Renault Kwid 1000cc booking starts, AMT variant to be launched later

French car-maker Renault showcased the Kwid hatchback with 1000cc engine and AMT transmission at the Auto Expo 2016. The launch of the 1.0-litre engine powered Kwid is touted by the end of this month. Ahead of the launch, many dealers have already started accepting bookings for the new Kwid variant.

A report in Autocar India says the dealerships are promising deliveries of the Kwid 1000cc in October. According to other reports, the Kwid AMT gearbox variant will not enter market soon and it has been reserved for a later stage.

The biggest addition in the new variant is the engine. While the current Kwid variants are powered by a 799cc three-cylinder petrol motor tuned to churn out 53bhp at 5,678rpm and a peak torque of 72Nm at 4,386rpm, the new avatar of the hatchback will come with a 1,000cc petrol unit expected to develop over 65bhp mated to five-speed manual transmission. This is also in response to the customer response that demands more power in the Kwid.

The Kwid 1.0-litre is identical to the currently selling 800cc engine version in terms of design. The 1.0-litre model is also expected to come with better safety features. Renault is currently offering an optional single airbag only in the top-end RxT variant. The Kwid 1.0-litre engine model prices are expected to start at Rs 3.5 lakh.

Renault Kwid, which made its debut in September 2015, has become one of the most successful cars for the company with over 1.5 lakh bookings so far. Renault is working to bring down Kwid's waiting period from three months currently to one month.