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

Maruti Alto 800 launched at Rs 2.44 lakh

Maruti Suzuki, India's largest car maker has launched its much awaited Alto 800 at Rs 2.44 lakh to 3.56 lakh ex showroom New Delhi for petrol and CNG variant. Available in an updated design package, the 2012 Alto 800 will be available in six trim levels including CNG versions.

 

Maruti Suzuki said, the company has already received bookings of over 10,000 units of Alto 800. 

 

The world's biggest-selling small car was revamped on Tuesday when Maruti Suzuki India Ltd launched a new version of its Alto model, clocking over 10,000 pre-orders as it tries to fend off rising competition in the entry-level car market. The existing Alto F8 will be discontinued while the K10 will not have the design changes seen on the new Alto 800.

The Alto 800 has a lot of changes under the hood. There is a new plastic intake system (the older one was aluminium), a new lighter crankshaft, a new cylinder head, new piston rings and a new gearbox. All this combined boosts the output to 48PS and 69Nm which is an 11 per cent increase from the previous model.

 

Maruti is also claiming a fuel economy of 22.7kmpl for the petrol powered variants and 30.46km/kg for the CNG ones. As far as safety is concerned, the Alto will be offered with an optional driver airbag in higher trims and ABS.

 

Since 1984, Maruti's entry-level models have outsold anything in India's car market, as millions of middle-class families and first-time owners in the developing country flocked to its Maruti 800 model and its successor, the Alto.

 

"Our engineering team has made many innovations to offer more space, improve driveability and safety to customers," Shinzo Nakanishi, Maruti's managing director, told reporters.

The new car's petrol model offers 15 percent greater fuel efficiency, he said. Maruti, controlled by Japan's Suzuki Motor, has had over 10,000 pre-orders for the Alto since bookings were opened in late September, Nakanishi added.

 

Cheap to buy and run, the Alto 800's two predecessors became instant best-sellers in a sector that Maruti Suzuki dominated until the late 1990s. As more automakers have muscled into the market, and more Indians had the cash for larger cars, its grip has slipped.

 

In the fiscal year that ended in March, Maruti sold over 310,000 Altos, making it the world's biggest selling small car. Indians bought 2.02 million cars that year. Sales of Maruti's entry-level models are down 21 percent so far in the current fiscal year, hit by rising competition from rivals such as Hyundai Motor Co's Eon and Tata Motors Nano model.

 

 

2012 Maruti Alto 800 prices (ex-Delhi)

Alto 800 Standard (Petrol): Rs 2.44 lakh

Alto 800 LX (Petrol): Rs 2.76 lakh

Alto 800 LXi (Petrol): Rs 2.99 lakh

Alto 800 Standard (CNG): Rs 3.19 lakh

Alto 800 LX (CNG): Rs 3.37 lakh

Alto 800 LXi (CNG): Rs 3.56 lakh