Renault Triber Turbo-petrol First Drive Review

The Renault Triber has been around for a while now and is a unique proposition, considering that it offers space for seven occupants with its small footprint of less than four metres. While it has offered a huge amount of practicality and a decent amount of features, the Achilles’ heel for the model has always been the lack of power from the NA petrol engine.

The French automaker has now addressed this shortcoming by adding a turbocharger to the 1.0-litre petrol motor. Yes, the brand had previously revealed that the current platform cannot accommodate a turbo-petrol engine, and hence the car you see here is based on the new Renault Group Entry Platform (RGEP) underpinning. This is an interesting case as the Triber continues to feature the same top hat as that of the outgoing car, while bringing in many changes under the skin. So what is this update all about? Let’s find out.

When I said Renault has carried over the top-hat of the Triber, I meant it, letter for letter, or in this case, part for part. There are absolutely no changes in terms of exterior design. Compared to the pre-facelift iteration, the refreshed version carries a much more modern look. The sculpted bonnet, the blacked-out grille, and triangular inserts above the squared fog lights all lend a muscular feel to the fascia.

On either side, the Triber features a black finish for the roof rails, ORVMs, and door handles, as well as the B- and C-pillars. Then there are the 15-inch steel wheels with styled wheel covers, which, although not new, are brilliantly executed, offering the sturdiness of a steel wheel with the style quotient of an alloy wheel design. Kudos to the team that thought of this!

Towards the rear too, things are no different, as you get the same set of two-piece, wraparound LED taillights, black applique for the tailgate, new 3D Renault logo, and the latest trend, the model name lettering. The only way to distinguish the Triber Turbo is with the help of a blacked-out ‘Turbo’ badge at the derriere. The folks at Renault seem to have taken inspiration from some higher-end performance cars with respect to the blacked-out details, but trust me, I'm doing anything but complaining.

Step inside the Triber Turbo, and it is more familiar than you might think, because, just like the exterior, the inside remains untouched too. There is the signature dual-tone beige and black theme, coupled with a nice grey and silver coloured honeycomb texture on the dashboard. Considering the price it commands, the quality of plastics used in and around, more so where your hands are likely to get in touch with, feels a class above. In fact, this factor alone might give a few sub-compact SUVs, which command a fat premium compared to the Triber, a run for their money.

The seats carry on with the honeycomb theme, and the black inserts get a contrast white stitching, which shows how much attention to detail has been paid, even though they might go unnoticed more often than not.

The rotary knobs and the buttons on the centre console feel top-notch too, and it's things like these that you go on to appreciate in the longer run, especially after the initial novelty of the car (be it any price or segment) has worn off. That said, what does need getting used to is the unusual placement of the engine start-stop button and cruise control button, which, even after multiple stints with the Triber and its not-so-distant cousin, the Gravite.

Unsurprisingly, this is another department that the French haven’t worked on this time around. The Triber continues to offer a large, freestanding touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cooled armrest storage for the front row, digital and coloured instrument cluster, two glove boxes, wireless charger, cruise control, height-adjustable driver seat, one-touch up/down function for the driver-side window, reverse parking camera, and six airbags.

The second row gets AC vents with a dedicated blower control, 12V charging port, 80:20 split seats, slide and recline functions for the seats, and a manual, but one-touch tumble function to access the third row. The latter gets only a 12V charging port and two cubby holes.

This is one vertical where the engineers at Renault deserve a pat on the back, time and again. In spite of the car sitting under four metres in length, Renault has brilliantly packaged the car, allowing for more space where it matters.

Finding a comfortable seating position in the first row is a quick and easy fix, and the height-adjustable driver seat makes it a tad bit easier if you’re the one behind the wheel. There’s also a dedicated armrest for the driver, and I didn’t realise the novelty of this element until I happened to use it on multiple occasions. In terms of storage, the front row has two glove boxes, and a large and deep storage compartment at the end of the centre console, which is also cooled. The door pockets can easily accommodate one-litre bottles, and still save a healthy amount of room for the oddities like a cleaning cloth, wallet, umbrellas, or the like.

Moving into the second row, there is a healthy amount of legroom, even with the front seat set to my comfort, and taking into consideration that I’m on the heavier side of the weighing scale. The headroom is decent too, for an average-height Indian of about 5’7-5’8, although the shoulder room will be a tight fit for three.

The third row is decently spacious for the size of the car, and although you can only adjust the recline angle here, moving the second-row seats with the slide function should allow for more legroom in case the situation demands. In the standard setting too, the legroom was just about enough for me, centimetres away from touching the seats ahead. The headroom is average, although the shoulder room will not be a compromise here. Ingress and egress are manageable, and largely depend on how fit and agile one is to make it a smooth affair.

Even with the third row up, the bootspace is commendable. While you cannot fit the smallest suitcase, a duffle bag or a light backpack can definitely make their way in, and more than just one piece at that. With the third row folded down or removed and carefully stowed away, there are acres of space, 625 litres to be precise, which is enough to do an airport run with five people and their luggage. The only downside to the small footprint and the third-row space is how near one sits to the rear windshield, and in an unfortunate situation, things could look more grim than they would be with most other cars.

Finally, onto the highlight of the day. The Triber Turbo, as the name suggests, sources power from a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine paired only with a five-speed manual transmission. The power output stands at 99bhp and 180Nm, with a claimed mileage of 21kmpl, which Renault says is the best in the segment. Notably, Renault has not revealed at what RPMs the peak power and torque figures come up.

Right off the start, the increase in the low-end torque is instantly noticed, as the Triber now lunges forward, and if you do a quick enough shift from first to second while accelerating hard, it will even chirp the wheels. The engine has been retuned for better low-end and mid-range, and this comes to your attention as you putter around in the city without having to constantly downshift, as was the case with the NA motor. The car can even go over speed breakers in third gear without much of a bother, and the car remains fairly fast with two people and their luggage on board, which we expect shouldn’t see much of a drop as the number of occupants begins to increase. Renault has improved the braking too, and a few unexpected hard braking circumstances reinforced this change.

The Renault Triber always had a balanced ride, something that further pushed its list of positives, and something that you wouldn’t expect from a car in this segment to do. The ride continues to remain pliant, and it can gobble up speed breakers, undulations, and then some more, while passing minimal effects to the passengers, if at all, all the way up to speeds of 60-80kmph. After this, the ride does start to feel a little more stiff, but given the use case for the target market, it shouldn’t be a cause for concern on most occasions.

Renault has added anti-roll bars at both ends of this Triber turbo, yet the model continues to have a significant amount of body roll. Not just that, even just a little more than the average speeds will see the car move around all over the place. That said, the steering remains light throughout, and passes back little to no feedback.

Another thing that hasn’t changed is the NVH levels. The typical three-cylinder thrum is noticeable right from the moment the car is started, and more so in lower gears and low (read city) speeds. The engine is fairly audible, and the vibrations are felt around the footwell area too. While there is certainly room for doing better, this shouldn’t be a deal breaker considering the overall package that the Triber turbo offers.

The Triber always needed a turbo, and it should have been present from day 1, which would’ve helped its sales numbers and, overall, a better picture for Renault in India. But as they say, better late than never. The Triber turbo is priced from Rs. 7.84 lakh (ex-showroom), which is a Rs. 1.11 lakh premium over the respective naturally aspirated version.

Yes, the cost difference does feel considerable, but when you think about the overall package that the Triber offers, including impressive space for three rows of occupants, a healthy list of features all around, its pliant ride, and now, enough punch to haul around a fully loaded car, it does manage to make a compelling case for itself. Another good news is that the automatic and CNG version launches could be right around the corner, thus further cementing the good proposition that the Triber is now turning out to be.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi