Renault Kwid spotted in Kenya, to be launched this year - Report

16/03/2016 - 16:01 Renault KWID, Renault Sagar Parikh

Likely to feature the 0.8-litre SCe petrol engine.

Despite the very strong domestic demand, Renault India has commenced exports of the Renault Kwid. Earlier this month, the company shipped a batch of 37 units to Mauritius. The next export markets are going to be Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Brazil. Also on the list is Kenya, as per a report from Autoblog Kenya.

Renault Kwid in Kenya — The Renault will be launched in Kenya this year as a CBU, and target buyers who go for used Japanese cars.

Renault has already shipped demo units of the Renault Kwid to Kenya, and Autoblog Kenya had a chance to test the car on local roads. The French automaker's smallest offering in India will be launched in Kenya at a price of around 1.0 million shilling (INR 6,63,901) or 1.2 million shilling (INR 7,96,682) including tax. The local distributor, Simba Corporation, is targeting the first time car buyer and newly employed citizens with the Kwid, as per local publications.

Renault Kwid interior Kenya — The 0.8-litre SCe engine should be in the same tune in Kenya as the Indian-spec model: 54 PS and 72 Nm of torque.

Also Read: Renault Kwid Racer and Renault Kwid Climber will launch as special editions

The Renault Kwid tested in Kenya is powered by the 0.8-litre SCe three-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The unit produces 54 PS (53 hp) and 72 Nm in the Indian-spec model and will likely be offered in the same tuning in Kenya. It's unclear as of now if the 1.0-litre SCe engine will also be offered in Africa. More details are expected to surface closer to the market launch. In India, the 1.0-litre engine will reportedly become available in June this year.

[Source: Autoblog Kenya]