Renault's marketing VP says "everybody liked the concepts."
Speaking to IndianAutosBlog.com at the Renault Duster's media drive, Rafael Treguer, Vice President Sales & Marketing at Renault India, said the response was positive for the Renault Kwid Racer and Renault Kwid Climber concepts.
"Yes, we showed those design concepts at the Auto Expo. During the public days, we also gauged reaction for those cars and everybody liked them," Treguer said.
Would these cars then see production? "Absolutely. You'll see them as special or limited edition models," he asserted.
The Renault Kwid Climber concept, as per Renault, is a "born off-roader" with "high ground clearance, wide track, short overhangs and the specially designed pattern of its tyres." It is mounted with big bumpers, protective mouldings on the sides, and 'diamond-effect' wheels, with a deep Flame Orange finish to the body.
The Climber is given an all-terrain feel, but that expression may not complement its off-road performance as an AWD system would be an expensive and unnecessary exercise for the A-Segment vehicle.
The Kwid Racer concept "conjures up the world of racing." It has 18-inch alloy wheels, low-profile tyres, aerodynamic body work, bucket seats and a roll cage. Sporting a metallic blue finish, it has wide air intakes, spoilers and a diffuser. Inside, the concept is upholstered with Alcantara, aluminium and carbon, to be suggestive of the world of motor racing. There's also telemetry data, a four-point harness, a digital rev counter and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.
The special edition Kwid Racer may get none of these features for cost and practicality reasons. A motor racing series based on the Kwid is the only way these features could be meaningful in the real world.
The Renault Kwid is powered by a 799 cc three cylinder petrol engine having an output of 54 PS and a peak torque figure of 72 Nm at 4,386 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox with an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 25.17 km/l. Expect the same on the Climber and Racer editions.
The interior of the stock Renault Kwid flaunts a piano-black center console with chrome surrounds. It is dominated by a 7.0-inch Media-Nav system that supports Bluetooth, USB and aux-in. Air conditioning, front power windows, power steering, central locking, keyless entry and fog lights are some of the features that are found in the top-spec trims.
The Kwid has received over 100,000 bookings in India since its launch.
