How much space for you is enough inside a car? Especially when the car is priced at less than Rs 5 lakh. With the recently launched Triber, French car maker Renault has tried to do the something that was unimaginable till recently; a car that is less than four metres long and has three rows of seats. The starting price of Rs 4.95 lakh (ex-showroom) has already got many talking and showing interest in the Triber. Renault says this isn’t just a Kwid with 7 seats as the car is built on a different platform and its engine gets more power too. We sampled the car earlier this week in a lush, green Goa to see if the Triber can meet the demands of your big family.
Looks
The good thing with Renault is that all its cars have a sporty stance and look aggressive in nature. So what if it is an MPV. In terms of design, the Triber has many things going for it. The proportions really impress you. Its looks every bit a complete car, a great job has been done by designers to keep it less than 4 metres. On the front, the premium chrome grille is the one seen on the Duster and Kwid. The car gets projector headlamps, LED DRLs and 14-inch wheels. All the possible SUV traits are there—this includes skid plates, cladding on wheel arches and roof rails. The second half of the roof is slightly raised but doesn’t look abrupt. The rear is quite premium too with the presence of a lot of chrome as well as split tail lamps. Overall the Triber with its impressive design confidently invites you to have a closer look at it.
Interiors
The best part of the Triber is its cabin. Renault is calling it an ultra modular car and there are some good reasons for that. There so many possible seating combinations that you will soon lose count of. The second row comes in a 60:40 split format and at a push of a lever the access to the third becomes clear. The second row seats can also slide forward and recline to create more space for the third row. Looking at the price and the segment the company has done a decent job when it comes to overall space on the last row. And in a first these last row seats can be completely removed to have a huge boot space of 625 litres. It only helps that both the rear rows have adjustable headrests and individual AC vents. Like in all other cars from the brand even the Triber gets a touch screen system with a rear parking camera. There are innovative storage spaces on the front row like 2 glove boxes but the seats feel a bit small. Also the design on the LED instrument cluster looks gimmicky. The flat bottomed steering and keyless entry with a smart access card are nice touches though.
Engine
There is only one engine option in the Triber and that is a 3 cylinder 1.0 litre petrol that is available only with a 5-speed manual transmission. However, Renault says an AMT variant is on its way and will be launched soon. At 72 PS there’s a little more power when compared to the Kwid and that really comes in handy looking at the extra number passengers this car has to carry. The peak torque is not in abundance at 96 Nm but the good thing is that a lot of it is available really early making your city drives a little enthusiastic. But when you want that extra performance from the mill like on a highway that is when it feels a bit sluggish. Also a fair bit of engine sound enters the cabin which means Renault can work on making the NVH levels better. The advantage though is the fuel economy at more than 20 kmpl.
Ride & Handling
The Triber has a kerb weight of 947 kgs. It means when it comes to handling this is a car that performs well. There’s isn’t too much body roll to bother you and there is enough stability owing to this modular platform. The steering wheel is light enough to make your maneuvers in the city pretty easy. The suspension is able to take on the bad surfaces pretty well and when you abuse the car like jumping over the speed breaker do you feel a jerk due to the light weight of the vehicle. But less weight doesn’t mean an unsafe car especially when it comes with 4 airbags for the front passengers. A ground clearance of 182 mm also helps in tackling the bad roads.
Verdict
The Renault Triber is as value for money as a car can get when priced under Rs 5 lakh. In fact, the fully loaded top variant too is priced at a very decent Rs 6.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The design, the features and of course the modularity is all very impressive in the car. The only thing which might bother you is the engine as the car can definitely do with some extra power and torque. If you can live with that then this small MV makes for a sensible urban car, one that will cater to most needs of your family quite well.
Shams Naqvi is an anchor/producer for the News X motor show Living Cars