Renault is all set to expand its line-up in the Indian auto market by launching a new MPV, compact SUV and compact sedan to take on products offered by Maruti, Hyundai.
Renault entered the Indian auto market just a few years back but the company first tasted success with the Duster which was a breakthrough in the affordable SUV segment. The automaker couldn’t sustain sales of the vehicle a couple of years down the line due to a lot of new rivals arriving in the market. The company then launched the Kwid in 2015 and the hatchback went on to become an instant success.
The Renault Kwid competes in the entry-level hatchback segment and it captured a lot of market share from its close rivals. Demand for the Kwid is still very high and now the carmaker feels very optimistic about capturing various other segments in the market too. In the next few years, Renault will be launching a lot of new products under the Rs. 8 lakh price tag, thus catering to a majority part of the car-buying audience.
The Renault Kwid is offered with an 800cc petrol engine right now but soon the company will start offering a 1.0-litre petrol engine as well as an AMT gearbox on the hatchback. Apart from that, the firm will also modify the CMF-A platform into a newer CMF-A+ platform which will be designed to handle bigger vehicles and powerful engines.
An MPV will be produced on the CMF-A+ platform and it has been given the codename RBC. The RBC MPV will be competing against the likes of the Maruti Ertiga. The design of the MPV is close to the finalisation stage. Renault will also manufacture a compact sedan which is codenamed LBC and it will compete with the Maruti Swift DZire, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Xcent, etc. This compact sedan is still in the conceptualisation stage.
Renault also wants to enter the lower spectrum of the compact SUV segment and thus the HBC compact SUV will be fighting it out with the Maruti Vitara Brezza and Mahindra TUV300. The compact SUV is also undergoing conceptualisation right now. The French automaker is targeting big numbers with these 3 very important vehicles and the company aims to sell 1.5-2 lakh units a year.
Renault To Launch New Products To Take On Maruti & Hyundai
– Renault will modify the CMF-A platform and develop the CMF-A+ platform
– The new products will be launched under Rs. 8-9 lakhs
– Renault expects to sell 1.5-2 lakh units a year
Source – ETAuto.com
