Renault India launched the Kwid hatchback on 24 September at an almost unbelievable starting price of Rs 2.56 lakh. The price made waves in the industry and gave some time to the likes of rivals Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. 

The vehicle has already proved to be a serious contender in the hatchback segment by registering over 25,000 bookings just in two weeks of launch.

Now, the French manufacturer  wants to capitalise on the popularity of the Kwid by aggressively pushing the hatchback in tier 2 and 3 cities reports The Economic Times.

The company is planning to use the online route and dealership expansion in these cities. Among the 25,000 bookings, 35% came from tier 2 and 3 cities, prompting Renault to focus on these cities. Renault is also planning to increase its dealership network to 205 outlets by the end of 2015.

"The interest from Tier 2 & 3 cities is good news because it shows that our customers in these markets are convinced with the cost of maintenance spare parts, mileage and value proposition of the Kwid. The initial booking data also shows 15 per cent of the buyers are female customers offering even wider diversity," said Sumit Sawhney, CEO and MD of Renault India operations.

The Kwid hatchback is powered by a 799cc 3-cylinder petrol motor, which is tuned to churn out 53bhp at 5,678rpm and a peak torque of 72Nm at 4,386rpm mated a 5-speed manual gearbox. The hatchback returns 25.17kmpl fuel efficiency which is the best in any petrol car sold in the country.

The Renault Kwid measures 3,679mm in length, 1,579 mm in width and 1,478mm in height with a wheelbase of 2422mm. It has 180mm of ground clearance and comes with 13-inch wheels.

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