The new Renault Kwid E-Tech It is the exception to the rule among electric cars. a few days ago in Clarion We tested the Porsche Taycan 4S, the most evolved electric car available in the country. At the other extreme is this product from the French brand.
Manufacturers have taken pains to differentiate their electric range from their combustion models. They have sought to ensure that the aesthetics send the message of a car with a different technology.
And that deepens in the cabin, where digitalization is the norm. All of this makes an electric vehicle more expensive. But the model of the French company does not go there.
This is the first in a series of launches that the rhombus brand announced for our market and that also includes the Megane E-Tech and the Kangoo E-Tech, both models that will begin to be sold this year in Argentina.
There are many differences that the Kwid E-Tech has with other electric cars, but the one that draws the most attention is the price, since costs less than a third of the second most affordable battery-powered model that is sold here.
Let it be noted that it is economical
The first big difference that this Renault model has with others is that It was not developed as an exclusively electric vehicle. Many will remember that the Kwid was sold between 2017 and 2021 in Argentina, but with a gasoline engine. That structure is basically the same one used for this new E-Tech version.
However, this Kwid looks a little different from the one we met here. It is especially noticeable in the nose, with more stylized headlights and a different grille. That change came after the model was no longer offered in Argentina.
What is exclusive to the E-Tech is that the grill is a solid piece, without ventilation grilles, since it does not require that type of cooling because it is electric.
But at its core it’s basically the same car. The dimensions and proportions are the same, so it is very unlikely that anyone can recognize this model as electric. Furthermore, the E-Tech inscriptions on the sides and E-Kwid on the tailgate rather than clarifying, they end up confusing.
Inside, it is almost identical to the Kwid that was previously known here and digital has little or nothing. Another big difference compared to other electric models.
It didn’t lose the economical car impression it had in the past. The interior coverings are almost all rigid plastics but it should be noted that they show assemblies with good fit.
While other latest generation electric models exhibit digital cabins, where everything (or almost everything) is controlled from one or more touch screens, in the Kwid most commands are analog.
The space inside reflects its tight exterior measurements, but what is most noticeable is that it is a narrow model. That is why it is only recommended for four adults, who, in any case, will feel very close to the occupant who comes next to them. Even in the front seats.
The driving position offers few options: there is no steering column adjustment and the seat only allows longitudinal and backrest inclination adjustments.
The instrument panel is not analog but it is not a high-quality configurable display either. Most of the indicators are displayed with lights and printed references and the only hint of digitization is a small achromatic screen showing the remaining battery charge, the speedometer or the on-board computer.
What the technical sheet says is that this Kwid E-Tech is made in China and has a 48 kW motor (a power of 65 horsepower) and 113 Nm of torque, associated with a 27 kWh battery that can be charged even in a home socket and allows a range of 298 kilometers in the urban cycle.
This electric variant is almost exclusively for moving around the city and surrounding areas. It is in urban environments where its agility is displayed. It moves quickly and its compact size allows you to move with precision in transit.
Its immediate torque makes it fast in games and in speed recoveries in medium and low ranges. The steering is extremely light and its turning radius is probably the shortest on the market.
But on the road the story is different. It is a car that accelerates optimally up to 70 km/h. From there everything costs him much more and he accuses him. For example, of 0 to 50 km/h goes in just over 4 seconds. But to reach 100 km/h you have to add 10 seconds.
The maximum speed is limited to 130 km/h and if the ECO function is used, something recommended to maximize energy, the limit is 100 km/h, unless the accelerator is pressed all the way down.
The ECO function is also used to take advantage of energy recovery. through regenerative brakingbut it is far from being as powerful as in other electric models.
In any case, this is the way in which the battery is best squeezed and with which the greatest possible autonomy can be achieved, which in our case was dand 200 kilometers (the approval values are obtained in laboratories, impossible to replicate in normal use).
The battery has a capacity of 27 kWh and its maximum recharging capacity is 30 kW. That means that on a 22 kW charger, it will take an hour and a half to complete.
The location of that battery is almost like that of any electric car, under the floor, and that helps lower the center of gravity. You feel it with a little more poise but retains the body oscillations.
The country’s tax labyrinth makes the Kwid E-Tech cost $ 27.880.000less than a third of the second cheapest electric (the Nissan Leaf, with a list price of $101,718,200), but double what a combustion version would be worth.
As a curious fact, one Porsche Taycan 4S is equivalent to 17 units of the Kwid E-Tech. It is clear that there is still a lot of progress to be made in our market in terms of electromobility, but the arrival of an “economic” model is an important step.
Datasheet
Wheelbase 2,423 mm
Front/rear track. 1,385/1,365mm
Fast charging 30kW 40 minutes (15-80%)
Wall charger 22kW 90 minutes (15-80%)
Wall charger 7kW 174 minutes (15-80%)
Maximum speed 130 km/h
Accel. 0-50 km/h 4.1 seconds
Accel. 0-100 km/h 14.6 seconds
equipment
Front, side and curtain airbags
Hill Start Assist
Tire pressure check
rear view camera
rear parking sensor
Multimedia system with 7” screen
Android Auto y Apple CarPlay
Electric power steering