Renault Triber Becomes Best-Selling Car in Segment in First Month of Launch

The Triber compact MPV has just outsold the much cheaper Kwid hatchback in its very first month of launch, and has become the best-selling Renault car in India. The French automaker dispatched 2,490 units of the Triber to dealer stockyards across India while dispatching only 2,090 units of the Kwid. These sales numbers are among the lowest ever for the Kwid, which has seen a massive sales slide to coincide with the big slowdown that the Indian car industry is currently facing. The Kwid could bounce back this month though as a facelifted version is weeks away from launch. Given the fact that the launch of the facelifted Kwid will happen right in the middle of the festive season, we expect Renault to stuff inventory with the new model, and the Triber’s run as the automaker’s best-selling car could be a short-lived phenomenon.

The Triber was launched late last month as Renault’s first sub-4-meter 7 seat car. It’s a compact MPV with aggressive styling that gives it a crossover-ish stance. Even on the road, the Triber looks more like a crossover than an MPV. It shares its platform with the Kwid, which has given Renault the ability to price it very competitively.

At a starting price of Rs. 4.99 lakhs, the Renault Triber is one of the cheapest 7 seat cars that money can buy in India, slightly pricier than the likes of the Maruti Eeco and the Datsun Go Plus. The compact MPV shares its mechanical attributes with the Kwid. It’s powered by the 1 liter-3-cylinder petrol engine that puts out 72 Bhp-96 Nm, outputs that are slightly higher than those on the Kwid. This engine drives the front wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox.

Early next year. Renault will introduce a 5 speed AMT option on the Triber. Currently, the compact MPV is available in for trims: RXE, RXS, RXT and RXZ. Its 7-seat layout is the biggest selling point. The seating layout is quite flexible, in that it can be configured to seat 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 people. This gives the Triber tremendous flexibility in terms of carrying people and luggage.

Renault has aimed the compact MPV at younger buyers who want a high ground clearance, versatile people mover. The funky styling, digital instrument cluster and a touchscreen infotainment unit with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, are all features meant to appeal to younger buyers. In terms of safety, ABS, twin airbags, seat belt reminders, reverse parking sensors and an ISOFIX child seat mounts are standard on the Triber. Bookings are now open across all Renault dealerships. Test drives and deliveries are already on.