Renault’s Triber provides budget seven-seat goods
Renault has most certainly regained the faith of many South African consumers over the past decade, as is evident in the French brand’s increasing passenger car market share.
This is in part as a result of improved aftersales service and of course, thanks to products that appeal to the local consumer base. One such product is the budget-friendly Kwid which has taken its segment by storm, securing over 1 000 unit sales on a good month. Renault has seen another niche within the local budget scene as it recently introduced the Triber, a seven-seat small MPV that shares its CMF-A platform with the Kwid.
A thoroughly sanitised Triber was dropped off recently for me to test during Level 4 restrictions, which means that I only used the product for essential trips for work and groceries. I only managed 250km during my week with the car, but feel as though I have a good idea of what the Triber has to offer.
Triber styling
Vehicle aesthetics is inherently subjective; however, I am rather confident when I say that a small, seven-seat MPV isn’t exactly the sort of product that would line the walls of a car-mad child’s bedroom alongside supercars. That being said, the Triber is easily identifiable as a Renault product and, despite its MPV silhouette, it isn’t entirely unattractive, to my eyes at least.
From the front-end right up until the end of the front doors, it resembles a budget hatchback. From the centre of the roof backward, there’s noticeable slope upward, obviously to allow for added second and third-row headroom. This creates the van-like look associated with many MPVs; however, the inherent functionality of a vehicle of this nature lends itself to a more functional form.
My top-spec Prestige Triber test car is made slightly more attractive outside thanks to roof rails, LED daytime running lights and 15-inch alloys that appear to be smaller versions of the wheels fitted to the LUX derivative of the previous generation Megane Sport.
Interior and features
The interior of the Triber was where I was pleasantly surprised. While I find the quality of the plastics poor and the black and beige theme to be less than tasteful, it is difficult to dispute the value for money offered in this product. It isn’t just an upsized Kwid, despite sharing the same digital instrument cluster as the latest model.
The top-spec Triber comes with an impressive list of standard features including keyless entry, push-button Start/Stop, an 8.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and reverse camera, rear ventilation, a cooled centre console storage area, power sockets for all three rows of seats, front and rear electric windows and electric mirrors.
In addition to the above, the second and third row of seats can be folded, although, if it were me, I would remove the third row as this will create a truly enormous boot for a car at the price point. I managed to fit my 29-inch mountain bike in the car while retaining seating for four occupants, which isn’t exactly an industry-standard test but does show that the Triber can swallow awkward items while carrying passengers.
The second row of seating provides enough space for two occupants to sit comfortably while three adults will find it a squeeze. The third row is something that should only be used for shorter people and children over shorter trips. It is also worth noting that with all three rows of seating occupied the boot space is virtually non-existent, as is the case with most seven-seat vehicles.
Driving Triber
Having seen the rather comprehensive list of standard features included in the Triber for less than R200 000, there has to be some sort of catch, and that most certainly comes in the form of the powertrain. The Triber comes with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder naturally aspirated engine and a five-speed manual gearbox. The engine is similar to that seen on the Kwid, but with Variable Valve Timing added, which raises the power output from 50kW to 52kW and torque from 91 N.m to 96 N.m. Despite its sub-1 000 kerb weight, the Triber is designed to carry seven occupants and 40-litres of fuel, which makes its tiny engine less than ideal for local conditions.
Even though I was alone in the vehicle for most of the week, the only area in which I felt the Triber provided acceptable propulsion was in low-speed urban driving. Out on the highway, the engine feels strained. The car itself feels relatively stable which I think is as a result of its longer wheelbase versus the Kwid. Don’t expect high levels of refinement as nearing the national limit there’s a noticeable amount of engine and wind noise evident in the cabin.
Safety
The Triber may be a great new car solution for a young family, but what about safety? The brand has emphasised that the Triber is safe, with my top-spec model featuring four airbags, ABS, a reinforced body structure and three-point safety belts for all three rows with the third row losing out on retractors. There aren’t any ISOFIX child seat anchors installed though and there isn’t an official crash test safety rating for the Triber.
Verdict
The Triber is an incredibly well-specified seven-seat MPV that is practical and acceptable. The problem with the Triber is that without a concrete crash test safety rating from a reputable rating agency, the Triber is difficult to recommend.
Price
Renault Triber 1.0 Prestige R 196 900
