Introduction

The Renault Triber has been in the Long Term garage for over a month now and every time I drive it I realize how Renault has got the formula so right. Compact yet seats seven, good crossover looks and ingenious features that really come in handy during everyday use.

Things we didn’t like

I’d rather start with the bad first and end with the good. So immediately one of the things that we found lacking was any kind of controls missing on the steering wheel. With almost all cars across budgets getting steering mounted controls, the Triber has a steering wheel devoid of any. And we miss it especially if you want to fiddle with volume or change the source or a radio station. Its an important feature so that one can always have their eyes on the road and we hope that Renault adds the feature soon.

Then you have the AMT gearbox. Now we know AMT’s aren’t the quickest out there but the Triber’s AMT is even slower. Even when you engage reverse, you have to wait for at least 2 seconds before it finally engages. And this proves cumbersome when you have to engage reverse in a tight traffic infested spot where everyone is already honking at you. Also at crawling speeds, the AMT tends to get a little jerky which tells us that this AMT can be tuned better.

Things we like

Now the Triber might be a seven-seater but it is also under 4 meters and considering all that space it has tells us that Renault has packaged it brilliantly. The compact dimensions mean it’s a boon to use in city traffic. Easy to maneuver, easy to park and make gaps when there is one. And that is what makes it so easy to drive. Even the steering is extremely light which helps its case even further.

Now we come to the ride quality. The Triber rides extremely well in the city and the best part is that the suspension is tuned for city conditions which means concrete edges, massive speed breakers and horrible built flyovers are absorbed without and complaints and that’s what makes long commutes in the Triber a tireless affair.

What’s next?

Next up I’ll be penning down thoughts on how the Triber performs on the highways. It’s great in the city, but will its turbo lacking heart be enough to take on the perils of our highways? Coming up next.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi