Renault reveal facelift of Kwid EV; brand’s most affordable electric offering
Renault have unveiled the Kwid EV next-generation, called the Kwid E-Tech and with a lot of features, better efficiency and much improved safety than before.
New Delhi: The second-generation of the Renault Kwid EV, now called Kwid E-Tech, has been revealed in Brazil. It now becomes the brand’s cheapest EV offering in Brazil and is priced at around Rs 12.27 lakh in the only variant of Techno trim. The Kwid E-Tech nameplate was first unveiled in 2022, and the successor comes with a lot of features, better efficiency and much improved safety, along with an updated design.
The Renault Kwid EV measures larger than India’s most affordable EV, the MG Comet. The Kwid EV facelift comes with new design themes from the French brand and makes use of piano black and matte-finish trim at the front and back.
Renault Kwid E-Tech exterior and interior
Striking LED DRLs highlight the bold look of the EV while also giving it an urbane vibe. It comes with protruding black bumpers and a sculpted bonnet that visually makes it muscular. However, the flap-like door handles and the outdated key slot on the door panel could have been changed. Renault are also retaining the black plastic cladding for the doors and wheel arches.
On the inside Renault Kwid EV comes with old-school design choices and new-age technology upgrades as well. The upright dashboard and centre console with scratchy plastic used around these areas are not modern and, in fact, feel cheap and brittle. There is the manually adjustable climate control, which is cost-cutting, but it is good to look at the buttons.
The cabin comes with silver plastic spread across the centre of the AC vents and the lot. It gets a flat-bottom steering wheel, seven-inch digital instrument cluster and 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system as well, which lets mobile connectivity through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
To make the Kwid EV more usable, there are more safety features, including electronic stability control, cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors. It comes with 11 ADAS features that include tech like emergency braking, lane-keeping assist with lane alert and the lot.
The upgraded Renault Kwid EV makes use of a single 48 kW motor that makes a 65 bhp electric motor that is powered by a 26.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. It makes for a top speed of 130 kph with 0-100 kph of 14.6 seconds, making it not a very fast EV. It has a maximum range of 180 km. The battery pack accepts 7kW and DC fast-charging of 30 kW. This Renault Kwid EV coming to need at present looks bleak.