The popular budget 7-seat MPV has finally received the much-awaited turbo petrol mill
After a long anticipation, Renault has launched the turbo-powered Triber for the Indian market. Note that the Triber has been one of the most successful budget MPVs in the country for a long time. In fact, there was simply no competition when it came to a 7-seater people hauler in the price bracket south of Rs 9 lakh. Until now, the Triber used to draw power from the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol mill. However, pulling 7 people with their luggage certainly demanded more. Hence, the French car marque has brought the turbo mill, along with a slew of other changes. Let us discuss these here.
Renault Triber Turbo – New Platform
First things first, the new Renault Triber Turbo doesn’t just come with a turbocharger. In fact, the French auto giant debuted the new Renault Group Entry Platform (RGEP) with the new Triber. This modular platform ensures the vehicle architecture is re-engineered to accommodate the turbocharger and its related components. In fact, it also supports multiple powertrain solutions for the future. In addition to the new powertrain, the new architecture also boasts improved engine management, thermal systems, chassis tuning and structural integration for an enhanced overall driving experience. This shows just how comprehensive the changes have been on the new Renault Triber Turbo.
Renault Triber Turbo – Specs
Based on the new platform, the Renault Triber Turbo now comes with a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine that generates a healthy 100 PS and 180 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. These are some pretty impressive numbers and certainly suit the applications the Triber is designed for. This mill pairs with a manual transmission for a claimed mileage of 21 km/l. This makes the Triber the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class. To optimize performance, there are some key components like the all-new Renault Engine Management System (R-EMS), Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) cooling fan, Advanced thermal management architecture, New structural enhancements for durability and crash performance, Revised suspension geometry, Front and rear anti-roll bars, MTV Damper Technology, Optimized braking system calibration and Dedicated vehicle dynamics tuning for Indian roads. Note that the Triber Turbo will soon get the automatic transmission and CNG powertrain to cater to a wider range of consumers.
| Specs | Renault Triber Turbo |
| Engine | 1.0L 3-cylinder Turbo Petrol |
| Power | 100 PS |
| Torque | 180 Nm |
| Transmission | 5MT |
| Mileage | 21 km/l |
Renault Triber Turbo – Interior and Features
The Renault Triber Turbo continues to carry the same interior layout as the naturally aspirated model. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing since it was always adequate and modern enough. The main in-cabin attractions include:
- Modular seating: 5 – 7 seats with Easy Fix seats
- 2nd row – Slide, recline with easy access one-touch fold
- 100+ seating combinations
- Segment-leading expandable boot space of 625 litres with 5 seats
- Best-in-class ground clearance of 182 mm
- Interior storage – 23 L
- Roof rails with load-carrying capacity of up to 50 kg
- Best-in-class 3rd row space
- Independent rear AC with 2nd & 3rd row vents
- LED projector headlamps
- LED DRLs
- LED Taillamps
- 8-inch floating touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Digital LED instrument cluster
- Auto headlamps
- Auto air-conditioning
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Wireless charger
- Cruise control
- Push-button start / stop
- Smart Access Card
- 21 standard safety features
- Six airbags as standard
- Front parking sensors
- Rear parking camera with guidelines
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Renault Triber Turbo – Price
The best part about the Renault Triber has always been its value-for-money proposition and I am happy to report that it remains its key strength even in this turbo guise. The MPV starts at Rs 5.81 lakh in the NA petrol version and Rs 7.85 lakh in the turbo petrol avatar and tops out at Rs 9 lakh, ex-showroom. These are some immensely enticing figures for potential buyers. The variant-wise prices are as follows:
| Powertrain | Authentic | Evolution | Techno | Emotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy MT | ₹5,80,875 | ₹6,73,605 | ₹7,44,120 | ₹8,05,350 |
| Energy AMT | – | – | – | ₹8,52,950 |
| Turbo TCe 100 MT | – | ₹7,84,900 | ₹8,53,900 | ₹8,99,900 |
Renault Triber Turbo – Driving Impressions
I drove the new Renault Triber Turbo as part of the media drive and was left thoroughly impressed by how much it has changed in comparison to the NA petrol version. Even though it was expected, the real-world performance still feels considerably stronger. The NA petrol mill was quite lethargic for a vehicle of this size, but the turbo engine takes care of it rather well. Also, almost twice as much torque as the NA petrol trim becomes available as soon as you press the accelerator pedal. Apart from that, the gearing is decent, but it won’t be easy to pull the car from 20 km/h in 3rd gear.
Also, the ride and handling remain strong and the steering has come with heft to it. However, it is still on the lighter side, which is great to manoeuvre the city roads. As you would already imagine, this car is not meant to take sporty corners. Therefore, as long as your expectations are in the right place, this new Triber Turbo won’t disappoint you. Finally, the passengers will enjoy a comfortable and smooth ride on the broken surfaces just like before.
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