The Renault Kwid city car is proving to be quite a hit with Indian buyers, as the automaker has received 25,000 bookings only two weeks since launch.
The entry-level hatchback has managed to attract customers thanks to its SUV styling cues and obviously the very low price (it starts from 256,968 rupees or just under $4,000). The Kwid is popular across a wide range of customers and regions.
Almost 40 percent of buyers are below the age of 28 and approximately 15 percent are female buyers. Furthermore, almost 35 percent of the 25,000 bookings have come from less important cities such as Rajkot, Nagpur, Nashik, Jalandhar and Ludhiana, among other towns.
“We have been able to create a lot of excitement, across demographic and across geographies, it is truly a game changer. Booking number is a true recognition of consumers on Renault brand. Kwid’s fuel economy and low cost of maintenance are being widely cited by prospective buyers in choosing the vehicle,” Sumit Sawhney, MD of Renault India told The Economic Times.
The Renault Kwid is currently sold across 175 outlets across India, but before the end of 2015 their number will expand to 210. Renault is also experimenting with a product specific App and virtual showrooms to reach out to customers in regions without showrooms. The automaker says over 230,000 people have downloaded the Kwid App.
The Kwid is developed on an all new platform (CMF-A) and is powered by a 53hp 0.8-liter three-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Combined fuel consumption is rated at 25.17 km/L (4 l/100 km or 59.2 mpg US), according to India’s ARAI cycle. Next year Renault is expected to add a larger 1.0-liter engine, with an automated manual transmission also in the works.
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