Auto Expo 2018 Motor Show
Greater Noida , India

RENAULT INDIA

Renault R.S.17 F1 Car
A major highlight at the Renault stall this year will be its 2018 Formula 1 contender - the R.S.17. The F1 car looks stunning and was piloted by Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer for most of the year, while Carlos Sainz Jr. took up the seat from Jolyon Palmer in the latter part of the season. The car is built on a honeycomb monocoque chassis built of carbon fibre, while power comes from 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine that comes paired to a 8-speed semi-automatic transmission. The Renault R.S.17 F1 car is surely going to excite a lot of motorsport enthusiasts at the pavilion this year.

Renault Captur
The much-awaited Renault Captur compact SUV has been unveiled, and I got my hands on it for a drive in lush green Goa. This allowed me a mix of tight and narrow country roads, spurts of thick traffic, winding hilly bits and yes – rough broken roads too. The Captur has finally launched in India and is available in 1.5 litre diesel and petrol. The oil burner is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox while the petrol comes with a 5-speed. There is no automatic on either sadly – a big miss in my book, especially given that Renault is pitching this car at us as holding a premium, sophisticated and high-end appeal.

Renault Trezor concept
Banking on the EV theme this year, Renault India is also expected to showcase the Trezor electric autonomous car concept at the 2018 Auto Expo. The two-seater performance GT concept was first displayed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and is a stunning looking model. The Trezor uses a carbon-fibre chassis while power comes from a Formula E drived electric motor that produces about 350 bhp of power. The concept also boasts of two large batteries that help propel the electric motor, with 0-100 kmph coming up just 4 seconds.

Renault Duster
Renault Duster, which is sold as the Dacia Duster in many foreign markets has been updated internationally. Even though the all-new model was launched in the international market, the Indian launch has been delayed due to the arrival of the Captur. Now the new Duster is expected to be launched by the mid of 2018.

The new Duster gets a new grille and a repositioned windscreen that adds a fresh look to it. The interiors have also been thoroughly updated to give a modern look. Renault may continue to use the current engine options with the upcoming Duster.

Renault Zoe
Renault Zoe was recently spotted in India donning a Bengaluru based electric cab aggregator’s stickers on its body. Now it has been confirmed that Renault will showcase the electric car at the Auto Expo 2018. The car hatchback is quite practical for the Indian conditions and can do 400 km on a full charge according to the European cycle.

The Zoe also gets a massive 41 kWh battery that gets a quick charging option. It can be charged to 80% from nought in about 65 minutes. Renault claims that in the real world, the car will do around 300 km on a full charge while the battery will take 7-8 to charge completely.

Kwid-based compact SUV – HBC
The Kwid hatchback already has the looks inspired from compact SUV. However, the car cannot be passed as a full-fledged SUV. Renault will take the Kwid as a base and will make it a more intimidating vehicle. It will be based on modified version of the CMF-A platform to accommodate the heavier and bigger SUV body.

The car is expected to get higher ground clearance, a wider body and more muscular creases on the body. The car is also expected to get a thick body cladding around and refreshed face and rear. On the side, the compact SUV may look similar to the Kwid itself to keep the costs down.

Kwid-based MPV – RBC
Renault is also working on a 7-seater station wagon that will be based on the same CMF-A platform. Codenamed as RBC, the vehicle is expected to measure under 4 meters in length. It is expected to be similar to the Datsun Go Plus, which is also a seven-seater vehicle and is under 4-meter of length. The vehicle is expected to be priced around Rs. 5 lakh in the market and will be one of the cheapest 7-seaters in India.

Kwid facelift
The Kwid was first launched in 2015, it has been almost three years now and the hatchback not received any exterior updates. Renault is working on a facelifted model of the Kwid that will be showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. There will not be major changes in the vehicle. The engines and transmission options will remain same.