It seems like Renault has realised that the market for automatic cars in India is on a rapid growth. Gone are the times when an automatic transmission was cited as costly and high-maintenance.
Rather, now, an automatic transmission car is seen as a convenience and a blessing in the everyday bumper to bumper traffic. Renault first used the automatic wand with its big SUV - the Duster, and is now all set to do the same with its mini-SUV, the Kwid.
First showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo, the Renault Kwid with the 'Easy-R' transmission garnered quite a lot of attention. What fascinated the audience most was the knob shifter which had never been seen before in this or even multiple segments above it. The place where the gear shifter usually exists now lies vacant as an additional storage space (not that the Kwid needed any more storage space?). Like the 1.0-litre iteration of the Kwid, the AMT will only be offered with the top end 'RXT' trims. Let's have a closer look at the Renault Kwid AMT and check out what all it hides under its belly.
Mechanicals
First things first, the automatic transmission. As we told you, the 'Easy-R' AMT transmission will only be available with the 1.0-litre engine. Every other thing, including the capacity(999cc), power(68PS) and torque(91Nm) remain the same. Even the auto-box is a 5-speed automatic which replaces the 5-speed manual. The gears are switched by rotating a knob which is placed below the air-con knobs and along the power window switches. This knob lets you choose between drive (D), neutral (N) and reverse (R) options. There is no parking mode or any type of manual/sport mode.
The only other rival of the Kwid 1.0-litre which has an automatic transmission is the Maruti Alto K10. The K10 comes with an Auto Gear Shift (AGS) gearbox which is also a 5-speed unit.
Features
In terms of features, the Kwid 'Easy-R' AMT remains identical to the Kwid 1.0-litre RXT and RXT(O). This means that the Kwid AMT will come with all the bells and whistles which made it a hit in the Indian market. These include a seven-inch MediaNAV touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, front power windows, piano black inserts with chrome outlines on the dashboard, remote keyless entry with central locking, fade out cabin lights, rear parcel tray and the masculine SUV-like looks.
Price
Like the top-end Maruti Alto K10 VXI(O) AGS, which is about Rs 33,000 costlier than its corresponding manual variant, the Renault Kwid will also be about Rs 35,000 more than the 1.0-litre variant. This means that the Renault Kwid AMT will approximately cost about Rs 4.2 lakh in the Indian market. Stay tuned for all the updates on the Renault mini-SUV.
Source: CarDekho.com
