Renault will finally take a shot at the hotly contested sub-four-metre SUV space. According to a news report, the Chief Executive Officer of Renault Venkatram Mamillapalle, has said that a sub-compact SUV will be launched in the second half of 2020. It will slot under the Duster in the company’s lineup.

The automaker’s Compact Modular Family (CMF-A) platform will underpin the SUV, codenamed HBC. With this platform, the French automaker has prioritised cabin space at the cost of a larger engine bay — effectively ruling out diesel engines in the process. So, much like the Triber (that’s based on the same platform), the HBC will only be offered with petrol engines. The base motor is likely to be the Triber’s 1.0-litre ‘BR10’ unit. It makes 72PS of power and 96Nm of torque. The company is expected to update it soon to comply with the upcoming BS6 norms. A 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT are expected to be on offer with this engine.

We had previously reported Renault’s intention to introduce a turbocharged petrol engine in Nepal. That could very well be Nissan’s ‘HR10’ three-cylinder turbocharged motor, that makes around 100PS of power. This engine is likely to be reserved for higher variants of the small SUV.

We’re expecting Renault to borrow parts from the Triber’s bin, to keep the bean counters happy. It’s safe to assume it will have similar features, including four airbags, a touchscreen infotainment system, reverse parking camera and projector headlamps. Given the cost-efficient platform, we wouldn’t be surprised if Renault manages to achieve a tempting starting price. It will rival the Hyundai Venue, upcoming facelifted Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, and the segment bestseller, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.