French auto major Renault on Wednesday made its global unveil of its compact multi-purpose vehicle Triber in India. The Renault Triber, barring the Datsun Go+ MPV, is the only sub-four-metre offering in India to get three rows of seats.
The Renault Triber is compact and does carry resemblance to the Kwid, but has new headlights, a new grille, a squared-off rear section and an upright stance.
The interior of Renault Triber comes with a dual-tone colour scheme, a 3.5-inch LCD screen in the instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The infotainment system features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The second row is adjustable horizontally and comes with a reclining and split folding function. The third row can be removed to increase the boot space up to 625 litres.
The Renault Triber will be powered by an upgraded version of the 1.0-litre (BR10) engine used in the Kwid. The three-cylinder petrol engine will make 72hp and 96Nm of torque. The transmission options of the Triber at launch will be a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 5-speed automated manual transmission (AMT). Renault is expected to add a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine to the Triber line-up by mid-2020.
The Renault Triber is expected to be priced at around Rs 5.5 lakh.
The Renault Triber is the outcome of a joint project between Renault teams in India and France and is the world's first vehicle specifically designed for the Indian market, the company said.
"India is a key market for Groupe Renault. We are still young to India, yet our ambitions are high in line with our 'Drive the Future' strategic plan: we aim at doubling our sales by 2022," Groupe Renault Chief Executive Officer Thierry Bollor told reporters here.
He further said, "For that reason, we are bringing Renault Triber, another breakthrough concept, targeted for India's core market."
The compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) has been conceived, developed and produced in India, for Indian customers first, before it is taken to the world, Bollor said.
"It is a real game-changer," he said.
Renault said it is aiming to double the sales volume to two lakh units annually over the next three years in India.
Commenting on design innovation around Triber, Groupe Renault Executive Vice-President (Corporate Design) Laurens van den Acker said the goal was to design a car that would transform according to the many needs and the many lives of customers.
"Whether they are parents, lovers, a friends' group, a family pack, whatever their tribe, whatever their lifestyle, Renault Triber should adapt," he said. The model offers an attractive, robust and compact design and is re-inventing space for all, he said.
"We are proud of our latest breakthrough, which turned a length challenge into a miracle within 4 metres," Acker added.
The Renault Triber will be manufactured at the Chennai plant and hit the Indian market in the second half of 2019.
—With inputs from PTI