The Same Renault Hatch Costs $4,700 In India And $16,000 In Brazil

Renault has given the Kwid a comprehensive facelift for South America, reworking the design of its smallest hatchback and filling the cabin with more screen real estate. The gasoline-burning sibling of the Dacia Spring EV comes away looking current and better equipped inside, though Renault left the mechanical package alone entirely.

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Welcome as the changes are, what caught our eye is the stark price gap between two markets selling the same basic car. The Brazilian-spec Kwid kicks off at R$ 82,790 ($16,000), more than triple what its Indian counterpart asks at Rs 4.53 lakh ($4,700).

The update marks the second major facelift of the Kwid since its introduction back in 2016. The highlight is the redesigned front bumper with a greater dose of plastic cladding. The split headlights are carried over, but the redesigned cooling intakes, the much slimmer grille and the new skid plate bring the Kwid closer to the current styling language of the French automaker.

Renault

The profile and rear end are largely untouched, though the taillights get new graphics and a shark-fin antenna now sits on the roof. The flagship Outsider trim adds roof rails, extra body-side cladding and 14-inch alloy wheels in a two-tone finish.

Bigger Screens, Unless You Buy The Cheap One

Inside, the South American car gets a far more serious overhaul than the light refresh handed to the Indian market Kwid earlier this year. The dashboard now houses a 10.1-inch touchscreen paired with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. The climate vents have moved, and the steering wheel wears Renault’s latest emblem.

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The catch is the entry-level Kwid Evolution, which makes do with a plastic cover where the screen should be and skips the color accents found in the mid-range Techno and the range-topping Outsider.

Familiar Bones, Familiar Engine

The bare-bones Renault Kwid Evolution compared to the flagship Outsider.

Under the skin, the Brazilian-spec Renault Kwid carries over the aging CMF-A platform. These underpinnings date back to 2015 and are also used by the Chinese-built Dacia Spring and Dongfeng EV Nano Box, as well as the Indian-built Nissan Gravite / Magnite, and Renault Kiger / Triber.

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The urban hatchback is still powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with flex-fuel capabilities. The mill produces 68 hp (51 kW / 69 PS) when running on gasoline, and 71 hp (53 kW / 72 PS) when burning ethanol. Power is transmitted to the front wheels exclusively through a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Price Problem

The Brazilian-spec Renault Kwid is manufactured at the Ayrton Senna Complex in Brazil. Pricing starts from R$ 82,790 ($16,000) for the entry-level Evolution, and climbs to R$ 91,890 ($17,800) for the flagship Outsider. As for the Indian-spec model that received milder updates earlier this year, this is priced between Rs 4.53 lakh ($4,700) and Rs 5.61 lakh ($5,900) made possible by its local manufacturing in Chennai, India.