Renault Kwid

The Kwid was unveiled at Chennai on 20 May 2015 by Renault's CEO Carlos Ghosn.[3] Ghosn said the car would be "a game changer for Renault in India." The car has 98% of parts localisation and extensive engineering by local Renault's personnel.[6][7] The Kwid is aimed at competing with other small cars within the Indian market, as the Suzuki Alto,[2] and incorporates uncommon equipment for its segment as a multimedia touchscreen.

In September 2015, the Kwid was launched in India at a starting price of 2.57 lakh rupees,[8] equal to $3,884. Sales started in September and had a "flying start" of 25,000 bookings in 2 weeks and 50,000 in 5 weeks,[9][10] then 70,000 in 2 months, getting 10% of effective market shares in its segment.[11][12]

At launch, the only engine available was a single three-cylinder, 799 cc unit with a 54 hp (40 kW) power output and 72 N⋅m (53 lb⋅ft) torque, coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission. According to the Indian newspaper The Financial Express, Kwid's 300-litre boot space is "the most voluminous in its class" and its fuel efficiency is "class-leading", at 25.17 km/L (59.2 mpg_‑US).[13] In August 2016, the Kwid received a more powerful 1.0-liter engine.[14] The Kwid 1.0 is powered by a 999 cc engine which churns out 67 hp (49 kW) of power and 91 N⋅m (67 lb⋅ft) of peak torque.[15]

The Renault Kwid received a minor update in July 2018. It gets new features such as pretensioner front seat-belts, two additional USB sockets, a rear armrest, a new grille and two new colour schemes. The Dacia Easy-R 5-speed automated manual transmission became available on Indian market Kwid models.[16]

2019 Renault Kwid Outsider (Colombia)

In 2017, a heavily revised version of the Kwid started production at the Renault's Renault do Brasil plant in Brazil. To comply with stricter Brazilian regulations, the localised version has various structural reinforcements and four airbags as standard which made its weight go up 88 kg compared to the Indian version. This version only offers a 1.0-litre inline-three petrol engine.[17] It was also introduced to the Mexican market in May 2019, in the Intens, Iconic and Outsider trim levels. For Mexico, a Bitono trim level was added on 10 November 2020, with the main difference having a black roof and can be ordered in the Marfil (Ivory), Rojo Fuego (Fire Red), and Naranja Ocre (Ocher Orange) colours. It is identical to the Outsider trim level and is positioned above said trim.[18]

At tests conducted in 2016, the Kwid scored a 0-star rating from British agency Global NCAP, a rating also achieved by many entry-level competitors in the Indian market, including localised versions of the Suzuki Alto, the Hyundai Eon, the Tata Nano, the Suzuki Celerio and the Ford Figo.[19] The Kwid was also criticised for being one of the Indian models not having airbags as standard. Renault and other car manufacturers made objections to Global NCAP for its methodology and for ignoring India's own safety criteria.[20]

Renault City K-ZE

The concept for the Renault City K-ZE was shown at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, and the final production model went on sale before the end of 2019.[43] Based on the Renault Kwid, the Renault City K-ZE is the result of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's joint venture with Dongfeng, utilizing a variant of Renault-Nissan's CMF platform named CMF-A. The K-ZE is Renault's smallest electric vehicle, sitting beneath the Renault Zoe.[44] Rapid charging is capable to get 80% from flat in 50 minutes.

The Renault City K-ZE debuted in China in April 2019. In the front, the City K-ZE featured split headlamps consisting of LED daytime running lights, turning lights and positioning lights in the top portion and the main beam in the bottom portion. It also received tail lights with C-shaped LED light guides.[45]

The car is manufactured in a facility in Shiyan, Hubei owned by eGT New Energy Automotive, a joint venture between Dongfeng, Renault and Nissan.[46][47]

Sales in China started in 2019, and the vehicle is not currently sold in other markets. It is notable for its low price, starting at less than $8,700 after incentives.[48]

The vehicle uses a 26.8 kWh lithium ion battery and is powered by a 44 hp (33 kW), 125 N⋅m (92 lb⋅ft) front-mounted electric motor driving the front wheels.

DC fast charging from 0% to 80% takes 50 minutes.[49]

The EPA range is not given and can be estimated at around 100 miles (160 km); this is based on the car's NEDC range and the ratio of the EPA range to the NEDC range available for another BEV city car, the Smart EQ Fortwo.[50][51] While the car is rated at 168 miles (271 km) in China,[49] this is based on the NEDC cycle, no longer in use in Europe as it gives wildly inaccurate results, especially for EVs.

Optional equipment includes an infotainment system with an 8-inch touchscreen, a backup camera and manual air conditioning.[49] A smartphone app allows remote monitoring of the vehicle's status.[52]

With the price starting at 61,800 yuan ($8,650) after incentives,[49] this electric car is very cheap by Western standards.

The car represents a category of budget electric city cars popular in China, but practically nonexistent in the West; among these, it is probably the first one carrying a badge of a Western marque. Prices of EVs in general are much lower in China than in the US or Europe, and they exhibit a downward trend while in the West they show an upward trend: a report by JATO Dynamics shows that an all-electric car priced at $1 in 2011 would now cost $0.52 in China, but $1.42 in Europe and $1.55 in the US.[53]

The car was launched in China on September 10, 2019.[52]

The International Business Times wrote that it looks set to become the real "Tesla Killer" simply because of its low price,[52] while erroneously stating it's the cheapest EV in the world (there are even cheaper EVs in China).

Venucia e30

Alongside the production version of the City K-ZE, Dongfeng Nissan showed off their version of an electric Kwid under the Venucia brand in the form of the e30.[54] The e30 is essentially a badge engineered City K-ZE, sharing the same basic powertrain and design. The e30 name was previously used on another badged engineered EV based on the first generation Nissan Leaf.

In October 2019, Gilles Normand, head of the EV department in Renault, indicated that a version for Europe was in the works.[55][56] In March 2020, it was introduced as a Dacia Spring Electric concept for European market.[57][58][59] It was planned to be presented at the Geneva Motor Show 2020 but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[60] It would be mass-produced in 2021.[61]

On 3 March 2020, Dacia released more information[62] saying the Dacia Spring Electric would be "Europe’s most affordable all-electric car". Since the VW Group's Škoda Citigo e iV and SEAT Mii Electric are priced from around €17,000 to €18,000 in some parts of Europe (e.g. Norway, Spain) the Dacia Spring Electric is targeting somewhere below this price point. The WLTP rated range was also given as "over 200 km" (or over 124 miles). Dacia have also said the Spring Electric will go on sale in 2021, with some reports saying early 2021.[63][64]