Renault Zoe EV to be launched in India, debut at Auto Expo 2020 [Update]
Update: Renault has confirmed the Zoe EV's Indian debut at Auto Expo 2020 with a teaser video.
8 January 2020 -
Apart from the upcoming sub-4 metre SUV HBC (in concept version), Renault's show-stopper at Auto Expo 2020 will be the Zoe EV. A new report says that it will have its Indian debut at this biennial event. Moreover, it claims that it is planned to be launched in India, by 2021.
Like Hyundai and MG, Renault has decided to understand experiment with an imported EV first and then move to locally manufactured EVs in India. It will use Auto Expo 2020 to gauge the market interest for the Zoe. The report says that the company is already testing the it the country to adapt it to the local weather and road conditions and get an understanding of the range.
For the uninitiated, the Renault Zoe is quite an old but a very successful model. It was first revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012 and was launched at the Paris Motor Show in the very same year. It has been given several visual refreshes and mechanical updates since, and the most recent one of them was in October 2019.
Featuring a chic design, the French pure electric car measures 4,087 mm in length, 1,787 mm in width and 1,562 mm in height. It has a 2,588 mm wheelbase. In other words, it's a B-segment, sub-compact hatchback like the Tata Altroz and Hyundai i20. It packs a 52 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack that is used to power an electric motor mounted at the front. Customers can select from two electric motors, namely R110 and R135. The R110 unit generates 108 PS and 225 Nm of torque, while the R135 unit develops 135 PS and 245 Nm of torque.
The Renault Zoe's range under the WLTP cycle is 395 km (with R110 motor)/386 km (with R135 motor). Its 0-100 km/h acceleration time and top speed is 3.9 seconds (with R110 motor)/3.6 seconds (with R135 motor) and 135 km/h (with R110 motor)/140 km/h (with R135 motor). Charging the battery pack can take anywhere from 3 hours to 34 and a half hours depending on the type of charger and the charging source. A 50 kW DC charger can be used to quickly charge it from 0-80% in 1 hour 10 minutes, though.
Full LED headlights with C-shaped DRL, 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED tail lights and LED dynamic turn signals (rear) are some of the exterior highlights of the Renault Zoe. Salient interior features include 10-inch fully digital instrument cluster, 9.3-inch portrait-style touchscreen infotainment system, electric parking brake, wireless smartphone charger and leather upholstery.
Also Read: Renault Triber AMT road testing commences, caught on cam
Expect the Renault Zoe to be priced somewhere around INR 14-16 lakh* price bracket.
*Ex-showroom
[Source: Autocar India]