[zenren]

Originally Posted by rahul412

Cant believe why Renault has done this stupid thing. As if everything was going fine for the car and they were under obligation to do something ridiculous. 3 nut is synonymous with cheap car (Nano). Indian buyer is definitely not going to like it.

A full-size wheel cap can easily hide the number of lug nuts and comes very cheap at less than INR 500.

If someone from Renault is reading this thread, you are better off providing full wheel caps that cover the lug nuts from the base version to prevent people formulating adverse perceptions.

Originally Posted by kiku007

Ask a typical 3/4L Hatch buyer how many nuts a car tyre has and you'll know

Come on man, not that many people care about it. For the amount of attention and market share Nano has, the number of nuts it's tyre had is least on people's mind.

More than the 3-nut configuration, people were irritated by the different sizes for front and rear tyres in the Nano. There were a lot of curious questions like if we need to carry 2 different spare tyres, what would happen if you run with 3 tyres of one size and the 4th of a different size and so on. 3-nut pattern was a concern for only those folks who wanted to upsize the rims or buy alloy wheels and couldn't find anything matching the bolt pattern.

[RSR]

4 wheel lugs are surely better than 3 for normal cars. Also, I prefer hub-centric wheels instead of lug-centric ones. And nuts-on-studs instead of bolts to fasten the wheels. This combination is the best when it comes to ease of changing wheels when one has a flat tyre. Also, it's easier to replace a broken wheel stud instead of a broken bolt that's stuck in. In some cases, it's even possible to screw a wheel nut on to a broken stud and tighten it, as I had done once.

The previous generation Smart ForTwo is a rare modern car that came with a 3 wheel lug design:



I do believe cost is the primary reason for Renault using a 3 wheel lug design on the Kwid.

I think it should be okay as long as they use hub-centric wheels and nuts-on-studs to fasten them.

[prashanthyr]

3 lug nuts are not really a deal breaker for the Kwid nor for the Nano. Neither are they a safety hazard. I remember the previous generation Smart also came with 3 lug nuts and no one batted an eyelid for that one. The deal breaker is something perceived as 'Cheap' as opposed to 'value for money'. I think Renault has by way of design moved away from the 'cheap' tag that resulted in the failure of the 'Go' for example. My personal opinion is that the Kwid will generate a lot of interest and initial sales, but it remains to be seen how Renault can convert that to long term success. The long term part usually needs very solid ASS and word of mouth publicity which they are not known for.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by RSR

I do believe cost is the primary reason for Renault using a 3 wheel lug design on the Kwid.

They must be very optimistic; the Kwid will have to sell in many thousands each month to save meaningful costs from cutting four wheel nuts per car!

It will also be interesting to see the various ways the aam admi is going to pronounce the Kwid!

[deltheking]

It seems the German based ZF Sachs will be supplying the AMT to Renault & Hyundai unlike Maruti which is supplied by Italian based M-Marelli. Based on the article, the Renault Kwid should be getting the AMT also. And also, the Hyundai Grand I-10.

http://indianautosblog.com/2015/04/h...systems-177414

I have no clue regarding the quality/reliability of AMT's from ZF Sachs vs M-Marelli. German based vs Italian based !! Time will tell , I suppose.

[prashanthyr]

I notice quite a bit of similarity between the Kwid and the Dacia Sandero - the wheel arches, the hatch and tail light treatment to name just 3.

Anyone else feels the same way?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=re...a%3B1280%3B847

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=da...ro%3B938%3B704

[erohit]

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

I notice quite a bit of similarity between the Kwid and the Dacia Sandero - the wheel arches, the hatch and tail light treatment to name just 3.

Anyone else feels the same way?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=re...a%3B1280%3B847

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=da...ro%3B938%3B704

Yes, it is very similar to Sandero. In fact a lot of EU media is calling it as "mini Sandero with pretensions of Duster". Having said that, it is not bad thing as Sandero is quite pleasing to eye (my view).

[CaptainSlow]

Originally Posted by vinair

This is it Renault's new small car!! its Renault 'Kwid'

Looks like a mini Duster, a big plus!!

Reminds me of Kevin Malone from office complaining about mini cupcakes.

A mini Duster? As in a mini version of a regular Duster, which is already a mini version of a normal SUV. Seriously, where does it end with you people?

[deltheking]

I know we forum members are excited to this new entry !! But how is Renault's reliability ? Dont know what the common man thinks of Renault as a brand. I think this will be the key to its success. Any wrong step in the initial launch period or serious glitches can doom this product. Sad, but true. That's how the Indian market works !

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by deltheking

I know we forum members are excited to this new entry !! But how is Renault's reliability ? Dont know what the common man thinks of Renault as a brand. I think this will be the key to its success. Any wrong step in the initial launch period or serious glitches can doom this product. Sad, but true. That's how the Indian market works !

Fairly good I would say. Again one also has to remember which segment this car is in and what kind of mechanicals it will be running. Then when you realise how uncomplicated and basic things are, reliability factor won't matter so much

[karan561]

Kwid rendered as a Nissan



What do you prefer ?

Image Source

[prashanthyr]

There is a good article about the Kwid on FT. I found it a pretty interesting read on frugal engineering and the priorities behind the Kwid's development. You may have to register to read the article.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/27240398-f...#axzz3buz6dYer

[rahul412]

Originally Posted by prashanthyr

There is a good article about the Kwid on FT. I found it a pretty interesting read on frugal engineering and the priorities behind the Kwid's development. You may have to register to read the article.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/27240398-f...#axzz3buz6dYer

Are you able to copy paste the entire article here for the benefit of others? I am not able to access the link.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by RSR

The previous generation Smart ForTwo is a rare modern car that came with a 3 wheel lug design:

The Smart ForTwo, despite being a two-seater, shorter and narrower than this Kwid, weighted about 200 kg more than this vehicle. It may have had used 3 lugs, but everything about that vehicle felt SOLID except the door.

The one way you can achieve such low weight in a 4 seater car is through the use of exotic composite material. At three lakhs something, we can rule that out for sure.

Which leaves just one possibility - cost cutting and compromises. If the weight of the car is indeed 620/670 as is rumoured, I'm not going anywhere near it. Not just at the showroom, but on the road too - it would be a hazard not just to its occupants safety, but to the peace of mind of other road-users.

Lets wait for the final specs. Until then this is all speculation.

[prashanthyr]

Originally Posted by rahul412

Are you able to copy paste the entire article here for the benefit of others? I am not able to access the link.

Sorry, I just tried and it doesn't work. One needs to register with FT.com in order to access this link

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/27240398-f...44feabdc0.html