2016 Auto Expo: More powerful Renault Kwid and updated Duster to be launched

The second half of 2015 capped of a largely successful year in India for Renault on the back of its popular hatchback Kwid. The latest Renault offering went on to become one of the largest selling cars in its segment, and the Renault-Nissan Alliance even went on to select India as the manufacturing hub for the Kwid earlier this week. At the other end of the carmaker’s offerings in India is the SUV Duster that enjoyed immense popularity during its early days in the country, but now looks a little timeworn without an update since then. And it seems like Renault has taken note of both the minutiae and is coming up with a more powerful Kwid – banking on the car’s popularity – while it is also giving the Duster a much-needed facelift.

Kwid gets more horses

The Kwid has carved a niche for itself ever since it was introduced in the Indian markets and the French carmaker is in no mood to rest on its laurels with the Kwid 1.0-litre version expected to make a debut at the upcoming Auto Expo 2016.

According to Zauba, which tracks India's import and export details, Renault has exported several units of Kwid powered by 1.0-litre engine to overseas market including some to Germany, indicating that the model has hit the assembly line. The upcoming model, with the 1.0-litre motor, would generate a power of something close to 76PS.

The Kwid, which is pitted against the segment front runners Maruti Suzuki Alto and Hyundai Eon, is currently powered by a 799cc three-cylinder petrol motor which can churn out 54PS and a peak torque of 72Nm.

The Kwid is also expected to get an AMT avatar, apart from the more powerful one, as both these new additions could be on display at the Renault pavilion in Greater Noida.

The new Kwid variants— the 1.0-litre and AMT — will set their sights on dethroning the Maruti Alto K10 and K10 AMT, respectively.

With the new powerful Kwid, Renault is also expected to offer dual airbags and ABS across all Kwid models, starting from the base variant. Renault Kwid, which is currently on sale in India, is offering an optional single airbag only in the top-end RxT variant.

High expectations from the updated Duster

While the Duster is a popular car in its segment, it could lose out in the face of competition from the much avant-garde likes of the Hyundai Creta for the lack of new introductions. And the spy shots of the Duster indicate that the Duster may not entirely live up to the expectations.

The recently spied 2016 Duster sported updated taillights clusters and a set of new alloy wheels. The new body panels indicate its resemblance to the new model in the Brazilian market. The front-end also receives a single slat grille flanked by headlamps with a new cluster design.

A separate set of spy shots also indicated certain changes on the interiors including feature a new single piece centre console panel that houses the round HVAC vents, and MEDIANAV touchscreen display, while the HVAC controls are now separated from the main console. New fabric upholstery in different colour shades can also be expected.

Under the hood, the most talked-about change could be the introduction of the 6-speed Easy-R AMT gearbox, which is exclusive to the 110PS variant currently. As far as the engines are concerned, the new Renault Duster will continue offering the 1.5L K9K diesel engine in two variants: 84PS and 110PS, paired with the 5-speed and 6-speed manual transmissions respectively.