Renault was an active participant at the auto expo held in Delhi earlier this year. Apart from revealing the face-lifted Fluence, the face-lifted Koleos and the Duster Adventure edition, Renault also revealed a new interesting SUV, named the KWID. Unable to resist temptation to show-off their capabilities, Renault also displayed the ZOE and the Megane R.S models at the Auto Expo. Here’s a brief report:
Renault KWID concept:
Just by getting to the venue of the auto expo, the KWID made history for Renault, as it is the first Renault concept car to be revealed at an event held outside Europe. It was made especially for developing markets such as Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC).
The KWID was designed with inputs from Renault Design India. Its protective guards, chunky wings, very short overhangs and oversized wheels give this compact concept a robust appearance. The interior of the KWID is said to have been inspired by a birds nest, with bench-type seats both front and rear. At the back of the drivers seat are the controls for the rear air-conditioning system. Other innovative features include electric operated front bench seat on a centre rail, electric opening doors, LED lighting, lack of gearshift lever (command with touches next to the steering). The vertically-mounted TFT touch-screen display acts as the dashboard in KWID Concept and also provides access to internet based services.
The KWID will be powered by a 1.2 liter turbo-petrol engine, mated to a dual-clutch transmission with a front-wheel drive layout. The KWID is even capable of running on electricity.
Renault ZOE:
The Renault Zoe hatchback is the French manufacturer’s offering in the electric car space and was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo. The Renault ZOE is the company’s first electric-only car. It was launched in the European market in December of 2012 and at the time of being displayed at the auto expo, had already sold around 10,000 units. The exterior design of the Zoe is in-line with Renault’s new family design which is seen on the all new Fluence and Koleos as well.
The Renault ZOE gets a single electric motor, driving the front wheels, that produces 88 hp and 220 Nm of torque, giving it a real-world range of around 145 km, the motor is powered by an array of batteries, which weigh a lot, hence the ZOE tips the scales at 1,468 kg. The ZOE takes 9 hours to charge up its batteries.
The ZOE is not available for sale in India, and the lack of subsidies or infrastructure for EVs could mean that it may not be launched here in the foreseeable future.
Renault Megane R.S:
Renault had already displayed some great cars which signified reliability, utility, technology, efficiency and green-thinking, now it was time to show their racing pedigree. Renault had on display, the Lotus F1 car, which is powered by a Renault engine. But since this cannot be used on public roads, Renault decided that a hot-hatch should be perfect and brought in the Megane R.S.
The Megane R.S defines the words, Hot-Hatch as it is just that in every way we look at it. It has an F1-inspired aerodynamic splitter at the front and a specially designed diffuser at the rear with the exhaust coming out in the centre. It also gets upgraded, tighter suspension which, when combined with the stiffer monocoque chassis enables the Megane to handle like no other hatchback.
All this would be worthless if the engine didn’t have much juice in it, and so Renault uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine that gives a whopping, 265 BHP and generates peak torque of 360 NM, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Megane R.S gets a Normal and a Sport mode which gives it tighter springs, and faster pedal response.
The Megane R.S is currently not available in India, but how we wish it were!
Also see – Renault launches facelift version of Fluence & Koleos at 2014 Auto Expo
