Renault Triber First Look Review

Opening

Things are heating up in the mid-size B-segment of the Indian car market. It is the entry point for those who have bigger aspirations or with bigger pockets for a first time purchase. Entering into this fray is Renault with this car in the pictures- the Triber.  It’s a different approach to a segment traditionally dominated by hatchbacks. They have decided to go with a people carrier and a seven-seat one no less.   

Appearance Exterior

Renault has always had funky designs and well this one is no different. The face is dominated by the signature three-slat Renault grille and rather sleek looking projector headlamps. There’s a muscular scoop out on the bonnet while the LED DRLs sit low and in their special recess.
A profile view reveals, more or less, the kind of design traits that Renault was going for which is a boxy people carrier thrown in with some flared wheel arches and a rather heavy shoulder line that extends from the A-pillar to the wrap-around tail lamps whose design reminds one of an illuminated axe head. Also, there are multiple elements in the light assembly and this gives it a nice modern appearance when illuminated. Of particular interest in the rear design, language is the faux bash plate element as well as a pronounced chin below the number plate slot.

One of the downsides of squeezing the design of a larger car into a sub-4 framework is that the car ends up looking disproportionate. But in the case of the Triber, Renault has managed to pull it off, the high roofline no doubt helping its cause.

Appearance Interior

Funky on the outside, funky on the inside, that’s the way the Renault Triber rolls. It’s a beige and black affair all around with seats even getting this colour combination via an arty stitch pattern design that gives off the impression of a post-modern compact sofa set. The same theme has been carried over to rows two and three although they get very minimal side bolstering and all three rows fall short in terms of under-thigh support. In terms of touch and feel, the plastics are a mixed bag with the dashboard and doors getting hard and grainy textures while the regular control surfaces like the window switches and armrest get premium materials.

This is one department that Renault has put its money into while developing the car. You get what Renault has termed modes for the seats which are four different combinations that you can fold the seats into to use the Triber across various scenarios. This ranges from the seven-seat tribe mode to the two-seat surf mode that’s capable of holding a surfboard. Besides, you get dual gloveboxes, door pockets capable of holding dual 500ml bottles. The all-important third row is quite a squeeze and is best suited for a scenario where you need to take two additional people along without the need for a second vehicle. The seats can be removed entirely, expanding the boot to a massive 625-litres.

In this top-of-the-line RXZ variant that we examined, you also get a large cooled glove box built into the centre console. Here the speed control for the rear AC vents also does the same duty for the cooled glove box.

The Triber’s feature list is what I would like to term acceptable i.e it has whatever is needed to keep it relevant in the segment. This list includes dual front airbags, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Car Play/ Android Auto through an 8.0-inch display, button start with keyless entry, vents for the second and third-row and a cooled glove box. The touchscreen interface is the same as the one found in the other Renault models but now with a bigger display and even an eco-mode that judges your driving style and gives you a score (in leaves) accordingly.

Performance Drive

The Triber will be sold with a 1.0-litre petrol engine producing 72bhp/96Nm and can be had with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed AMT. We haven’t driven the car but will be able to give you our first driving impression very soon. 

Tech Specs

Make	Renault
Model	Triber
Fuel	Petrol
Variant	RXZ
Engine Capacity	998cc
Max. Power (bhp@rpm)	72bhp
Max. torque (Nm@rpm)	96
Gears	Five
Length mm	3990
Width mm	1739
Height mm	1643
Wheelbase mm	2636
Fuel Capacity (in litres)	40
Tyre size	165/80 R14

Features

Features
Touchscreen system	Yes
Seven seats	Yes
Cooled glove box	Yes
Projector headlamps	Yes

Competition All Specs

Specifications	Maruti Suzuki Swift	Renault Triber
Variant	ZXI	RXZ
Fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Engine Capacity	1198cc	998cc
Max. Power (bhp@rpm)	84bhp	72bhp
Max. torque (Nm@rpm)	113	96
Gears	Five	Five
Length mm	3840	3990
Width mm	1735	1739
Height mm	1530	1643
Wheelbase mm	2450	2636
Fuel Capacity (in litres)	37	40
Tyre size	165/80 R14	165/80 R14

Conclusion

The Renault Triber will be launched in India on August 28 and is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 4.5 lakhs to Rs 6.5 lakhs.

Photos By Kapil Angane