With seven seats and a very attractive price tag, the compact Renault Triber trades a bit of quality for quite a bit of value…
You should know: The Triber’s been around for a while, built in India and sharing a few parts with its equally affordable sibling Kwid, as well as some Nissan vehicles. With a recent facelift, the major news here is that this 1.0 Iconic M/T model crams seven seats into a 4 meter-long car; and only costs 250k!
More info: It doesn’t end there though. For this price you also get an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple and Android connectivity, a part-digital gauge cluster, a wireless charging tray, front park sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, plus the regular collection of active safety and powered convenience items.
Why you shouldn’t: Propulsion comes from a rather rough 999cc in-line 3-cylinder petrol engine, whose 52kW or 96Nm will quickly become inadequate as the passenger count climbs. And when this little MPV is fully occupied, the 625L boot evaporates to a mere 85L. Although that’s to be expected from such a compact vehicle.
Our performance test a few years ago yielded 0-100km/h in a shocking 15.94 seconds, third-last in our records just behind a 1991 Citi Golf 1.3 and the last Land-Rover Defender Puma. Highway manners are sub-par thanks to thin tyres, 182mm of ground clearance and a floaty (i.e. comfy) ride, while the diabolically long clutch travel on our test car produced an equal amount of stalls as it did wheel chirps.
What else: Most drivers disliked the cabin’s hard plastics, but everyone loved the spongy two-tone seats. I personally detest Renault’s idea of an engine coolant meter, which rests in its normal position just one (1!!) notch from maximum. The halogen headlights are pretty good, the self-locking feature is definitely not, and Renault also forgot what a volume knob is.
Why you should: Besides its excellent price and three-row capabilities, there’s also the maker’s claimed average of just 5.5L/100km from the 40L tank. That’s obviously out of reach when the car is fully laden (maximum payload is 565kg) but a careful return journey from the airport should get close to that number.
Conclusion: The updated Renault Triber is neither sensational nor exciting to drive, but it offers a frankly spectacular amount of seats and value for your money. Each new model is available in a choice of five colours (some with contrasting black roof) as well as a 5-year/150,000km warranty and 2-year/30,000km service plan.
FULL SPEC LIST
| Engine: | 999cc in-line 3-cylinder petrol |
| Transmission: | 5-speed Manual, FWD |
| Max. Power: | 53kW @ 6,250rpm |
| Max. Torque: | 96Nm @ 3,500rpm |
| Avg. cons.: | 5.5L/100km (claimed) |
| 0-100km/h: | No claim |
| Top Speed: | No claim |
| List Price: | R249,999 |