Renault’s 2020 model assault on South Africa revealed

Renault South Africa has laid out its product offensive for 2020 by confirming the arrival of three all-new models and two updates model range from February.

Starting the year off, the second month of the new year sees the arrival of the Kwid-based seven-seat Triber that is aimed directly at the Datsun Go+. Sporting the same interior layout, but with an overall length of 3 990 mm, the Triber has a claimed boot capacity of 84-litres with all seven seats up, and 625-litres with the second and third rows lowered.

Weighing in it at 937 kg in its lightest form, the Triber will more than likely come powered by the same 1.0-litre normally aspirated engine as the Kwid that produces 5okW/91Nm, which comes paired to either a five-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automated manual (AMT). Final spec and pricing will only be announced at launch, but expect it to break through the R200 000 mark for flagship models.

Touching down in March, La Riege will debut the facelift Megane and Koleos, the latter set to benefit from the same upgrades as the European model that bowed in June and not the specification upgrades afforded to the pre-facelift version still on sale. Final spec has also not yet been revealed, but like the Australian-spec Koleos, local models are unlikely to get the new Blue dCi turbodiesel engines, and will mostly likely continue with the current 2.5-litre petrol motor mated to the CVT with front-or-four-wheel-drive. Details surrounding the Megane are unknown.

April sees the highly awaited arrival of the all-new Clio that made its debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show. Now based on the same CMF-B platform as the Nissan Micra, the Clio could likely be offered with the same 1.0-litre turbocharged triple as its alliance partner rated at 74kW/160Nm, with the bigger Daimler co-developed 96kW/240Nm 1.3-litre four-pot also a likely candidate. Not expected though is the normally aspirated 1.0-litre petrol, the all-new 1.6-litre E-Tech hybrid or the 1.5 Blue dCi oil-burner.

Finally, June sees the debut of the equally new Captur that bowed in July. The recent overall winner of the Wesbank Fuel Economy Tour, the Captur mirrors the Clio in the architecture department, and is also longer than the current model with the boot able to swallow 536-litres with the rear seats in place.

Up front, and based on the current Captur range, the 74 kW 1.0-litre three-pot will likely replace the 898 cc motor, while the 1.2-litre motor will be superseded by either the 96 kW 1.3, or the same engine whose output stands at 115kW/270Nm.

Unlike the Clio, the 1.5-litre Blue dCi engine could be added, but as with the current model, in its lowest output, which means 70kW/240Nm sent to the front wheels via six-speed manual gearbox and not the present-day five-speed. Out for the count however is the 1.6 E-Tech hybrid.

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