By: IOL Motoring Staff
Renault's new Kwid is aimed squarely at emerging markets and its maker describes it as stylish, affordable and robust.
At 3.68 metres in length it's slightly bigger than a Kia Picanto, but this one has some clear crossover ambitions with its 180mm ground clearance and rugged styling features.
The car is built on a new Renault Nissan Alliance platform, called CMF-A, and power reportedly comes from a 0.8-litre engine.
Inside, Renault says there's space for five and class-leading load-capacity as well as features that you wouldn't expect to find in this class, such as a seven-inch touch-screen infotainment system on upper-end models.
The Kwid will go on sale in India during the second half of this year, before being rolled out to other developing markets, perhaps with the Dacia badge in some.
As for local potential, our contact at Renault SA says it doesn't feature in the company's planning for 2016, although that doesn't rule it out for launch at a later date.
Or is it simply too basic?
The Kwid is going to be really cheap in India, with prices ranging between the equivalent of R56 000 and R75 000, putting it right up against the Datsun Go, which is priced from R60 605.