The automotive market continues to be reconfigured to get out of the hole. Although sales figures are still lagging behind 2023, after some of the worst starts to the year, some symptoms of recovery are appearing.
The reasons are several. One of them are the incentives that automotive companies recently began to launch, with financing plans and bonuses that update monthly; another, the opening of imports of the Milei regime that, in a certain way, allowed brands to have greater supply and availability, gradually cutting surcharges due to lack of units.
In this context, Renault has the possibility of repatriating the Kwid, its model, on its radar. more economical and one of the best sellers until it was discontinued in October 2021 due to availability problems generated by import restrictions.
This is what Pablo Sibilla, president of the company, hinted at during a press conference held during the launch of the new electric Kangoo.
“If the cost equations are correct, the gasoline Kwid will return to Argentina in 2025. It is a product highly sought after by our customers and that allows us to participate in the segment of the most accessible vehicles on the market. It will arrive with the restyling that already is offered in other countries and with more safety equipment,” the manager anticipated.
At the end of 2023, the Kwid was again marketed in Argentina although in its 100% electric version. Unlike the standard version, made in Brazil, the zero-emission boy comes from China, can be charged from a home outlet and costs $ 30.000.000around 50% more than what the variant with a thermal engine would cost.
The renewed popular boy
The return of the Renault Kwid would once again give the brand presence in the dismantled segment of the city carswhich until a few years ago was made up of Fiat Mobi, Ford Fiesta, Nissan March, Toyota Etios and Volkswagen up!.
Of all these proposals, the only one that comes closest is the Chevrolet Joy which, although slightly larger, is one of the cheapest models on the market.
Manufactured at the Brazilian plant in Sao Jose dos Pinhais, state of Paraná, the Renault Kwid was updated a few months after being discontinued in the country.
The most noticeable changes are at the front, where it sports new headlights (divided into two groups), grille and bumper. While now the entire range has stability control, hill start assist, alarm for unfastened seat belts in rear seats, height-adjustable headlights and electric tailgate opening. The four airbags (front and front side) remain.
In turn, the cabin features the new multimedia system with a larger screen (8 inches) that allows you to pair Android devices (Android Autos) and iOS (Apple CarPlay).
The dimensions remain the same: 3.73 meters long, 1.58 meters wide, 1.48 meters high and a wheelbase of 2.42 meters. The trunk capacity, meanwhile, is 290 liters.
Mechanically it maintains the gasoline engine 1.0 liters that delivers a power of 66 horsepower and is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.
The Kwid began to be sold in our country at the end of 2017. For four years it became the workhorse of the French brand, achieving more than 45 thousand patents.
