India-Bound Renault Kwid EV Gets Big Updates; Now Better Than Tata Tiago.EV And MG Comet?
The French automaker Renault has commenced testing of the Kwid EV in India. This new affordable electric hatchback from the brand will be based on the Dacia Spring EV sold in international markets. Recently, a few new key details of the Kwid EV have been revealed, which make this upcoming EV better than its already established rivals, the Tata Tiago EV and MG Comet EV.
Renault Kwid EV: How will it be better?
The upcoming Renault Kwid EV will most likely be offered with two electric motor options, as its Dacia counterpart has been given. The first will be a 70 bhp motor, and the other will be a 100 bhp motor. With these powerful motors, the Kwid EV will provide a much more comfortable ride in city and highway conditions.
What will also make the Kwid EV better is a 24.3 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery, which is a more energy-dense battery. The benefits of the LFP battery technology include better thermal stability, a longer lifespan, and slower degradation. It is also cheaper to manufacture when compared to Lithium-ion batteries, which both the Tiago.ev and Comet EV are offered with.
As per Renault (Dacia), the 24.3 kWh LFP battery will provide the Kwid EV with a range of 225 km on a single full charge. In terms of charging performance, the Kwid EV will be able to charge from 20 percent to 80 percent in just 29 minutes using a 40 kW DC charger. AC charging with a 7 kW charger will take 3.2 hours from 20 to 80 percent.
This charging speed beats that of both the Tata Tiago.ev and MG Comet EV. The Tiago.ev with a 24 kWh battery pack takes 57 minutes to go from 20 to 80 percent. Meanwhile, the MG Comet with a 17.3 kWh battery is only offered with AC charging capability.
Exterior and interior design
The Kwid EV, in terms of design, will look similar to the recently updated Dacia Spring EV, which took its inspiration from the Dacia Duster (Renault Duster). At the front, the Kwid EV will be offered with a closed-off grille, a split headlight design with LED DRLs on the top, and headlights positioned in the middle portion of the bumper.
As for the side profile, the overall silhouette will be the same as the ICE Kwid. However, it will get more rugged-looking wheel arch claddings. It will continue to feature the same flap-style door handles and roof antenna. Overall, it will look unique and boast a futuristic design, making it appear more modern.
On the inside, the Kwid EV is expected to get a much more advanced and premium-looking dashboard layout. The main highlight will be a 10-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system, and it is also expected to get a 7-inch digital instrument gauge cluster. As for the other notable features, it will most likely get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automatic climate control, and others.
In terms of pricing, the Kwid EV is expected to be priced in the range of ₹7–12 lakh. Its rival, the Tata Tiago.ev, is priced between ₹8.0 lakh and ₹11.14 lakh. Meanwhile, the MG Comet EV is priced between ₹7.49 lakh and ₹9.96 lakh.