Renault India has added another variant to the Kwid line-up and it’s called the Climber. The company had showcased the Kwid Climber at the 2016 Auto Expo and since then, according to the carmaker, it has received numerous queries with regards to this car and which is why it’s launched this new edition. The Kwid Climber costs ₹ 4.30 lakh for the 5-speed manual variant while the AMT costs ₹ 4.60 lakh (both prices ex-showroom Delhi) and is basically the Kwid with a cosmetic update.
The Kwid Climber will only be available in the more powerful 1.0 litre petrol engine and is available in both a 5-speed manual and automated manual transmission (AMT). It will be available over the top-end RXT (O) variant in manual transmission with three colour options – Electric Blue, Outback Bronze and Planet Grey. Bookings have commenced across all Renault dealerships in India.
There are a few embellishments added to the exterior of the Kwid Climber
The ground clearance of the Kwid Climber remains unchanged
The Renault Kwid has been able to dent the sales of the Maruti Suzuki Alto, which was the segment leader in this segment. In fact, in the first eight months of FY 2016-17 Alto sales have taken a hit. Sales have declined by 7.4 per cent to 1,62,894 units, while the Renault Kwid has shot up to 73,676 units from 11,044 units sold in the same period the year before. The Kwid has been looking good and has already garnered 20 per cent market share in this segment. Having already sold 1,30,000 units since its launch in 2015, the Kwid has been successful in creating a benchmark for the segment and with the Climber, Renault is pushing the envelope by introducing more options on the Kwid.
Sumit Sawhney, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India said, “The Renault Kwid Climber has been developed keeping in mind specific customer needs and caters to diverse audiences, becoming the perfect offering for young achievers who are moving up places steadfastly. This new launch reflects our intent to keep pace with global innovations and at the same time make products to suit the local needs.” He also went on to state than currently Renault sells 8000-10000 units of the Kwid and it will reach the milestone of selling 1,50,000 units by the end of March 2017.
Renault Kwid Climber side mirror
The Kwid Climber we saw back then stood higher off the ground and did justice to the word baby-SUV. Built for venturing away from the beaten track it got raised ground clearance, wide track, short overhangs. However, these changes have not been incorporated in the one that’s been launched. The ground clearance remains the same and it’s only the cosmetic changes that try and add a bit of pizzaz to the entire look. While majority of the changes are on the outside, the launch colour, Alpine Blue looks extremely good on the car. The side mirrors, roof rails and bash plate all get painted in orange.
The Renault Kwid Climber comes with new 6 spoke wheel cover
The Kwid Climber comes with a new set of six spoke wheels which we’ll see on the Kwid for the first time. The cabin is a familiar place now gets an orange upholstery with the ‘Climber’ insignia, new vibrant orange accents on the AC vents and on the centre fascia, a two-tone orange gear knob and orange door trim accents on the front and rear doors. The ‘Climber’ name plate makes its way on the and the steering wheel as well.
The Climber’s cabin is similar to that of the Kwid with just a few orange inserts on the dash and uphostery
Features like the power windows, touchscreen infotainment system with navigation as well as USB and AUX support make their way into the Kwid Climber. All these features are already available on the RXT(O) variant. You also get seatbelt pretensioner and driver side airbag. We do miss ABS on the hatchback, which would’ve made an interesting addition to the entry-level model.
As far as the engine is concerned, the Kwid Climber will come equipped with a more powerful 1.0 litre engine and we don’t expect a bump in power either. The 1.0 litre engine produces 67 bhp and develops 91 Nm of torque and as we said, it won’t change. The Kwid Climber will come in both the manual transmission and the AMT.
The Renault Kwid Climber is pricier than the top-end variant by ₹ 29,000
Renault has already set a benchmark with the Kwid and at the 2016 Auto Expo, we were told that there will be more iterations of the car launched and the Climber is part of that plan. Considering that Maruti Suzuki is already working on the next-gen Alto which will also be a baby SUV of sorts, Renault holds the first mover advantage but yes, the ‘Climber’ name plate could have been put to better use and well, and there could have been more investment gone into the making of the car to create a new segment altogether. But we’ll have to be content with this one for the time being.
[“source-ndtv”]