's strengths by using different establishments to put the Kwid through its paces: the body and chassis were tested in Japan, body equipment was evaluated in Korea and endurance tests were carried out in France, while India was the backdrop for overall and assembly testing.
Renault's aim was to create a hatchback that was robust, stylish and designed for active families to take on India's best-selling car - the Maruti Alto. It was also well-equipped in its segment, featuring a digital instrument cluster and a 7-inch MEDIANAV touchscreen system.
Also Read: Renault Alaskan Australian launch “a very high level probability”
To top it off, thanks to its 98 percent parts localization in India (which is one of the highest for a new car), the Renault Kwid was also competitively priced. So far Renault have received over 125,000 bookings for the Kwid. The company has increased the production capacity to lower the waiting period.
This month, the Renault Kwid came under criticism for offering sub-standard crash protection, after it was awarded zero stars by Global NCAP in a 64 km/h crash test. Renault has taken feedback from the crash testers and have submitted an upgraded version with body reinforcements for a retest.
[Source: Business Today]
