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Renault Bridger to be distinguished in the crowded sub-4 metre SUV segment with authentic proportions, a high ground clearance, and a butch design
Renault is rebooting its India operations with the recently launched third-generation Duster, and the upcoming Bridger will be an even more crucial product for the French brand. As a compact SUV, the Bridger will have far more potential in our market, which is why Renault has even more aggressive plans for that model.
At an India-specific futuREady conference held on 16 April, Renault shared some new details about the Bridger. One of the major developments was the confirmation of a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The Tata Nexon, the best-selling model in the sub-4 metre SUV segment, and the Mahindra XUV 3XO are also available with 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engines. The Renault Bridger’s closest rival will be the production version of the Mahindra Vision.S, and that model is also expected to be offered with at least one 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine option.
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Renault could be considering the HR12 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, which it uses in a number of existing models internationally, including the Duster, Captur, Austral, and the Rafale. This engine is ready for electrification and is already being used in mild-hybrid, full-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid applications.
At the world premiere of the Bridger’s concept version last month, Renault confirmed that it will offer a hybrid powertrain as well. While it did not specifically state, there’s a strong possibility it is planning to offer this option in India, which would make the business case for the HR12 engine even stronger. The company will likely use a naturally aspirated version of the same engine in the basic configurations to keep the pricing competitive.
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Renault plans to offer the Bridger with a pure electric powertrain also in India. The company had considered several EVs for our market earlier, but the Bridger EV will finally be its first pure electric model in India. No technical details about the zero-emission variant are available at the moment.
The Renault Bridger is scheduled to go on sale in India by the end of 2027, and we expect it to be offered with only the 1.2-litre naturally aspirated and turbocharged petrol engine options initially. The hybrid and pure electric variants could be introduced in a phased manner by 2028.
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