Renault has unveiled the chunky Bridger concept as a preview of a rugged, compact SUV it will launch next year in developing markets with a choice of petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains.

Revealed today, the Bridger features a boxy, utilitarian design with a rear-mounted spare wheel. The concept is less than four metres in length and features external dimensions similar to those of the Suzuki Jimny (a car still on sale in India under the Maruti Suzuki subsidiary). At 200mm, it also has a similar ground clearance.

Despite its small size, the Bridger is spacious inside. It offers 400 litres of boot space and 200mm of rear leg room, which Renault claims is better than similarly sized cars (the 4.1m-long Renault 4, for example, offers 164mm).

The new car will be designed and developed in India and is likely to be built at Renault’s factory in Chennai, alongside the slightly larger Renault Duster to which it will be closely related. The two crossovers form part of a wide-reaching £2.2 billion initiative to grow Renault’s footprint outside its core European market. 

The production Bridger will launch before the end of 2027, firstly going on sale in India before it is exported to other international markets – such as Africa and the Middle East. The prospect of a European launch is slim, given the stark differences in homologation requirements and customer demands in markets such as India.

It will be available with petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains, although not in every market. 

Sources in India have told Autocar that the entry model will be sold with a new 1.2-litre pure-petrol engine, while the EV will be offered with 35kWh and 55kWh battery packs. The other powertrain is expected to be the same 158bhp full-hybrid as offered by the Renault Duster. 

The new car will take the Bridger concept's name into production, suggested Renault’s head of naming strategy Sylvia dos Santos. She added: “With Renault Bridger, we are adding to our family of names based on English words. The name is part of the same approach as the name of Renault Duster. It’s a powerful, robust and versatile name and…opens a new page in our international offensive.”