Renault Kwid concept has a built-in drone

Controllable drone helps the Renault Kwid concept avoid traffic jams.

Car manufacturers will use just about any gimmick to help shift their vehicles, from built-in coffee machines to interior ambient lighting. Renault, however, has decided to go one step further with what is possibly the strangest freebie ever — a drone.

The four-seater Renault Kwid concept, which was unveiled at the 2014 New Dehlie Auto Expo, is a compact crossover designed to let younger buyers conquer urban terrain and muddy hillocks in style. It has chunky tyres, plenty of ground clearance, two exhaust pipes and rugged styling ─ all par for the course.

What makes the Renault Kwid different, however, is a drone built into the roof. This can be controlled using a tablet located near the steering wheel. Once in the sky, cameras on the drone give the driver and passengers an aerial view of the surrounding area — great for getting a heads-up on the traffic situation. Or it gives the kids something to do in the event of a breakdown.

Power comes from a 1.2-litre turbo engine paired up to a dual-clutch transmission, with power fed to the front wheels. Not the attributes required to conquer the world’s toughest terrain, then, but we doubt there’s a high kerb the Kwid would be unable to handle.

On the inside is a jazzy triangular bench seat that allows two passengers to sit either side of the centrally-located driver, McLaren F1-style, while a further two passengers can sit in the back. A TFT touchscreen takes over the role of traditional gauges.

Renault is keeping quiet on the subject of production. If the Kwid does make it off the drawing board, it will more than likely go on sale in emerging markets such as India. Shame really, because it puts the Suzuki Jimny to shame.