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Renault Kwid 1.0 AMT to Debut Early Next Year

When it was introduced in May, the India-bound 2015 Renault Kwid proved that the Renault-Nissan alliance can produce an interesting yet cheap mini crossover. Classified as an A-segment vehicle, the Kwid will add a 1-liter petrol engine over the base model’s 800 cc.
Renault Kwid 16 photos
Photo: Renault
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According to a report published by Autocar India, the Renault Kwid si set to hit local dealerships later this year. Pricing is already confirmed by the automaker - for the cheapest Kwid we’re charged 300,000 rupees, the equivalent of €4,200 or $4,700. For this amount of greenback, you don’t get all the bells and whistles, but you do get an 800 cc engine and a manual box.

The 800 cc motor is expected to produce a rumored 57 PS (42 kW or 56 horsepower). If a 5-speed stick shift isn’t to someone’s liking, Renault also offers a 5-speed AMT (automated manual transmission) for a more relaxed driving experience. Underpinned by the all-new CMF-A vehicle platform, the Renault-Nissan alliance has confirmed that a Datsun-branded Kwid-like crossover will be launched sometime in 2016.

But 800 cc are not merely enough for many potential customers, the reason why Renault is working on a 1-liter engine. According to the automotive outfit, the 1-liter three-cylinder motor will be added to the Kwid’s options list in “six to eight months after the launch of the 800 cc version.” Autocar India states that the 1.0 will also offer the possibility to be linked with the AMT.

Regarding the automated-manual transmission, the Indian automotive publication reports that the tranny will be developed in-house by the Renault-Nissan alliance to keep R&D expenses down. On an ending note, not much is known about a possible adaptation of the Kwid for the European market. In essence, it would be a hard task to keep pricing low for a Euro-spec Kwid considering that 97 percent of the Kwid’s components are domestic (produced locally in India).

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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