Following a teaser video released a week ago, Renault unveiled the Kwid concept car at the New Delhi Auto Expo. Designed by an international team, the two-door, five-seat compact crossover is the first Renault concept car to be revealed outside Europe, as a sign of the company’s commitment to new markets.

The Renault Kwid Concept is part of the “Explore” chapter of Renault’s lifecycle-based design strategy. The crossover’s proportions, with the very short overhangs and oversized wheels that protrude past the fenders, make it look like a buggy car.

Despite its colorful presence, the Kwid Concept has a robust appearance due to its protective guards and chunky wings. However, it’s not an all-wheel-drive car, despite its off-road looks.

Renault says the interior of the study is “designed to serve as a snug cocoon and is inspired by a bird’s nest”. The seats appear to be suspended over a solid base in white, with their 2-tone elastomer material providing a sense of brightness. The seat configuration is not very common, with room for three passengers in the front (with the driver in the middle) and two in the rear.

Technology features include a vertically-mounted TFT touchscreen display that acts as the dashboard and provides access to connected services, gearshift operated by touches next to the steering, electric operated front bench seat on a center rail, electric opening doors and LED lighting.

There is also a rear air conditioning system with controls on the driver seat’s back, as well as ventilation through concentric perforations. In addition, the dashboard has an integrated tablet for commanding the navigation of the “Flying Companion, which is an RC quadrocopter.

A first of its kind in the automotive world, the Flying Companion takes off from the rotating rear portion of the concept’s roof and can be operated in one of two modes – the automatic mode using a pre-programmed flying sequence and GPS location as well as the manual mode, which enables the companion to be controlled using a tablet inside the vehicle.

Renault says it can be used of a number of purposes, including scouting traffic, taking landscape pictures and detecting obstacles on the road ahead.

The Kwid Concept is powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol engine mated to the EDC dual-clutch transmission, but Renault claims that it can be easily converted to run on electric power.

By Dan Mihalascu

Live Photo Credits: Motorbeam / Faisal Kahn

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