Renault Tiber: Even though it has sharper lines and a more angularity-loaded design, the Renault Triber looks refreshing in a market that predominantly has SUVs or standard hatchbacks on offer, especially with its smart package and multiple seating configurations.
This multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) model under 4 metres is Renault’s interpretation of an Indian family’s expression of an ideal vehicle to go on family outings, with a seven-seater seating capacity within the size limits of a regular hatch.
With smart engineering and design the Triber has been conceived to offer something that is completely new and raises the bar when it comes to ownership experience.
Renault Tiber: Design Philosophy and Exterior Looks
Its exterior design manages the challenge of seating three rows without looking awkward or disproportionate. Please Click Here The front is typical Renault family face with over sized chrome dotted grille surrounded by projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights.
The hood is sculpted with a very light hand, offering a little something to look at without going wild.
From its profile, the Triber harbours design touches that optimise space on the inside, while keeping the proportions even.
Now lightly the great circle arc of the roof (not too tall for third row headroom, the height) and the character line running the length of the doors liven things up.
The 14-inch wheels may be small in size but they get good looking alloy designs on top-end trims which fill the arches well enough.
Width is also the visual theme in the rear, where horizontally-biased taillamps and a number of discreet chrome accents impart a feeling of solidity.
Roof rails are functional and aesthetically pleasing, repeating the light crossover style and increasing the carry-all ability of the vehicle when necessary.
182mm of ground clearance also makes the Triber confident over bad stretches of road, without affecting ingress and egress for occupants.
Renault Tiber- Versatile, Inside and Out
On the inside, the Triber truly makes itself different with its EasyFix modular seating system. This system permits multiple configurations from two-seat mode with maximum cargo capacity to a seven-seat setup.
Second-row seating slides, reclines, folds, and tumbles forward independently of the other, and the third row can be removed entirely when you’re not using it, something you won’t find in many modern vehicles.
The transformation from a spacious four- seater (with some luggage space added) for long weekends into a seven seat people carrier will allow you to ferry large family groups about town for instance.
With all seven seats in use, bootspace is slim although enough for a couple of soft bags or shopping. So the cargo capacity, which doubles if you remove the third row, is huge — 625 liters — similar to something much bigger.
The dashboard is about as utilitarian as it gets, with a tidy, full-width look and a generous 8-inch touchscreen at higher trim levels.
Climate controls have been simplified to use intuitive rotary dials, rather than touch-based controls that might take your eyes off the road, and in the instrument cluster, an analog speedometer resides next to a digital multi-information display that can present useful vehicle information.
The cabin is replete with storage areas and useful compartments, such as cooled center console storage to keep a pair of beverages ice cold on summer outings.
Powertrain, Ride and Handling
The Triber uses a 1.0-litre, naturally-aspirated, three-cylinder petrol engine from Renault which makes about 72 horsepower and 96 Nm of twist.
On paper, the numbers are less than impressive, considering the amount of power the engine sends to the front wheels, but out in the real world, it’s plenty of jam for what the car is designed for – the city.
It has all the three-cylinder traits of a unique noise and a bit of hands-free idle-shake, but the vibrations flatten off nicely once you’re moving.
It comes with two transmission options, 5-speed manual and automated manual transmission (AMT) version known as “Easy-R”.
The manual has accurate if slightly long gear throws and the AMT favours convenience over shift speed, asking for a considerate driving style to make smooth headway.
Fuel economy is still a strong point, netting real-world mileage of about 15-16km/l under combined driving conditions for a box with people-carrying capacity like this.
This suspension also delivers a good balance of ride comfort and body control, says MG, and it uses a more conventional MacPherson strut/torsion beam rear set-up that’s tuned specifically for Indian roads.
In the slightly raised driving position, visibility is good and the steering light, making city driving a cinch.
It feels reassuringly stable on the highway at anything other than high speeds, where its height is susceptible to crosswinds.
Tech and Safety Features
I can have music play from my phone in the car,That’s about as fancy as I get with tech in the Triber as most of the technology in the Triber is of the practical sort rather than the fancy kind.
The MediaNAV infotainment system works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you don know where youe going, you can listen to your favorite tunes on the way there.
Listening is provided by an acceptable audio system with four speakers, and device-addicted passengers are served by several USB charging points.
Attention must be drawn to the efficiency of the climate control (with separate vents for the second and third row – a welcome touch in a car that’s almost certain to be chauffeur-driven in a sweltering Indian summer).
Keyless entry and push-button start make life easier..and the digital instrument cluster displays vital stats such as distance-to-empty and average fuel consumption.
Safety features include dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and impact sensing door unlock – all of this is standard across the line-up.
Upper trims also get side airbags, a reverse camera, and electronic stability control. The vehicle’s structure uses high-strength steel in key areas to provide additional protection in terms of collision performance, but not to add weight in terms of fuel economy.
Ownership Experience & Market Positioning
Renault Triber falls in a unique cattegory in brand’s as well as market’s line-up. Positioned between premium hatchbacks and compact SUVs, it brings a new dimension of versatility without the cost associated with SUV-styled vehicles.
Triber is a great value for families who would like seven seats occasionally, but are not quite ready for a larger, thirstier car.
The upkeep costs are not astronomic as the intervals are placed at 10,000 km. The service network too continues to expand, bringing the previous after-sales concern to rest – to an extent at least -with spread still a little ways off from the bigger mass-market lot.
The warranty scope is 2 years / 50,000 km that can be extended to 5 years to ensure carefree ownership.
Renault Tiber:
The Renault Triber is the epitome of product planning that is based on the deep-seated knowledge of what exactly is needed for the market at hand rather than trying to reinvent the wheel within the segment.
But despite it looking nothing new, in reality – offering interior space in small, convenient dimensions – it’s addressing a real consumer need, one perhaps that the traditional pigeonholes don’t cater for.
Not without compromises if you’re preparing to ask the far upper reaches of its performance envelope and in terms of certain levels of refinement, but the Triber offers space utilisation and adaptability that’s stratospheric for the money on Renault terms.
It’s for urban families that sometimes need to transport extended family or friends but don’t want the footprint or running costs of a larger vehicle, a gap the Triber strength in numbers few of its rivals can directly meet.
By virtue of focusing more on pragmatic innovation as opposed to specs sheet leadership, it’s an indication that Renault comprehends what the real buyers want in terms of mobility in these value-for-money markets.
