Renault Triber: 5 Key Takeaways From The Long Term Review

The Triber is spacious and feature rich and yet won’t burn a hole in your pocket. But not everything that glitters is gold, right?

On social media, the Renault Triber has been the subject of many memes. But the ones who have driven it can vouch for its practicality. You could think of it as a bigger and more spacious WagonR. And recently, it even managed to score 4 stars in the Global NCAP crash test (video below).

However, there are a few limitations that can push some buyers away. We have reviewed the Triber comprehensively as we have had both the manual and AMT variants as long term review cars. And after having spent nearly 5000kms with them, here is what we have learnt. 

Properly spacious

On paper, the Triber is a 7-seater and. it does a brilliant job of accommodating an average-sized family. Seven of us from the office got inside the Triber and decided to go out for coffee (remember the good old days when you could just burn fuels without thinking twice, sigh). To our surprise, it wasn’t uncomfortable, and we think short city trips won't irk off many. Thanks to the sliding middle row, even third-row passengers can get comfortable with adequate legroom. However, the downside to seating seven is that there’s no boot space left. 

The third-row seats are completely removable. This opens up massive space -- more than that of any other hatchback -- to accommodate your essentials. I managed to carry my month’s worth of luggage and a bean bag in the boot while driving back from Jaipur to Pune. If you often move around with a lot of luggage and are looking for a workhorse, the Triber will do that for you. Watch and read our comparison of the Triber with the Maruti Ertiga to know more about its storage capacity. 

Super ride quality

Renault has been able to absolutely nail the ride quality on Indian roads. The benchmark set by the Duster has been certainly matched by the Triber in the compact car segment. The suspension, apart from being a bit noisy, won't give you any other reason to complain. It soaks up bumps nicely and doesn’t let you feel the harshness of the surface. In fact, with its good ground clearance, the Triber is ideal for use on cracked and uneven roads. It even settles quickly, resulting in a balanced ride. However, the cabin does get bouncy with seven on board. Read our first drive review for more details on ride quality. 

Thoughtful touches

The Triber’s practicality is not just limited to its space and ride. Even the cabin has been designed with attention to detail. There are multiple storage options like a dedicated mobile phone tray, adequate space underneath it, cup holders, two glove boxes, and a cooled storage as well. Even the door pockets are well designed.

Then come the useful features. The Triber senses the proximity of the smart key and can lock / unlock the car automatically. This is extremely convenient as this almost works flawlessly. And then, you have push-button start, rear AC vents, a good sound system, and excellent all-round visibility. More about these in our long term review. 

Engine limitations

The Triber gets a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that unfortunately lacks refinement and power. However, with its short gearing, you won’t feel it running out of breath in the city. In fact, in our urban jungles, the power is just enough for calm cruising and overtakes. 

However, take the Triber on the highway, and it is out of its comfort zone. It starts gasping for air beyond 100kmph, and at 120kmph, the engine sounds like you are torturing it. On my 1260km road trip, I had to often drop to 90kmph after cruising at 110kmph for every 30-40 kms. With its not-so-good cabin insulation, you can even hear the loud AC compressor inside the cabin. I am not saying it would have overheated or broken down, but I just did not want to take that chance. 

Even with outright acceleration, the Triber is on the slower side, especially the AMT. Want to know the 0-100kmph times? Check out the road test review. 

AMT convenient but slow

The Triber AMT could have been the ultimate urban and practical family car. Its thoughtful cabin with the convenience of an automatic should have made it a top priority on every family's wishlist. However, the AMT is slow to shift gears. While the shift logic is on point, the shifts themselves feel pretty lazy. As a result, overtakes need to be planned in advance, and you should think twice before quickly changing acceleration. This also makes it four seconds slower than the manual variant in its sprint to 100kmph. 

But if you are not interested in finding those narrow gaps or overtaking within the city, you won't mind this laid-back nature of the Triber AMT. That’s because compared to the manual transmission, the AMT uses a shorter third gear, which results in lesser gear shifts. And the shifts too don't feel jerky. We also tested the fuel efficiency of the manual and the AMT, which you can check out in our review. 

Read More on : Triber AMT