Renault Kwid
Renault KwidIBTimes India

It looks like, finally, we have the launch date of the much-awaited new avatar of the popular entry-level hatchback, the Kwid. French auto-maker Renault's Kwid has become a great success in India and the hatchback is now getting a powerful 1.0 litre engine.

While the company has confirmed that the Kwid 1.0 litre, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2016, in February, will be launched in the country in August, it did not reveal the exact launch date. Now, a GaadiWaadi report, says that the new Kwid is scheduled for launch on August 23. The Kwid 1.0 litre will also be open for bookings through Paytm from the same day. The dealers of Renault have already started accepting the bookings for the Kwid 1.0 litre and the deliveries of the new avatar of the much-acclaimed model is expected to begin in September.

Renault is said to be working towards bringing down the waiting period of the Kwid. The Kwid, which is on sale now, commands a waiting period of three months and it is likely to go up with the arrival of the new powerful model. Renault is targeting a production of 10,000 units of the Kwid and is expecting to reduce the waiting period to one month.

Coming back to the Kwid 1.0 litre, the new avatar of the hatchback will be powered by a 1,000cc petrol unit that is expected to develop over 65bhp, mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Renault is expected to launch an automated manual transmission (AMT) avatar of the Kwid later this year. The new Kwid is also expected to include safety features such as dual Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbags and anti-lock braking system.

The current Kwid in India is 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 1.0 litre Kwid is likely to get a price tag starting at Rs. 3.15 lakh.