Car spotters have once again tracked down a pre-production copy of an upcoming Renault-badged soft-roader. The car is rumored to have a turbo’d engine and FWD, although it never premiered this year due to the ongoing pandemic. The way things stay now, Renault may choose to unveil it in early 2021, or debut it as a concept in a few weeks’ time.
The model goes by the provisional name “HBC”. Indian media are reporting that the likeliest production name is “Kiger”, but this is not official. At any rate, the crossover comes based on the CMF-A platform of the Renault Kwid and Triber, as well as the Nissan Magnite (see video). Since small cars are eligible for tax deductions in India, it seems likely that it will be under four meters (13.1 ft.) long.
The prototype spotted today wears less camo than its predecessors and sports what looks like a Kwid-style front clip with two-tier headlights. The rear end is its own, and the interior reminds us of the Triber compact van. Options will likely include HVAC and a rear view camera.
Rumor has it that the Renault Kiger will ship with a turbocharged one-liter three-pot worth 95 hp (71 kW) in conjunction with a five-speed manual gearbox or CVT. The Kwid and the Triber have the same displacement volume and 68 – 72 hp (51 – 54 kW).
Prices should start from around 550,000 Indian Rupees. The production will be localized in India at first, but the model may later make it onto other markets, including Latin America, SAR and Southeastern Asia.