The French carmaker is gearing up for a new compact SUV and this could be it. Also, it will not carry a diesel engine in its line-up.
Renault recently launched the 7-seater, Triber and the vehicle comes with all the bells and whistles at a starting price of Rs 4.95 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). And now Renault is all set to debut its compact SUV, codenamed HBC, at the Auto Expo next year.
The Renault HBC compact SUV will share the same CMF-A platform as the Triber. Also, the SUV will share most of the parts with the recently launched MPV so to keep the costs in check.
That means, we can expect a similar dashboard design along with a large touchscreen infotainment system and gear lever but with a pinch of more upmarket materials. Also, the engine used can be the same as the Renault Triber but expect a turbocharged petrol engine for the higher trims.
Also Read: Here Are The Variant Wise Features Of The Renault Triber
The 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine which does the duty on the Triber makes 71 bhp and a peak torque of 96 Nm. Currently, transmission option includes a 5-speed manual gearbox but an AMT is likely to join the portfolio by early 2020.
In addition, Renault will not launch the upcoming compact SUV in diesel engines. The French carmaker is strictly against the oil burner and will also ditch Captur and Duster diesel engines.
Once launched, the sub compact SUV will rival against the likes of popular Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV500, Ford Ecosport and Tata Nexon. Mind you, only Maruti have said to ditch the diesel engine once the BS6 emission norms kick in. So Renault Captur will really have to make its place into the already popular UV market.
Also Read: Hyundai Venue To Come With A New 1.5L Diesel Engine
In other news, Renault will discontinue the Lodgy once the new emission norm takes into place. The MPV is available in just diesel engine and the cost of upgrading the 1.5-litre engine will be too high. Also, the sales of the MPV have been dropping in the past few years.
