We went to Mahabalipuram to take a look at the new Renault Triber, a sub-four-metre, seven-seater that has enough space to suit most lifestyles
The Triber is an important launch for Renault this year. Their current portfolio in India is led by the small but capable Renault Kwid volume driver. Banking on this success, Renault have decided to venture into the B-segment and their weapon of choice is the all-new Renault Triber, a sub-four-metre seven-seater. The name Triber is drawn from the word “tribe”. It hints at the car’s flexibility as a people-mover and its ability to cater to different lifestyles as well.
Exterior
The Triber is a new car that is based on the Kwid’s CMF-A (Compact Modular Front) platform and does share a resemblance to the small Kwid at the front. That, however, is where the similarity ends. The aggressive projector headlamps, DRLs, and the three-slat grille are all accentuated with just the right amount of chrome and it goes well with the car’s lines and stance. The short bonnet leads on to a fairly large windscreen that meets a roof which tapers down towards the end of the car. The muscular wheel-arches and stylish rims help in consistently maintaining the Triber’s butch stance along the length of the car.
Shapely tail-lamps flank either side of the hatch at the rear of the car. They make the Triber seem slightly wider than it really is and round off a rather wholesome visual package with “Triber” neatly lettered in chrome along the centre of the hatch. Overall, with its roof-rails, high ground clearance, and global design language, the Renault Triber presents a strong case for itself as an everyday car that can complement your formal attire for workdays as well as the casual outfit for your weekend getaways.
Interior
Renault claim that cabin space is one of the Triber’s highlights and there is substance in that claim. The large windscreen and window surface area give the cabin a nice and airy feel. Renault have made a smart move by using a dual-tone interior — the black and grey provide good contrast and highlight the different dials and buttons as well. An eight-inch MediaNav Evolution in the middle of the dashboard takes care of infotainment needs while a fully digital instrument cluster relays the essential information to the driver from behind the steering wheel.
Renault have also included a lot of storage spaces and made thoughtful additions such as a-c vents for the second row and so on. While the first two rows have adequate space, the third row is best left to smaller people or those annoying friends.
Powertrain and Chassis
At the heart of the Triber is the capable global ENERGY engine that is derived from the Clio. The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine produces 72 hp at 6,250 rpm and a peak torque of 96 Nm at 3,500 rpm. Transmission is taken care of by a five-speed manual transmission but we can expect to see an AMT as well in the near future.
As mentioned earlier, the Triber is based on the Kwid’s CMF-A platform. Suspension duty at the front is taken care of by a MacPherson strut set-up while the rear uses torsion beam axle.
EASYFIX seats
The Triber’s USP is its spacious cabin and Renault are offering four seating configurations or “modes”. With all three rows up (Tribe mode) the car can seat seven with a boot capacity of 84 litres. For more space, the third row can be fully detached to make room for additional luggage which increases boot capacity to 625 litres while still offering enough space to seat five people in comfort (Life mode). For the Surf mode, half of the second row can be completely folded to make room for things such as a surfboard, bicycle or other large sport equipment. Finally, there is the Camp mode wherein the second row is also completely folded resulting in a two-seater configuration. In this set-up, the boot space is almost as good as a mini-van and can comfortably hold all your camping gear.
Price
The Triber is currently offered across four variants and they are priced (ex-showroom) as follows:
RxE – Rs 4.95 lakh, RxL – Rs 5.49 lakh, RxT – Rs 5.99 lakh, RxZ – Rs 6.49 lakh
With this kind of pricing comprising four variants, the Triber finds itself well-slotted into the price scale. While the entry-level Triber is more accessible than the top-end Datsun GO+, the ace up its sleeve is that the top-spec Triber is more accessible than the larger entry-level Ertiga by about a lakh of rupees. The Triber looks all set to take a large slice of the sales pie.
