Reviewed: Renault Triber AMT

An in-depth test drive review of the Renault Triber AMT

The addition of an AMT lends more convenience and also makes the Renault Triber an even better package

The Renault Triber has the advantage of being one of the most affordable 7-seaters in the Indian market today. When we drove this car last, we did come out impressed with the packaging that is offered for the price. The lack of an automatic was a negative point, but recently Renault launched the Triber AMT, and we’re driving it to find out whether it has any aces up its sleeve or not!

Exterior

No cosmetic changes have been made to the Renault Triber AMT, and it looks similar to the manual variant. Of course, there’s an Easy-R badge at the rear, but that’s about it. The Triber is a compact 7-seater and measures under 4 metres in length, and yet it manages to look very proportionate. The styling is pleasant to look at, and the design has an “offend-none” feel. Renault also offers some nice colour options with the Triber. The vehicle gets 15-inch steel rims, which have been styled to look like alloys.

Interior

The interior of the AMT variant is again similar to the manual variant, with the only change being the new gear lever and the absence of a clutch. The instrument cluster has a gear position indicator, and it beeps a warning when you shift from N to D or R without pressing the brake pedal. Renault has very smartly packaged the cabin of this 7-seater, and it has decent space in all three rows. The Triber is also decently feature-loaded, and it gets 4 airbags, ABS, touch screen infotainment system, manual AC, power windows, projector headlamps, push-button start, 4 speakers + 2 tweeters, reverse camera, 12V charging socket in the third row, etc. in the top variant which is indeed impressive. The seats are also quite comfortable and at par with other cars in this price range. Renault has also given a lot of importance to storage spaces, which are plenty in the cabin.

Performance

The Renault Triber AMT gets a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, petrol engine from the Energy series. It is offered on the Kwid, but it gets Dual VVT on the Triber. This engine is tuned to deliver 53 kW at 6250 RPM and 96 Nm at 3500 RPM, which is the same output as the manual variant. The engine is quiet at low revs but gets vocal after you cross 2500 RPM. It’s a small unit but pulls the car decently. The Triber now gets a 5-speed AMT which feels smoother than the one on Kwid, but yes while up shifting you do feel the head-toss movement that is generally felt in AMTs. When you’re driving fast, gear shifts can feel slow, but when you’re easy on the throttle, it feels smoother and manageable. Downshifts are a bit slow so quick overtakes on the highway need to be planned, otherwise a slow-down shift in the middle of an overtaking manoeuvre can get on your nerves.

The AMT offers decently quick and smooth shifts when you’re easy on the throttle and also gets a manual mode The AMT offers decently quick and smooth shifts when you’re easy on the throttle and also gets a manual mode

There is a manual mode too, and it makes sense to use it on inclines or sometimes to get better control of the gears while overtaking. The engine offers decent driveability in the city, but the power delivery isn’t very punchy, in fact, power is delivered in a flat manner. The Triber won’t disappoint in day-to-day runs, but you might have to take control of the gears sometimes. Renault is also working on a 1.0 turbo petrol engine, and that one should really spice things up. 

The engine offers decent driveability in the city, but the power delivery isn’t very punchy, in fact, power is delivered in a flat manner. The Triber won’t disappoint in day-to-day runs, but you might have to take control of the gears sometimes. Renault is also working on a 1.0 turbo petrol engine, and that one should really spice things up.

Driving Dynamics

Just like other Renault cars, the Triber also comes with a very sorted suspension setup. The ride quality is really impressive, and travelling on bad roads doesn’t really unsettle the car or offer a tiring experience to the passengers. The 182 mm ground clearance comes in to be really handy. The steering isn’t as felt as some other Renault cars, and it is quite vague, but it feels very light while driving in the city. The brakes offer good bite and the brake pedal has good progression.

Verdict

The price of the Renault Triber AMT is totally worth it if you are someone who wants convenience and if you are going to drive the car in traffic regularly. This vehicle has always come across as a VFM offering. The Triber doesn’t have any 7-seater rival in this price bracket apart from the Datsun GO+ which is quite smaller in comparison and no longer available as a new vehicle.

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Original article from: https://www.motorbeam.com/

Renault Kiger vs Renault Kwid Specs Compared

A detailed specs comparison of the Renault Kiger for sale and the entry-level Renault Kwid

Since the vehicle’s reveal, netizens have been busy comparing the Kiger with its hatchback sibling, Renault Kwid. So, we decided to do a proper on-paper comparison between Renault’s entry-level hatchback and its newest compact SUV.

Renault Kiger Vs Kwid – Exterior
The exterior design of the Kiger draws inspiration from the Kwid, and to be honest, that’s not a bad thing at all. The Kwid is quite a handsome vehicle, despite being just an entry-level car. It gets vertically-split headlamps and a large grille at the front. It also gets black plastic cladding on the bumper and wheel arches, which complete its crossover-inspired design.

The Kiger’s design is an evolution of the Kwid; it gets sleeker LED DRLs (with LED turn indicators), a sharper front grille, and sporty-looking bumpers. The main headlamp unit consists of three LED projectors on each side, and the C-shaped taillight is an LED unit as well. Overall, it looks sportier and more rugged than the Kwid. 

The Kiger is significantly larger than the Kwid, which isn’t a surprise. The Kiger is longer by 260 mm, wider by 171 mm, taller by 126 mm, and has a 78 mm longer wheelbase. At 184 mm, the ground clearance of the Kwid is impressive, but the Kiger trumps it by 21 mm.

Renault Kiger Vs Kwid – Interior
The Kiger gets a premium interior design, with a dark grey colour theme. Despite not being as large as some of its competitors, it has impressive interior space. There’s a lot of premium equipment on offer here, like a fully-digital TFT instrument cluster (7-inch), an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with Apple Carplay and Android Auto), and automatic climate control.

The Kiger also gets two glove boxes, a wireless smartphone charger, an air purifier, ambient cabin lighting, push-button start/stop, power-operated ORVMs, and a drive mode selector. Safety features consist of ABS with EBD, up to 4 airbags, rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera, hill start assist, traction control, vehicle dynamic control, and TPMS.

Renault Kwid has a much simpler interior design, and considering the price, it’s quite good. Space is a little cramped at the rear though. Also, the equipment list is quite small, in order to keep the price in check. Still, it gets keyless entry, an LED digital instrument cluster, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The car also gets ABS, EBD, up to 2 airbags, rear parking sensors, a reverse parking camera, and central locking with an alarm.

Renault Kiger Vs Kwid  – Specifications
Renault Kiger shares its powertrain options with the Nissan Magnite (along with the platform). There are two engines on offer here, both 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder units. One is a naturally aspirated motor, with 72 PS and 96 Nm on tap, while the other is a turbocharged mill, which develops 100 PS and 152 Nm. A 5-speed transmission comes standard, and buyers get optional AMT on the NA petrol and optional CVT on the turbo-petrol.

Renault Kiger Specifications 

Renault Kwid also gets two engine options. The first one is a 799cc motor, which can generate 40 Kw and 72 Nm, while the second one is a 999cc mill, good for 50 kW and 91 Nm. As standard, the car gets a 5-speed manual gearbox, with a 5-speed AMT being optional with the larger, 1.0-litre engine.

Renault Kwid Specifications

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Comparison compiled by https://gaadiwaadi.com/

What You Want To Know About The Revised Renault Duster In South Africa

The Renault Duster was given a refresh in 2021 that includes subtle visual enhancements as well as a rejigged line-up that adopts Renault’s latest model grade names that were first introduced with the Kiger.

While the range was previously offered in Expression, Dynamique and Prestige flavours, the UPDATED line-up gives you a choice of three ‘Zen’ models as well as a flagship ‘Intens’ variant (and that’s not a typo).

The 1.5 dCi Zen 4x2 kicks things off at R365 999. The midrange models, namely the Zen EDC auto and the Zen 4x4 manual model, are listed at R409,999 and R420,999 respectively, while the Intens EDC 4x2 is yours for R420,999 as well.

The exterior design changes are subtle and include the addition of a rear spoiler and newly-designed 16-inch alloy wheels (although 17” diamond cut alloys are available). Renault has also added some new exterior colours, giving buyers a wide range of hues that include Arizona Orange, Fusion Red, Iron Blue, Brown Vision, Comet Grey, Highland Grey and Ice White.

Inside the new Renault Duster, you’ll find a new semi-flush 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which boasts wireless smartphone replication mirror compatibility, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Standard features in the entry-level Zen model include automatic air conditioning, an infotainment system, cruise control, rear parking sensors, dual front airbags, ESC stability control and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Additionally, the flagship Intens derivative ships with a multi-view camera, hands-free card, Blind Spot Warning, Hill Descent Control, front and rear skid plate add-ons with satin chrome appearance, 17-inch alloy wheels and chrome door mirrors.

On the engine front, the normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine has fallen away, now that the Kiger has been introduced as Renault’s entry-level SUV.

This means all Duster models are powered by the familiar 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel mill, which produces 66kW and 210Nm in the entry 4x2 model and 80kW in the 4x2 EDS and 4x4 manual models, which have respective torque outputs of 250Nm and 260Nm. Claimed combined fuel consumption figures range between 4.8 l/100km for the EDC models and 5.1 l/100km in the case of the 4x2 manual.

All Renault Duster models are sold with a five-year/150 000km mechanical warranty and a three-year/45 000km service plan.

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Article sourced from https://www.iol.co.za/motoring

Which Renault Kiger Engine Is The Better Choice?

Both the naturally aspirated and turbo engines have very different character and are suited to different purposes.

Here’s an interesting question from a potential buyer: “Can I go in for the CVT variant of the Renault Kiger with the naturally aspirated engine? Also, is there any issue with the engine after a year?”

The Kiger’s naturally aspirated 1.0-litre engine is nowhere near as good as the 1.0-turbo, which belongs to a different engine family. You will feel a marked difference in the driving characteristics between the two engines. The naturally aspirated version, apart from being down on power, isn’t as smooth or refined as the turbo variant. If you are driving very short distances, the naturally aspirated version will do, but if you can stretch your budget, it’s the turbo model we would recommend.

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Info sourced from https://www.autocarindia.com/advice/

Long-Term Review Of The Renault Kwid Climber

The Kwid Climber replaces our S-Presso as the smallest member of the fleet..

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I got the keys to a brand-new Renault Kwid Climber, which has replaced our Maruti Suzuki S-Presso; incidentally, its main market rival. The Kwid is not entirely new to me, especially after using the pre-facelift 0.8 as well as 1.0-litre versions extensively in the last few years. This one is the heavily updated Kwid and, in Climber's guise, it gets some unique cosmetic elements. This mid-life update went on sale in India before the rest of the world, and I have to give it up to Renault’s designers for making a budget hatchback look so convincingly SUV-like. The Climber variant comes with 14-inch wheels, which add a lot to its looks. The double-layer headlamp design, with its LED DRLs above and headlamps below looks upmarket, and further sets the Climber apart are its eye-catching orange exterior accents, dark grey wheel covers and unique interior upholstery.

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Since we are now back to a work-from-home regime, the Kwid makes fewer trips to the office, but I have managed to put around 2,000km on it, since late February. Spend enough time driving any vehicle, and you’re sure to get a good, solid perspective of its performance, dynamics and capabilities. The Kwid is my de facto ride to various COVID-19 centres I visit as part of a volunteer water distribution project I am part of. It’s also my companion for my aviation photography sessions, where its small footprint is quite helpful for the tight parking spots we ‘spotters’ often find ourselves in.

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Having driven this car over a thousand kilometres, I’ve noticed the new Kwid feels a bit slower and less energetic than the earlier Kwid 1.0, which I thoroughly enjoyed during my 12km office commutes a few years ago. While the engine does sound a bit more refined, it now feels milder. This is likely due to the added weight from upgrades made to let it meet the newer crash test norms.

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Once you get going, the performance feels adequate for a regular city commute, and it also has just enough pep to keep up with highway traffic. What I did like about the updated Kwid’s engine is that the bottom end is slightly better and, along with a light clutch, helps reduce stress and effort while driving in heavy traffic.

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The Kwid has also received a major change on the inside with this facelift. The dashboard is all new and so is the steering wheel. I did find the seats a bit better contoured, but the big talking point is the 8.0-inch touchscreen which is the biggest in the class. While the audio quality from the two speakers in the dashboard remains nothing to write home about, the updated touchscreen system sort of makes up for it. Also, a good addition is a rear-view camera, which offers a surprisingly clear view of obstacles, unlike other budget cars that have a patchy, low-res feed. Apart from the added structural reinforcement, the Kwid now gets dual front airbags and ABS as standard, thanks to the recent government norms, giving me a little more peace of mind.

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As far as fuel economy goes, I am getting around 13.5kpl in the city, but the Kwid Climber 1.0 is still quite new and the odometer is still just above 2,000km, so it should improve. More on that in my next long-term report, where I’ll also look into the rear seat and what has changed there.

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The Renault Kwid price is quite competitive, and the same is true for the Climber variant.

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Review compiled by https://www.autocarindia.com/car-long-termer/

New Renault Clio V Builds On The Success Of The Clio 4

The fifth-generation Renault Clio arrived in South Africa at the start of 2022 after a delay of more than two years due to the Coronavirus pandemic and semiconductor chip shortage. Although the stylish hatchback is late to the party, it still has some prominent features that would help it compete with the new Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i20, and the Kia Rio. The fourth-generation Clio received lots of accolades around the globe, and the 2022 Renault Clio V builds on that success.

Trim levels and powertrain

The first non-tangible change for the Clio V is the new trim names. Renault has replaced the old Authentique, Expression, and Dynamique with entry-level LIFE, mid-level ZEN, and range-topping INTENS. 

The French carmaker gives buyers just one powertrain choice for the 2022 Clio V, i.e., a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol mill mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. While the engine might seem like carried over from the Clio IV, it basically has an entirely new motor producing 74 kW and 160 Nm of torque - 8 kW and 20 Nm more than the previous generation. The new powerplant is more fuel-efficient at 5.7L/100 km (claimed); however, in real-world testing, the reviewers witnessed around 6.9L/100Km.

Renault won’t want to offend the automatic gearbox lovers, so we expect a new mill and an auto variant sometime this year or for the refreshed 2023 Clio V.

Exterior

While the overall design of the new Clio V isn’t much different from the previous model, the new C-styled headlights and the new lower bumper give it an up-to-date appeal. Renault has also updated the rear styling with bigger LED rear lights built into the tailgate and a superbly incorporated chrome finish. Let’s not forget the concealed rear door handles that give the new hatchback a sophisticated look.

Interior

Renault is famous for its attractive cabin design, and the Clio V is no different. The interior looks upmarket, with most controls focused on the driver. The biggest highlight is the 9.3-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other salient features include two USB ports on the console and the digital instrument cluster that changes themes according to the drive mode.

To make the Clio V more capable, you can opt for the option that includes front parking sensors, a reverse-view camera, 17-inch diamond-cut alloys, a little bigger (9.3- in place of a 9.0-inch) display, and a wireless charging pad.

The new 2022 Clio V is a little more compact than its predecessor, but that doesn’t make it less spacious for carrying luggage. In fact, the cargo room has increased by 61 litres to take the total volume to an inspiring 391 litres with the rear seats up. Fold them flat, and the capacity increases to around 1069 litres.   

Renault Clio price

The 2022 Renault Clio V starts at R307,999 for the entry-level LIFE and R322,999 for the mid-level ZEN. The flagship INTENS model goes for R362,999. All Clio models come with a 5-year/150,000 km warranty and a service plan.

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Info sourced from https://www.motorhappy.co.za/motorhappyblog/

Renault’s Clio 5 Rivals The Polo

Renault launched the fifth-generation Clio in 2019, though it only reached SA in 2022.

At first glance, the new model doesn't look remarkably different from the previous model, but there are plenty of new features to write home about and to set it apart to the keen eye, like the broader shoulders, lower roofline, and more sculpted lines. The radiator grille is also raised and broader, while the signature C-shaped LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) and Headlights add to its more assertive look.

And while it might not be chalk and cheese to the average consumer, it's because Renault says it's they've taken a winning formula and just refined it to create an even better little city car than before.

Same, same but different

In the week when Volkswagen has launched a brand new Polo range, with the GTI model being its range-topper, news that there'll be no Clio R.S model is a very bitter pill to swallow. But even more interesting is that A Life nomenclature also denotes Renault's entry-level model, much like VW. 

It's crazy to think the Clio for sale is already more than three-decades-old, and the name still stirs some kind of excitement when hearing it. Despite the first Clio only arriving in SA in the year 2000, with the second generation model, it's one of those cars that get better with age, constantly evolving with the times to keep up with modern trends and needs.

Since its local introduction, more than 76 000 models have been sold here, while more than 34 800 of those were from the fourth generation from 2013. While the styling is not radically different to the previous model, it's inside where there have been significant upgrades. And, it's really this car's success story as the brand has kept its DNA by taking something from every generation before it, especially its robust design, which has set the tone for the brand's most recent models.

New premium materials are evident, along with better build quality and higher-spec equipment. The cabin is also more driver-orientated for more comfort and convenience, and the car comes in six body colours. There's a new 9.3-inch Easy Link infotainment touchscreen on the tech front, multi-sense driving modes, park distance control, and cruise control. Safety features include Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Auto High Beam Control (HBC).

It has a lot to go up against, namely the brand new VW Polo, but also the Hyundai i20, Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta, and the Kia Rio - all with competitive pricing too, and all outstanding cars. And this is where the Clio will have to fight really hard to make its mark in the local line-up with such compelling options on offer to South Africans. Perhaps in recent years, the Clio had an advantage for being such a forward-thinking and dynamic package, but everyone else has come to the party, all having their hands raised up high, saying, 'Pick me, pick me.

So what's it like to drive?

Under the bonnet is a brand 3-cylinder 1.0-litre TCe 100 (turbo) petrol engine delivering 74kW and 160Nm. Power figures see an improvement of 8kW and 20Nm compared to the Clio IV, with CO2 emissions of 132g/100km. Renault also says fuel consumption has been reduced by 10%, with a claimed figure of 5.7 litres/100km in a combined fuel cycle.

At first, you'd think the new Clio is a tad bit underwhelming, and you're probably more than likely to stall a couple of times with the manual transmission. Don't try putting your foot flat in the corner too, or you'll be disappointed, just like you'll be slumped going up a hill.

But here's the thing about the new Clio; driving it is like going on a first date - you can't possibly know everything about your new love interest at first glance; you need to take some time and get to know them better. The same applies here, and once you take the time to play with the throttle, it's hardly mundane at all.

The 1.0-litre engine is feisty, but you have to know how to lure that out. Power figures are only 74kW at 2500rpm. But you need to hit it at the sweet spot of 5000rpm and keep it in that power band to get the most out of this little hot hatch, and then it really comes out of its shell and holds its own on sweeping S-bends in any of the Cape's delectable mountain passes to hold its own.  

Renault has hit the nail on the head with its smaller city cars like the Kwid, Kiger, and Triber, all selling really well for the brand and bringing in hundreds of sales numbers every month, consistently bringing in a tally of over 2000 units. It will be interesting to see if the Clio could move that many units too. If it does, Renault will make a killing and bump its ranking up from the fifth place in the automaker standings and market share.

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Review compiled by https://www.news24.com/wheels/