After the Renault Triber and the facelifted Renault Kwid, the next new/all-new Renault in India will be a new small SUV. Codenamed Renault HBC, it will be unveiled at Auto Expo 2020 in February, reports carandbike.
The Renault HBC will likely carry a proper SUV design with traditional proportions that is preferred by most Indian SUV buyers. It should sit on the same CMF-A+ platform as the Renault Triber. At Auto Expo 2020, it will be presented in a near-production form. The production version will be unveiled closer to launch.
The Renault HBC will measure no longer than 4,000 mm in length so as to be taxed at a lower rate. So, it will compete with the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and the Mahindra XUV300. Like all of these models (in India), it’ll be a strictly front-wheel drive vehicle. The only Renault model available with a 4x4 system in India is the Duster.
Under the hood, the Renault HBC will have a turbocharged, BS-VI version of the Renault Triber’s 1.0-litre dual VVT three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 72 PS at 6,250 rpm and 96 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. 5-speed manual and 5-speed automated manual will be the transmission choices. A CVT option is under consideration because the competitors are offered with CVT, AT and DCT options.
The Renault HBC should be priced from somewhere between INR 6-6.5 lakh (ex-showroom). A diesel engine variant is unlikely for the model. So, like the Renault Triber, it could be a petrol-only offering. The same will be the case with the BS-VI Maruti Vitara Brezza due early next year. The Renault HBC will likely have a mechanical cousin from Nissan as well, likely for the company’s Datsun brand.
Also Read: Renault's first EV in India could be based on the next-gen Kwid
The Renault HBC will be launched by June 2020, while the Datsun sub-4 metre SUV will follow by end of the same year.
[Source: auto.ndtv.com]
