The Tribe has spoken
Renault has long been known for making some excellent vehicles. Legends such as the Megane and recently the Koleos have cemented them as premium European car makers. Whether due to changing demands or new markets, we have seen Renault shift their focus from those legends and see them focusing on developing segments and offering entry level vehicles such as the Kwid and now just recently its bigger brother, The Triber.
Related: Renault Triber (2020): First Drive
We took delivery of the Triber a few days before lockdown was declared and had the opportunity to fully test and live with the vehicle for almost two months.
Styling
The Triber is actually quite a handsome-looking vehicle. It lacks the severe rear overhang that many MPVs suffer from. Front and rear overhangs are kept to a minimum while all the bulk of the space seems to be between the wheels where the passengers will be. Much like the Kwid preceding it, the Triber comes in a host of flash colours and is fitted with plastic flares and skid plates that sculpt the overall impression of the body, imbuing it with a rough and ready SUV style.
The Prestige model that we tested was fitted with all the bells and whistles from mag wheels to the full interior treatment.
The Drive
The exterior and interior styling as well as trimmings may be on point but unfortunately the Triber falls flat on pull away. The small three-cylinder engine is mated to what can only be described as a temperamental gearbox. The combination delivers 52kW and 96Nm which under normal circumstances is enough to get it going. The 5 speed manual gearbox is very notchy and if you don't rev-match accurately you find yourself lurching or shuddering along after every gear change. The throaty three cylinder burble which we actually quite like is, again unfortunately, drowned out by the whine from the transmission.
Instead of being somewhat pleasurable to drive the Triber becomes a chore to pilot if you are doing anything besides running down to the shops or doing a school run. During our 7-week-long test we subjected the Triber to the above runabouts but also attempted to tackle the freeway and struggled at the best of times to keep the MPV at 120km/h.
Despite the performance and drive issues the Triber is surprisingly compliant and comfortable enough to spend a prolonged periods of time sitting in.
Performance
As detailed above the Triber is powered by a 3 cylinder petrol engine mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. The power figures would normally be enough for an appropriately sized vehicle but due to the size of the Triber they are problematic. The car itself weighs less than a ton but once you load it up with people or things, the shortcomings in the engine and gearbox become very apparent.
Space and Comfort
The Triber is designed to fit into your life with 100 different seating arrangements. This is easily accomplished with the various fitment of the seats. You can have a two, four, five and of course seven seat setup but the boot space will be adversely affected by having all the seating in place. Removing the seats will deliver over 600l of packing space in the rear.
The cabin is very airy with the dashboard having a swathe of uncluttered space with the two-tone material also a welcome change from an either full light colour or sombre dark colour.
The Prestige model benefits from the 8-inch MediaNav touchscreen infotainment system, reverse camera, keyless entry and digital instrument cluster while the rear rows also have their own AC vents and 12v power outlets.
Safety
The Triber is yet to be fully tested by NCAP but we can confirm that the body structure is made from high strength steels and the minimum safety features of ABS brakes and two airbags upfront are fitted as standard on the entry level models, while our test car from the Prestige bracket comes with the front side impact airbags.
Fuel Consumption
Renault claims a very frugal 5.5l /100km. Our combined driving exercises drew very similar numbers during city runabouts but any attempt to tackle the freeway saw the number climb up in excess of 7.7l /100km, as keeping the Triber at speed required deft use of the gearbox.
Price
The Triber will be released in three specifications
Renault Triber 1.0 Expression - R 171 900
Renault Triber 1.0 Dynamique - R 181 900
Renault Triber 1.0 Prestige - R 196 900
The Triber comes with a 5-year/150 000 km warranty and a 2-year/ 30 000 km service plan.
Verdict
Aesthetically there is nothing wrong with the Triber, It's styled well and has a sufficient trim level but the underpowered engine and mismatched drive train make this vehicle difficult to like. Space and comfort are plentiful, as long as the passengers don't mind a slow pace of travel. I'm sure the Triber will find a home with consumers who need flexibility, who are not overly concerned with power and are interested in saving money. The Triber is the cheapest seven seater available currently but with competitors such as the Suzuki Ertiga, Honda BRV and Toyota Avanza, it is ultimately the price that will decide where consumers spend their money.
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