Making something new in the compact car segment is not an easy task. You can play with the design, but not much. However, you can't play with production costs however you want, because the end price must be attractive to the market.

This automatically reduces the ability to offer many options that attract customers. These frames make cars in the segment not very attractive, narrow inside, with dull dynamic performance and designed for people who buy their first car in their lives.

To go beyond these market boundaries, you must do something exceptional and special. Carlos Ghosn found an interesting solution to this problem by bringing 69-year-old Gerard Deturbet back to work in retirement, inviting him to do the impossible as the project's chief engineer. And the result was the Renault Kwid, a small car never seen before in this segment. In fact, this car has every chance of becoming a big market success, similar to that achieved by Dacia / Renault Duster (http://www.renaultbook.ru/en/Duster) in the top market class.

So what is Renault Kwid?

This is a brand new model designed and manufactured in India with an incredible localization of production reaching 98%, mainly from the brand's production facilities in Chennai, India. Kwid is the first model to use the new Renault-Nissan platform, which will be used for other future models of its brands.

Engine 3-cylinder, gasoline, 800 cc. See, SC. The acronym stands for "Smart Control Efficiency" and Renault (http://www.renaultbook.ru/en) is not kidding. Three cylinders provide 54 hp. and maximum torque of 72 Nm. The tank of the car is 28 liters, which theoretically means that on a single charge you can drive a full 704 km. The good news is that a one-liter engine is being prepared, as well as an automatic transmission option for the car's current five-speed manual.

The car's certified consumption is 25.17 km per liter / 3.97 liters per 100 /, making the Kwid officially the most economical model available in the Indian market. How did they manage to achieve this? In six years of development of an ultra-efficient and lightweight engine, it took almost half of all the funds spent on the development of a new model. The rest was design and the search for maximum lightness, which ultimately led to a final 669 kilograms of the car, which turned out to be 100 kilograms lighter even the Tata Nano. One way to achieve this is to use a lot of plastic even in amazing places like the engine oil pan, which definitely carries a serious risk.

The strongest feature of the car, which will be the biggest plus for buyers, is its design. It puts the model in the league of premium and expensive small hatchbacks. Renault designers really managed to make the look of the car fascinating. And not only that - the manufacturer defines the model as a micro-SUV. And this is confirmed by the high ground clearance of 180 mm, black plastic protective covers, a typical off-road kit accessory, a 300-liter boot - the longest and most voluminous in the segment, bulging fenders, an invariable feature of the car. The interior allows you to safely accommodate people even taller than 180 cm.

Another eye-catching feature of the car is the use of the Duster-derived MediaNav system without compromising its capabilities, which means you have a 7-inch touchscreen that controls the audio system, Bluetooth telephony and streaming, sat-nav. USB / Aux-In support is available plus a USB charger for phones. The microphone of the system is located right at the driver's head and is very sensitive. There is a lot of space for small things, there are two frogs on the dashboard plus an open one, liter bottles can be placed in the doors.

Power windows have power accessories in front, and their buttons are located on the center console, as in the previous Duster. The instrument panel is fully digital with a speedometer, on-board computer and a gear indicator. While the car has not been crash tested on a European or US model, Renault says it meets all requirements of Indian safety laws.

Why are we still telling you about a car that is currently considered suitable even by a manufacturer only for the continent market. Because the story was the same when Louis Schweitzer was the only one who saw the future with the proposal of the X5000 project, which became the current unprecedented success of the entire Dacia family - Logan, Sandero (http://www.renaultbook.ru/en/Sandero) and Duster. Why not do it again in the small SUV segment, especially given the amazing price of €3,617.28, which is what you want for a car in the Indian market?