Renault launches Kwid 1L at Rs 3.82 lakh

Will compete with Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 and Hyundai Eon

French car maker Renault has expanded its presence in the entry-level car segment with the launch of a one-litre engine Kwid at the price of Rs 3.82 lakh (ex showroom, Delhi). This model will compete with Maruti Suzuki’s Alto K10, which has a comparable engine.

The first Kwid, launched with a 0.8-litre engine last September, has emerged as a prominent player  and is competing with Maruti’s Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon. The new model is expected to bring more volumes.

The one-litre Kwid has two variants with the top one priced at Rs 3.95 lakh. Both variants are priced Rs 22,000 higher than the identical variants of the 0.8-litre Kwid. The one-litre vehicle will cater to buyers looking for a more powerful vehicle. The price of the one-litre Kwid, however, is more than the entry variant of Alto K10. The LX variant of Alto K10, for instance, is priced at Rs 3.3 lakh (ex-showroom). The new Kwid model boasts of superior and additional features compared to the K10. It comes with features such as sport designer graphics on the doors, pro-sense seat belt pre-tensioners with load limiters, among others.

The company has received 165,000 bookings for the 800cc Kwid so far. Deliveries of 80,000 vehicles have been done and there is a waiting period of two-three months. Bookings for the one-litre Kwid has started.

“Kwid was an innovation in design, innovation and value. The one-litre engine is the best in its category in the country. We look forward to welcoming more customers into the Renault family,” said Sumit Sawhney, country chief executive officer and managing director at Renault India.

When asked if the one-litre Kwid will eat into the sales of the 0.8-litre vehicle, Sawhney said there would be rationalisation and some buyers would graduate to the more powerful variant.

Kwid has helped Renault to occupy the sixth position in the domestic passenger vehicle market with a 4.5 per cent market share. It has grown sales volume by 195 per cent in the current calendar year.