Renault launches Kwid with price starting at Rs 2.57 lakh

French auto major Renault on Thursday launched one of the most awaited cars of this year 'Kwid' in India with introductory price starting at Rs 2.57 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The hatchback, which would come in four variants and two options, is priced between Rs 2.57 lakh and Rs 3.53 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The vehicle is equipped with various segment leading features and is also the country's most fuel efficient petrol car. 

The small car directly rival against the likes of the already established brands including Maruti Alto, Hyundai Eon, Maruti Celerio, Datsun Go and Maruti Suzuki WagonR. The small car comes in four trim levels- Standard, RxE, RxL and RxT. Dimensionally, the Kwid measures 3,679mm in length, 1,579mm in width, 1,471mm in height, and it comes with a wheelbase of 2422mm. The vehicle has a segment leading ground clearance of 180mm, which ensures hassle free driving even on rough roads. The Kwid offers an excellent boot space of 300-litres, which can be further extended up to 115-litres by folding the rear seats. 

Renault Kwid will draw power from 799cc 3-cylinder petrol motor, which is tuned to churn out 54PS and a peak torque of 72Nm. The model is expected to offer the best-in class mileage at 25.17kmpl. As for transmissions, Kwid is likely to include both manual and automated manual transmission (AMT) options. The Kwid is also rumoured to include a1.0-litre petrol engine in its engine line-up later this year.

Renault Kwid, a small hatch designed like an SUV is expected to be launched infour variants -- Standard, RxE, RxL and RxT. From what we hear, the new small car in the Indian market will be available in five exterior body shades of Fiery Red, Ice Cool White, Planet Grey, Moonlight Silver and Outback Bronze.

 

In terms of dimensions, Renault Kwid measures 3679mm long, 1579mm tall and 1471mm wide. It has an impressive wheelbase of 2422mm with class leading ground clearance of 180 mm and a boot capacity of 300 litre.

Renault Kwid will come with the segment's first ever touchscreen Media-Nav Navigation System with a seven-inch display, digital instrument console, alloy wheels, chrome door handles, chrome touched tail lights, roof rails and side body cladding.

 

“Kwid is astutely designed, loaded with class leading features and comes at a compelling price point. No car can be compared to Kwid at this point in time,” Renault India Operations’ country CEO and managing director Sumit Sawhney told reporters in New Delhi.

The company has taken the localization level to 98% in Kwid, the highest ever by an auto manufacturer in India at the onset of launch, he added.

Renault Kwid Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Renault Kwid Std (Base) - Rs. 2.56 lakh

Renault Kwid RxE - Rs.2.88 lakh

Renault Kwid RxE (O) - Rs. 2.94 lakh

Renault Kwid RxL - Rs. 3.11 lakh

Renault Kwid RxT - Rs. 3.44 lakh

Renault Kwid RxT (O)- Rs. 3.53 lakh

FIAT launches Avventura in India

Fiat Group Automobiles India, the fully owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, today launched compact sports utility vehicle Avventura at a price starting from Rs 5.99 lakh.

The new Avventura is a compact crossover model from Fiat India. It is based on the Punto platform and shares majority of its underpinnings and interior with the former. It is the Italian automaker’s entry into the now trending hatchback-based compact crossover segment which has been getting a lot of attention from Indian buyers lately. Other players in this segment at the moment include the Volkswagen Cross Polo and the Toyota Etios Cross.

Fiat is planning to go on the offensive in 2014 for India to turn around its fortunes and the first in the scheme of things will be the Fiat Punto Avventura, which as the name suggests is a ‘tougher’ variant of the Grande Punto.

Fiat Avventura price list (ex-showroom Delhi) is as below:

Fiat Avventura Petrol Price In India

Fiat Avventura Active Petrol is priced at Rs. 5.99 Lakhs

Fiat Avventura Dynamic Petrol is priced at Rs. 7.05 Lakhs

Fiat Avventura Diesel Price In India

Fiat Avventura Active Diesel is priced at Rs. 6.89 Lakhs

Fiat Avventura Dynamic Diesel  is priced at Rs. 7.65 Lakhs

Fiat Avventura Emotion Diesel is priced at Rs. 8.17 Lakhs

JAZZ UP YOUR CAR

Fancy accessories add up to a great looking car that gives you a comfy drive too.

Cars are not just for driving–as we all know. Cars are also meant for showing off, meant for comfort and meant for style. The six month or yearly trips to the workshop for a dose of maintenance are also not enough. Driving a great set of wheels means driving something that looks good, feels good and impresses the world. And no matter what type of car you drive, not matter what it costs, accessorising means adding a great deal of oomph value to the baby. It also improves the functionality of your car.

What kind of accessories do you get?
Think of all the hours you spend commuting to and fro when it comes to work. Think of the time you spend driving around your family, shopping for groceries, dropping the kids off to school... Seems like part of your life is spent inside the car, isn’t it? So it’s obvious that you’d want it all dolled up, with some fancy gizmos and extras to give you a comfortable drive. What are the accessories that you should be focusing on?

FOCUS ON INTERIORS
Car seat covers:
The first thing to remember after getting anew car is to get car seat covers. Apart from protecting the seats from grime and these also add padding to make seating comfortable. Seat covers in the market now cost anything from Rs 1500 to Rs 4500 and more... (the fancier the car or the brand the higher the prices). While choosing seat covers, pick one with extra padding if you need more cushion. Seat covers made of fabrics like neoprene or polyurethane keep the temperature regulated when the weather warms up. You can make a statement of sorts with leather covers or contrast cream interiors with brightly coloured covers.

Floor mats:
Your car will have a carpet when it comes from the manufacturer. To not ruin it thanks to the dirt and grime from your shoes and to add to the good looks of your car, floor mats are mandatory. Rubber or coir, there are various options for your car mats. Get one with some colour to brighten up the interiors of your car.

Steering wheels:
Ah! the thin, boring steering wheel that came with your new car... It made driving such a chore, didn’t it? Now, increase your car’s style quotient with something fancy... Like racing- style steering wheels, comfortable foam- padded steering wheels, leather steering wheels or something unusual.

Shift knobs:
Shift knobs, too, can be changed to something fancy. Today, the market will give you everything... from racing cars to classic cars.

Gauges:
Does your dash need some flash? If you don’t have twinkling and blinking instrumentation –something like the cockpit of a Boeing 737 –on your dashboard, it doesn’t feel like you are doing much driving, are you? If parts to improve the performance of your vehicle are added to your car, check out how these are working with gauges. Make sure they are in tune with the factory parts of your car.

Organisers:
Create order out of chaos. You find some fancy organisers in car markets nowadays and these come in use when you want to stash away your papers, cellphone, organisers and other important stuff.

EXTERIOR CAR ACCESSORIES
Ooh la la! This is a whole new ballgame altogether. Get the old lady glowing with fancy lights, grand fog lights –everything that add up to making her look more fancy on the speed bahn. However, before that it would be important to consult the little black book of traffic rules and find out what is challan- able and what is not. Do remember, however, that exterior car accessories can improve the safety quotient of your car.

Car lights:
The blue- white of Xenon bulbs make for bold cars –traffic rules permitting. Some people go in for neon under- car lights to add some drama to the drive. Fog lights, etc are also critical to safety when you are driving in foggy conditions. Always ensure that you get the best of makes when it comes to your car lights. Rear lights too are of various kinds. You can get something fancy for your number plates to show off too.
In-car entertainment systems:
From LCD monitors, ceiling ACs and ceiling monitors to DVD players for some super movie- watching and music- listening, entertainment inside cars is getting so hi- tech that there will come a time when you won’t just feel like stepping out of your car.

Roof racks:
Need extra space when you’re packing up your car for a vacation and some things just won’t fit in the trunk? Get some fancy roof racks and pile on the stuff. A great way to utilise space.

Grilles:
These don’t have much to do for the performance of your vehicle, but grilles make for some real fancy car decor. Stylish grilles are very popular with people who want to bling it on with style.

CREATE A LOOK
Sometimes, car designers can work wonders with your vehicle. Some TV programmes feature great ideas to dress up one’s drive. While you can get your mechanic to do some upgrades, you can use your creativity and work out some very stylish themes. Use a few accessories to create magic.

Batmobile anyone?
Get a great paint job, with some sleek xenon lights and silver car seats. See if someone can add tail fins.

Movie star looks:
Flashing a red car? Try to get under car lights in the same colour. See if anyone will tailor you seat covers with flecks of gold, or silvery tones. Add some really flashy gauges to make your dash look like something from outer space, and hooray... You are a star on the road.

Get eyeballs to stick:
Creative paint jobs –seen the ones that look like bullet holes? –fancy sunscreens, weird car colours, antennas in the front over the windscreens, everything that looks otherworldly and grand should be tried out. You are going from one place to the other, and giving people something to look at is not such a bad idea, is it?