French carmaker Renault is preparing to launch a new compact MPV, Triber, in the Indian market. The car was unveiled by the automaker in June and will be positioned between Kwid and Duster as an affordable family car. The sub-4-meter offering will be a front-wheel drive car and based on the Kwid's low-cost CMF-A platform. The new car will be manufactured at Renault-Nissan's Oragadam factory. Some reports suggest that the MPV will also be exported to many emerging markets where a compact MPV can attract mass-segment buyers.
As the launch of Triber draws near, new details about the car have started trickling in.
Renault is likely to position Triber against B-Segment hatchbacks in India such as Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Grand i10. The new car will have a ground clearance of 182 mm giving it the ability to tackle bad roads. Given that Renault cars are known for excellent ride and handling, the Triber is also expected to be no different.
The new MPV will come with projector headlamps, LED DRLs, dual-tone dashboard, electric power steering, and a touchscreen infotainment system that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The top-end model of Triber will get four airbags and other premium security features. The MPV will get a 7-seat layout and the last row of seats will be removable. This is meant to give modular design to the seating layout. Triber owners will get a lot of flexibility in terms of accommodating passengers and luggage carrying ability.
Coming to mechanicals, the MPV will get a 1-liter 3-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine that generates 72 Bhp peak power and 96 Nm peak torque. The same engine powers the Kwid 1.0 but will be tuned differently to generate more power. A five-speed manual gearbox will be standard while a 5-speed AMT will also be offered as an option. In terms of outputs, Triber will be less powerful than both Maruti Swift and Hyundai Grand i10. While Triber will only get a petrol option, its rival Maruti Swift is available with a diesel engine as well.
Coming to safety measures, the leaks suggest that the airbags on Triber will come to your rescue only if the seat-belts are worn. The car will also get automatic door unlock feature in case of crashes, side impact beams, and crumple zones. The MPV has also qualified for side impact and front offset impact crash tests. Even the base model of Triber gets ABS, twin airbags, speed alerts, seat belt reminder, and reverse parking sensors. The Triber will be rolled out in India in August 2019. Renault is expected to be priced at Rs. 5 lakhs in the Indian market.