French automaker, Renault is planning to develop a sub-4 meter compact SUV for the Indian market. The new compact SUV will be based on the Kwid platform. Not just India, this SUV will also go on sale in the international markets. The compact SUV will be built on the extended CMF-A+ platform and will have a high amount of local components. Codenamed HBC, the small SUV is expected to be the most affordable in its league. Ahead of its launch, a speculative rendering of the small SUV has been revealed online.
The Renault HBC micro SUV will rival the likes of Mahindra KUV100, Maruti Ignis and others in its category. While the engine and transmission details of the SUV are yet to be revealed, the Kwid SUV is expected to receive petrol engine only. The mini-SUV could also get an electric option in future.
The India-spec Kwid Compact SUV is likely to be equipped with a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine that churns out a maximum power output of 67bhp and a peak torque of 91Nm. For transmission duties, the SUV could get a 5-speed manual and AMT option. It is expected that the micro-SUV will share several new features and body panels from the Kwid. However, the micro SUV will have better structural integrity. The company could also develop a new and more powerful petrol engine to power this SUV. Read – Upcoming Renault Cars In India
Besides compact SUV, Renault is also working on a 7-seater crossover-ish MPV for the Indian market. This model is likely to make global debut in the second half of this year or early 2019. It will rival the likes of Datsun GO+ MPV, which is also an extended version of the GO hatchback. Codenamed RBC, the new model will share mechanics with the Kwid hatchback. It is likely to be the most affordable 7-seater MPV in the country. The RBC will rival the Datsun GO+ and the upcoming Maruti WagonR 7-seater MPV.
