Renault India has finally taken the wraps off the Triber. Slated to launch later this year, it made its world premiere today in New Delhi. As per the French automaker, the Triber has been thoughtfully designed to accommodate comfort and convenience. Not to forget, the company also claims that the new sub-4 metre model is robust and frugal as well.

First up, the design. It is an interesting looking car. At the front, the big Renault logo rides in the centre of what the company calls a triple edge chrome grille. Flanking it are smartly shaped headlamp enclosures which feature projector units. The lower section of the front end features a skid plate and LED DRLs. Moving to the side profile, the Renault Triber will get 15-inch alloy wheels with 185/65 profile tyres, 182mm of ground clearance, wheel arches with protective cladding and a pair of roof rails. The rear end features split wrap-around taillamps, a skid plate, a rear windshield wiper with defogger and the word Triber slapped across the number plate’s top lip.

The cabin seems well-appointed too. The dual-tone (Black and Greige) theme is complemented by a neat dashboard with silver accents. At the centre is an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system which, apart from offering video playback and push-to-talk features, will come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Other features include a push-button start-stop, cooled centre console with cup holders, keyless entry, electrically adjustable ORVMs and a full LED instrument cluster with a 3.5-inch LCD screen, which will display the speed, gear-shift indicator, status of doors and a trip computer.

The word versatility comes to mind and there are several reasons for it. The Triber has a three-row layout, making it a compact seven-seater. But with last row of seats individually movable and a 60:40 split second row of seats, the Triber can also become a 5-seater, 4-seater and a 2-seater car. The idea is to deliver van-like space in an everyday car. In the 5-seater configuration, the Renault Triber has a boot capacity of 625 litres. To enhance that comfort factor, the second row of seats can also slide and recline. The third row of seats also come with armrests and dedicated charging points.

Obviously, the standard set of safety features such as dual airbags, rear parking sensors, seatbelt warning for front occupants, ABS with EBD and a speed-alert system will be on offer. A rear-view camera will also be part of the package but only on higher trim levels.

The Triber will be powered by a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine which is also offered in international products like the Clio and Sandero. In essence, it is the same engine that does duty in the Renault Kwid but in a different state of tune. It will produce 72PS/96Nm and will be offered with both a 5-speed manual and an Easy-R AMT (automated manual transmission). As far as mileage figures go, the Triber claims 20kmpl with the manual transmission and 20.5kmpl with the AMT. What’s more, the Triber is expected to become the first BSVI-compliant (Bharat Stage VI) model from Renault India when it launches later this year.