Renault Bridger To Get Brand New, Hybrid-Ready Turbo Petrol Engine, All-Electric Powertrain

Renault unveiled the Bridger concept in March this year. With its upright stance and boxy proportions, this concept quickly got a lot of attention. Now, the company leadership has given out key information about its powertrains. The Bridger will be a sub-compact (B segment) SUV. It will get a new 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine that will be hybrid ready. In the future we may see both hybrid and electric versions of the Bridger.

In the event held in Chennai, Mr. Stephane Deblaise, the new CEO of Renault India, introduced the Bridger to us, giving out its powertrain details. The Bridger will be Renault’s second B-segment SUV in India. It already has the Kiger in this segment, powered by a 1.0L turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine (hr10de). It makes 98hp and 160Nm on the Kiger.

The Bridger, however, will not use this engine. It will be powered by a newly-developed 1.2L turbocharged petrol unit. The exact power and torque of this engine remain undisclosed.

We are, however, told that the new engine will be hybrid ready. If so, the Bridger hybrid will become one of the most affordable hybrid models from the carmaker. The SUV is also ready for full electrification. In the coming years, we will see the Bridger EV roll out, possibly as the brand’s first EV in India.

Deblaise reiterated that the sub-compact SUV will be based on the RGMP Small ( Renault Global Modular Platform). This is a heavily modified version of the CMF-B global platform with a more advanced electrical and electronics (E&E) architecture. We first saw this platform being used on the new Duster.

The E&E architecture on it, co-developed with Google, is called the Software Electric & Electronic Technology (SWEET 400). This enables the integration of more connected and software-driven functions, and is likely to be present on the Bridger as well.

The RGMP is a multi-energy platform. This means that even the electric and hybrid versions of the Bridger will have it as the base.

Renault is plotting a smart game-plan with its platforms. The Bridger, Duster and other such products will be based on the RGMP platform while a less complex architecture called RGEP (Renault Group Entry Platform) will underpin models like the Triber and Kiger.

Deblaise has also confirmed that the Bridger will launch in India next year, and added that India will be the first market to get this SUV. Interestingly, the Bridger has been designed and developed in India.

The B-SUV is part of Renault’s new FutuReady roadmap. Francois Provost, Renault Group’s new CEO, is spearheading this move. He is aiming for ‘China-like’ product development cycles- which means getting the development done in under 2 years!

The Bridger concept has a design that would get many interested- clean lines, flared wheel arches, smooth panels, tall stance, and a tailgate-mounted sparewheel- it really looks like a rugged SUV, despite the small proportions. It is expected to get a 400-litre boot space and roughly 200mm ground clearance. When launched, it will be placed between the Kiger and the Duster in Renault’s portfolio.

Renault hasn’t revealed the interior design or feature list of this SUV yet. We expect the carmaker to package it competitively, considering the fact that it is aware of how sensitive the Indian market is towards features. The pricing is also expected to be competitive when launched.