[Venky03]

This is my first time reviewing an automobile, so please bear with me; that being said, lets jump right in!

Pros :

• Space management
• Suspension on the softer side
• Powerful AC
• Functional roof-rails
• Projector low-beam

Cons:

• NVH Levels
• Boot space
• No fog-lamps
• Engine's flat upper range
• No steering mounted controls

The Search :
Our first car was a pre-owned Maruti Alto(2009) and I did learn driving on that car, sold it after 2 years and clocking around 5500+kms. After that I got busy with my studies, fast forward to October 2020 we decided to buy a car for family trips, primarily to Konkan region. The criteria was straightforward, automatic transmission and sufficient legroom for passengers. I was fairly new to the automobile scene at the time so here goes:

Tata Nexon EV :
This was our first choice because of the rising fuel prices and also because we planned to setup a grid-tied solar plant at our residence, perfect match wasn't it? I thought so as well, booked a door-step test drive and the Tata reps were kind enough to answer all of my queries along the TD; absolutely loved the Nexon EV. After a brief comparison between the available variants I had no idea why the XM variant even existed; so selected the XZ+ variant and started some calculations. The quote for XZ+ was around 15.2 lakhs after the government subsidy.

Renault Kwid :
The second choice, a fairly common family car at an affordable price point. We went to Benchmark Motors-Thane for the test drive, the test drive route for that showroom is a very bumpy road and I guess a blessing in disguise for Renault as the suspension gets to stretch its legs. The handling was decent but my father immediately pointed out that the legroom was not enough for his liking. The variant we selected was 1.0 RXT AMT Opt and the quote was around 6 lakhs including accessories. While we were discussing about Kwid, I saw the Triber in the adjacent section and asked the rep if there was an AT vaiant for this model, sat in the driver seat and adjusted it according to my preference and then asked my father to sit in the passenger seat; there was ample of legroom and as an added bonus the passenger seats were adjustable.

Renault Triber - The wild card :
We did not consider any 7 seaters as they're expensive and require more parking space, Triber on the other hand was a perfect package; sub-4 meter 7 seater at an affordable price point. Visited Benchmark Motors next week to take test drive of the Triber AMT variant, the ride quality was similar to that of Kwid but this time my parents were very satisfied with the space on offer. The last row didn't matter much, it was more of a bonus and mostly would be used as boot rather than seats.
The quote for Triber RXT AMT was around 8 lakhs with accessories. The cost of RXZ variant was around 80k more than RXT with the rear camera, keyless entry and 15 inch wheels being the major upgrades.

Nissan Magnite :
This was an upcoming offering and the features looked good, decided to check it out. There was no proper info about dealerships, so decided to call the toll free number; to my surprise no one was picking up the call. I called every available Nissan contact number I found on internet; after spending almost an hour trying to contact them I gave up, and no I was not calling during lunch hours. After an hour got a call from completely different number, turns out it was a Nissan rep; I was straight up going to turn him down, but just because he took the efforts to call me I choose to listen what he had to say. I complained about the fact that no one was picking up the call to which he responded "ok", the price he quoted for Turbo CVT XL variant was 9.57 lakhs. I'm not blaming Nissan, they were going through a overhaul at that time; but as a potential customer I was very disappointed.

The Conclusion :
I spent countless hours on researching not just about the models, but also about the working of combustion engines and EVs. I like to dive in deep before making such an investment, initially our budget was around 7 lakhs but we were ready to stretch it for Nexon EV. I like manual transmissions because they offers complete control over driving dynamics, but went for AT because my mom was going to drive it as well.
Renault Kwid is a good car, but the two main cons for me were : passenger seat legroom and no manual mode.
Nissan Magnite did not make the cut for obvious reasons.
I absolutely loved the Nexon EV, but the calculations had to come in play because I was paying a premium to get it; now I had a baseline to compare it.

Here's my rough comparison based purely on fuel and electric costs (6000 kms/year) :



This is a very rough calculation, please refer to this analysis by a fellow BHPian for more precise and detailed calculations.
Even after considering the worst case for Triber, the estimated break even point was after 8 years to actually start saving on fuel costs.

Now keeping the financial aspect aside, second biggest con was no fast charging stations in Konkan region :


Credits : Tata Motors charging locator

So the last charging point for my trip to native place would be Kharghar, which leaves me with a round trip of approx. 230kms on a single charge; forget about going any further without taking a 8hr halt.
So we decided to book the Triber and shift to the EV ecosystem after 5-10 years.

We booked the Renault Triber on 6th December 2020.

Delivery :
We took the delivery of the car on 20th December 2020, the process was seamless and the car arrived well before the estimated date.

My parents with our Triber :

[Venky03]

Note : At the time of writing this review, I've clocked in 3500+kms.

Exteriors :











The front stance is balanced, not overly aggressive; the projector headlamps definitely add to the looks. The cladding and roof-rails add to the SUV-ish look, but the antenna looks old-school. Eagle-split tail lamps occupy the rear along with a brake-light on the upper spoiler, I opted for an illuminated logo as it looked a bit futuristic; now checking if the same can be modded into the new Renault logo. The fuel-lid is located on the driver side.
I was experimenting with the chrome as I ordered a kit, for now I'm happy with the chrome just on door-handles, planning to coat them with vinyl later.
Will discuss about rest of accessories in the next post.


Interiors :







The way Renault has managed the space in Triber deserves an applause, we are a family of tall people and all of us are very happy with both ample headroom and legroom.
The seats are comfortable and the upholstery is decent as well, the adjustable second row was the biggest plus point for us; I don't think many cars in that price segment offer them. The quality of plastics used has been good for now with hints of chrome here and there, plan to coat the glossy part with vinyl as well.

Renault has opted for LG touch infotainment system which is responsive, comes with a pre-applied matte screen guard, but what surprised me was the quality of speakers after a bit of fine tuning the equalizer. Faced some issues when my friend plugged in his smartphone and started playing songs from the Gaana app, the map froze midway and we missed a turn; I mostly use the local media player or prime music and never faced such issue.

We felt a lack of auto climate control, having to manually turn the AC off when it felt too cold and turn it on later. Have travelled with full capacity in summers and the AC performs like a champ. The cooled glovebox is not just a gimmick, it actually works well; don't expect it to cool down warm liquids.

There are two incandescent dome lights, could've been better; I tried swapping them with LED ones but both the 31mm and 28mm aftermarket leds did not fit. There's an auto-cutoff relay in place, so even if you forget to turn off the dome lights they'll turn off after a minute or so.

The car jack is located under the 2nd row, the process to get it out and put it back in is very cumbersome. Spare tyre is located on the rear under-side of the car and can be accessed by a bolt located under the carpet in boot area.

There is a shortage of charging ports in the RXT variant, there's one USB port for android auto and one 12v socket for 2nd row that's it. I had to use a splitter in order to get power for all the accessories; they should've included at least 2 12v sockets for the middle variant.

Doors open almost 90 degrees, so the process of ingress and egress is very easy. They have that solid thud sound and the digital instrument cluster notifies you if any of the doors are not closed properly. Central locking comes in place after the car crossed a speed of 10km/h which is very handy.

The last row seats are a bonus, for most of the family trips remain folded and only used when going out with friends. They lack thigh support for tall people but are usable for short trips.

The boot space is miniscule when travelling at full occupancy, it'll hardly fit 2-3 backpacks.

Engine :



Triber features the 999cc Energy engine borrowed from Kwid, which means the same engine has to account for additional 172kg kerb weight. From my understanding the engine displacement does not tell the whole story, it's about how the efficiently the engine displacement is transferred to the wheels. I am a light footed driver and for most of the time cruise between 60-80kmph; the only time when I feel that the power is lacking is while overtaking on highways. The punch from engine ends in 3rd gear and is mostly flat afterwards.
There are mixed reviews about Triber's engine performance on the internet but for me, Triber's engine gets the job done.
This is the one section where reading reviews and analyzing numbers won't help you much, get a test drive instead!

Transmission :

Renault's version of AMT is called the Easy-R, which uses electro-mechanical actuation instead of electro-hydraulic actuation for gear shifts which means it is easier to repair and keeps the maintenance costs low. One can easily notice the gear-switches till 3rd gear after that the switches are seamless; the gear-switching is not dynamic or smart but based on a couple of preset rules. The gear switches only happen when you cross a certain defined speed, would've helped the fuel efficiency if they made it smart. One advantage with the AMT variant is that engine braking kicks in immediately when you apply brake.
Creep mode is present but it takes time to kick in once you release the brakes.



Mileage :
AMT City : 12-14
AMT Highways : 17-19.5
AMT Hilly Region : 13-14

Manual City : 13-15
Manual Highway : 18-19
Manual Hilly Region : 14-16

I like to drive in manual mode for long trips as it allows me more control over my acceleration but stick to drive mode in city conditions. AMT struggles in hilly regions as there are no sensors to assist it while climbing steep inclines, the shifts are last minute at very high rpms(And potentially could wear out the clutch faster?) so I use manual mode and preempt gear shifts.


Suspension :

Renault's suspension is clearly tuned with keeping Indian roads in mind, small bumps and minor imperfections on the road don't make it to the cabin.
We travelled the same route in a 2017 Maruti Ertiga Vxi and then with Triber with same occupants, each and everyone praised the Triber's ride quality.
The front suspension made a loud thud noise while going through potholes, told the reps at Renault about this; they retorqued the front suspension and steering which fixed the issue.

Braking :

Triber features the common setup of disc brakes for front and drum brakes for rear. It also offers additional safety features like ABS and EBD; while we were on NH-48 returning from Vapi I was cruising at around 80kmph, a cow appeared from the median strip; I checked my IRVM for any vehicles behind me and then floored the brakes, the tyres did not skid and fortunately everyone was safe.
Overall the braking setup is adequate and should work as intended for most scenarios.

[Venky03]

70mai Rearview Dash Cam Wide



This was the first buy for my new car, I concealed all the wires from the mirror all the way to the rear but was unsure about how to route the wires from inside to outside so went to the nearby car accessory marketplace to get it fitted. The mechanic quoted Rs.500 just to route the cable outside, he was going to T-join the wires for the reverse parking mode, I asked him not to as it would void the warranty.
70Mai Rearview Dashcam is a fantastic option if you don't have a rear parking camera, it totally eliminates the blindspots and the image quality is crisp as well.
Videos can be accessed instantly in the 70mai app by connecting to the 70mai hotspot.

Sample :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKP09MPjOrk

Cost : Around INR 10k


70mai Car Tyre Compressor Lite



Very easy to use, fairly compact, fast and noisy. You get the option to increase/decrease the target pressure and change the SI unit. Essential for long trips.

Cost : INR 2.5k


70mai TPMS Lite





Quick setup and easy installation, I connected it via the usb cable only once for initial setup. It uses solar energy to charge its small battery and wakes up from sleep when it detects any vibration. The readings are accurate but can only be displayed in bar. Alert and rest of the configuration can be done via the 70mai app.

Cost : INR 5k


6 LED DRLs/Assist Lights



The DRL is not included in accessories as according to Renault it requires a battery with more capacity which is present only in RXZ variant. Asked my mechanic to keep them facing downwards and angled away, so they also function as assist lights. Took power from parking lights, no T join.

Cost : May vary according to the model.

Fitting charges : INR 300


Osram 2280 Parking LEDs





Consumes less power than stock parking lights and look better as well.

Cost : INR 600


Ambient LEDs and Puddle Lamp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJuqIooOvZ8

Again, concealed all the wires under the mats and seats for the ambient lights. The puddle lamps are wireless with small magnetic plates triggering them.

Cost : INR 300 for the ambient light and INR 550 for 2 wireless puddle lamps


LED Scuff Plates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5-ducydGSE

Connected to dome light, concealed the cables under the door rubber gaskets and then behind the second row mats to the next side.



Held in place with polyimide tape.

Cost : INR 400


Blue El-Wire



Adds to the looks at night, for more info checkout the DIY Thread (DIY : Neon Highlights for the dashboard (Renault Triber))

Cost : INR 700

Shark Fin Antenna





More of an aesthetic add on. The FM still works but I don't use it.

Cost : INR 250

Door Guards



Look premium and protect the doors from accidental scratches.

Cost : INR 350

[Venky03]

Jopasu Car Duster

One of the best sellers and highly recommended product, removes all the dust in a single swipe without leaving any micro scratches.

Cost : INR 450


Proklear Waterless Wash



Works well and saves a lot of water, requires at least 1 litre water + 10ml concentrate to clean the whole car.
Also used a more concentrated mix to clean the engine bay, surprisingly worked well.



Cost : INR 300


Turtlewax Seal-N-Shine



Initially had decided to go with the hybrid ceramic spray, but it was expensive and I was unsure whether I would be able to apply it properly, so went with this one.
Definitely adds water beading capability and improves shine to an extent.
Applied the first coat immediately on the second day, cleaned the car with waterless wash and then applied the first coat. It took around 2-3hrs for the whole process. Covered every available surface with the coat including all the external trims, headlights, wheelcaps, windshield, windows, logo and roof rails.
Recently applied the second coat(after 4 months) and here's how she looks :



Cost : INR 700


Microfiber Cloth Mitt & 3M Shampoo



For use at my native place, both the shampoo and mitt worked well.

Cost : INR 500


Turtlewax Wet-N-Black



Cleaned all the tyres first with the 3M Shampoo and a soft brush, then uniformly sprayed on the Wet-N-Black and then wiped off the excess from wheelcaps; here are the results after travelling approximately 550kms on highways and village roads :





It started to fade out after 800kms, a single bottle should last for 2-3 uses. The Seal-N-Shine helps to keep the wheelcaps clean, it does not allow dust/sand to stick firmly to the surface.

Cost : INR 350

[Venky03]

Received the call for scheduling the 1st free service on 20th January 2021, scheduled it for 7th February 2021.

KMs Clocked at the time of first service : 1595kms

Went to the Renault Workshop at Kajupada on the scheduled date, we were asked to wait in the waiting room. Shortly our SA was assigned and he asked if we were facing any issues with the car, later he recommended us to opt for Engine Coating & Anti-Rust underbody coating which would cost around 3-4k; we denied the same. Then he asked us to collect the car on 8th, but I insisted on getting it back on the same day. It took around 2-3hrs for the first service.

Copy of the invoice :







The service was free of cost, I asked them for a new air-freshener and had to pay INR 150 for the same.

The next day I received two feedback calls, one from the workshop and one from Renault India; overall very pleased with the entire experience.

On the day of delivery I was added to a group with several Renault India officials and provided with numbers of the local escalation matrix, they have been transparent from day 1 and it speaks a lot about how much they value their customers.

[Venky03]

I've spent countless hours reading the forums, TeamBHP has been a source of very authentic information and helped me a lot in making my decision.

It is a tough job to maintain such a platform, thank you TeamBHP moderation team for keeping the forums healthy! This one is for you guys:



Also, special thanks to AdityaDeane for sharing his ownership review and experience

One thing that I realized about cars is that : If you hesitate to pay hundreds for maintenance, you'll be forced to pay thousands for repairs.

Feel free to ask any questions about the car or accessories!

Signing off.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Your car is going to our homepage today

[SenPai_GTi]

Congratulations on the new car!! The ambient lighting looks very tasteful. How does the car feel on rough interior roads, like does it bottom out when fully loaded ? Was considering this but am a bit doubtful about the ground clearance.

[Storme5257]

Excellent review @Venky03
Congratulations for your purchase.
The triber is a vfm and a cleverly designed 7 seater sub-4 metre car. It serves it's purpose very well.

One question : Did you test drive other AMTs? How different did they felt from the triber's transmission in terms of smoothness or driving?

[wilful]

Congrats on a very sensible, well thought out purchase. You have been very clear about your ‘wants’ and ‘needs’, test driven, done the math, satisfied yourself and family and gone ahead.
I wish you many contented miles of motoring in this oft overlooked but great VFM package. And I can completely understand why you are ok with the much maligned AMT and the naturally apirated one litre engine.
I myself took a leap of faith recently and bought the Kiger AMT (transitioning from an Ecosport automatic - yes you heard right) when I decided to change my car. I guess it must be one of the first (and possibly the only) AMT Kiger in TeamBhp. I am a pathetic photographer and lazy as well so have not reviewed it here (a bit selfish I know)
Weighed the pros and cons, like you read extensively, did the math, knew exactly what I needed and voted with my purse (my initial choice was the Sonet - had paid an advance as well).
I did toy with the idea of a Triber also and Dr.Aditya Deane was very helpful with his inputs. The extra features on the Kiger (drive modes, climate control, better headlamps) tipped the scales in its favour.

[charanreddy]

Congratulations! A car like the Triber is so smart and so much value for money that I feel like buying one just for VFM. If only it had a slightly more powerful engine. But nevertheless it makes a lot of sense for the next door urban middle class guys, which many of us are. Also due to its compact dimensions it makes for a really good second car / beater car for grocery runs, picking kids up from school etc.

[Guru_Shikhar]

@Venky03 many congratulations on your new and sensible purchase. You have done good homework & math. Typical Team BHPian style.

Triber is a good option between the price points from 5.5L close to 9L since there isn't a proper seven seat option except Datsun GO+ & Maruti Eeco both of them are quite an adjustment.
Renault has sensibly designed this vehicle with 1liter petrol engine primarily to reduce the engine bay size and award some space at the rear (though the last row is a bit compromise but can be managed.)
Only thing you might feel in near future is the flat engine performance on long journey since it happens many times to take over the next vehicle for some reason, but I guess since you have already taken the call you will be very well prepared for that.

Have hundreds and thousands of mile munching!!

Drive safe.

[twin-turbo]

Hey, Venky , I also own a blue Triber RXZ manual and it is a pretty ok car. If someone who is not used to speeds like 150,go for that car,it bottoms out at 120.Total Delight to drive.

[Venky03]

Originally Posted by SenPai_GTi

Congratulations on the new car!! The ambient lighting looks very tasteful. How does the car feel on rough interior roads, like does it bottom out when fully loaded ? Was considering this but am a bit doubtful about the ground clearance.

Thank you! I've driven the car at full capacity on very rough patches, it does lose ground clearance to a certain extent but did not scrape even once. One thing, we unloaded the luggage at our villa before venturing out.

Originally Posted by wilful

Congrats on a very sensible, well thought out purchase. You have been very clear about your ‘wants’ and ‘needs’, test driven, done the math, satisfied yourself and family and gone ahead.
I wish you many contented miles of motoring in this oft overlooked but great VFM package. And I can completely understand why you are ok with the much maligned AMT and the naturally aspirated one litre engine.
I myself took a leap of faith recently and bought the Kiger AMT (transitioning from an Ecosport automatic - yes you heard right) when I decided to change my car. I guess it must be one of the first (and possibly the only) AMT Kiger in TeamBhp. I am a pathetic photographer and lazy as well so have not reviewed it here (a bit selfish I know)
Weighed the pros and cons, like you read extensively, did the math, knew exactly what I needed and voted with my purse (my initial choice was the Sonet - had paid an advance as well).
I did toy with the idea of a Triber also and Dr.Aditya Deane was very helpful with his inputs. The extra features on the Kiger (drive modes, climate control, better headlamps) tipped the scales in its favour.

Thank you! and congratulations to you as well.
What made you change your decision from Sonet to Kiger? One of my friends is interested in buying one but held back because of the engine specs on paper.
Most of my friends mentioned that Triber was underpowered after reading a couple of reviews, initially even my father was a bit worried about the engine after reading the reviews; but our Rajapur outing restored his faith in the engine. At the end of the day, it's always wise to go with what you need rather than what others want.

Originally Posted by charanreddy

Congratulations! A car like the Triber is so smart and so much value for money that I feel like buying one just for VFM. If only it had a slightly more powerful engine. But nevertheless it makes a lot of sense for the next door urban middle class guys, which many of us are. Also due to its compact dimensions it makes for a really good second car / beater car for grocery runs, picking kids up from school etc.

Thank you!
Yes, it is indeed a very practical car and a very unique proposition at that price point.

[Reinhard]

Sweet thread. Loved reading it. Congratulations on the very practical and thoughtful buy. Wishing you & your loved ones safe & happy miles with the Triber. Quite a long list of mods and accessories. Neatly documented as well. I believe this is one of the best reference threads for the Triber & mods. One really pampered Triber in caring hands this one I must say.

Keep the thread regularly updated if possible! Stay safe & take care. Cheers!