Photo: Virtuel-Car
In the automotive world, the cars that weren't successful are sometimes more famous than the ones that sold well. Romania built some unusual vehicles, including the Aro 4x4, but it's the Lastun that people want to see making a comeback.
Las… what? It's a small city car built to a very strict budget, a bit like an East-European Trabant. Rumors about its return have been circulating for quite some time. A couple of years ago, it was believed that Renault would take the outgoing Twingo, remove some parts and sell it as a cheap Dacia.
That didn't happen, but now we have a fresh project that we can spread false rumors about. We are talking about the Renault Kwid, designed for the Indian market. Measuring 3.68 meters (12 feet) in length and 1.58 m (5.1 ft) in width, this A-segment contended is built to be tough. Power comes from a 0.8L three-cylinder engine making a maximum of 57 horsepower.
When you consider that a Smart Fortwo has 71 hp, you begin to realize why Europeans might not like a small, underpowered car like this. But if offered by the Dacia brand at the right price, who knows what might happen!
The photos in this gallery are doctored versions of the Kwid. Virtuel-Car has lowered the suspension, added steel wheels and black plastic bumpers to make a cheap car look even more inexpensive. There's not a lot of money to be made from such basic machines, but we know Renault and Nissan like to spread their tentacles to every emerging market possible. For example, the humble Sandero has reached Russia and Latin America, where it even gained a Renaultsport version.
Nissan will take the Kwid and apply its design, launching a second it onto the Indian market within the next 12 months. Speaking to you from the rational side of the brain, we are sure that Dacia will build a Kwid derivative, but it will never be called the Lastun.
That didn't happen, but now we have a fresh project that we can spread false rumors about. We are talking about the Renault Kwid, designed for the Indian market. Measuring 3.68 meters (12 feet) in length and 1.58 m (5.1 ft) in width, this A-segment contended is built to be tough. Power comes from a 0.8L three-cylinder engine making a maximum of 57 horsepower.
When you consider that a Smart Fortwo has 71 hp, you begin to realize why Europeans might not like a small, underpowered car like this. But if offered by the Dacia brand at the right price, who knows what might happen!
The photos in this gallery are doctored versions of the Kwid. Virtuel-Car has lowered the suspension, added steel wheels and black plastic bumpers to make a cheap car look even more inexpensive. There's not a lot of money to be made from such basic machines, but we know Renault and Nissan like to spread their tentacles to every emerging market possible. For example, the humble Sandero has reached Russia and Latin America, where it even gained a Renaultsport version.
Nissan will take the Kwid and apply its design, launching a second it onto the Indian market within the next 12 months. Speaking to you from the rational side of the brain, we are sure that Dacia will build a Kwid derivative, but it will never be called the Lastun.
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