Renault Kwid bookings inching towards record 1 lakh; Kwid AMT and 1.0litre variant to be launched soon

French auto maker Renault has been etching success stories with its new offering Kwid since its entry into the domestic market in September last year. The latest is that the Kwid has raked in record bookings of nearly one lakh within four months of its debut in the Indian market.

Sumit Sawhney, MD and CEO, Renault India confirmed at the Auto Expo 2016 that the Kwid, which is still going strong in terms of sales in the country, has garnered bookings of nearly one lakh. Recent reports had said that Renault will start a third shift at its facility in Chennai to ramp up production. The third shift has reportedly also been planned to accommodate the new Kwid variants, which made their debut at the auto show in Delhi.

At the ongoing Auto Expo, the French auto maker showcased four variants of its popular Kwid -- - Kwid 1.0litre SCe, Kwid Eas-R AT, Kwid Climber and Kwid Racer. While the Kwid Racer and Climber are still in the development stage, the other two variants -- Kwid AMT and Kwid 1.0litre -- could make their market entry soon.

The new 1000cc avatar of Kwid gets 1.0litre DOHC smart control efficiency engine, which offers good drivability on the city roads and on highways. On the other hand, the Kwid Easy-R AT, the AMT model of the Kwid, now gets 5-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT).

The current model of Kwid carries 799cc three-cylinder petrol motor under the hood, which is tuned to churn out 53bhp and a peak torque of 72Nm with a five-speed manual gearbox. Offered in four variants — Standard, RxE, RxL and RxT -- Kwid is the first car to be built on the CMF-A platform and offers the best-in-class mileage at 25.17kmpl. The company recently hiked the prices of the Kwid by up to Rs 11,000.