Nissan made announcements of reviving the Datsun brand to deliver low cost products to emerging markets like India, Russia and Indonesia. So it was obvious that Renault had to follow suit.
Now the French car maker seems to be directing its designers and engineers to work on a project for churning out an entry-level car which would take on the likes of Maruti Alto, Hyundai Eon, Chevrolet Spark, etc. Currently Pulse is the cheapest offering from Renault in India, which is nothing but a rebadged Nissan Micra.
According to Autocar, Renault is in the process of finalizing a luxury sedan to rival the likes of the VW Passat. The French automaker believes that Passat has a very stronghold in the luxury sedan market and wants a piece of the pie as soon as 2016.
The sedan’s specifications have not been finalized yet but when it is finalized, the mysterious model will sit above the Laguna in the automaker’s lineup.
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At the unveiling of the Bajaj RE60, the company’s CEO Rajiv Bajaj told reporters that they were open to talks with Renault-Nissan for the use the RE60′s platform to manufacture a compact car. Officials from Japan and France were invited to see the RE60 at the Bajaj stall in the Auto Expo. The RE60 was completely developed in-house by Bajaj with no assistance from either Nissan or Renault.
Since Mr Bajaj’s invitation, we have not heard anything from the Franco-Japanese camp.
It is now being reported in some sections of the media that the visitors are yet to confirm their interest in using the platform to roll out an inexpensive vehicle.
Renault may not have had the best of the year with an haywire pricing strategy and limited dealerships. However, the company wants to show its commitments to the Indian market at the 2012 Auto Expo. The company plans to showcase the much anticipated Renault Duster – a compact SUV to take on the likes of the Ford EcoSport.
The Duster promises to be the sub 10 lakh SUV that India always wanted. The 1.6 liter petrol variant produces 105BHP. The other two are 1.5 liter capacity diesel engines producing 90BHP and 107BHP. The five passenger model will be available from mid 2012.
The Renault-Nissan India chapter may not finish with the 4,500 crore facility setup in Oragadam, Chennai if a new report on LiveMint is accurate. It could mark the beginning as Renault maybe planning the next billion dollar investment in the developing Detroit of Asia – Gujarat.
The Renault Twizy electric vehicle is an inexpensive runabout the ULC could mimic
Renault is apparently discussing internally on a second manufacturing facility in Vadordra that can roll out 400,000 cars a year. Much of this factory’s volume, like its Chennai counterpart, is for export through neighboring ports.
The annual capacity in the Chennai plant can stretch up to 400,000 cars. Nissan plans to reach the limit by manufacturing the Micra, Sunny, Note replacement, NV200, Duster and assemble some Renault models. Sources have told IndianAutosBlog.com that Renault will manufacture a sedan on the V-Platform besides the Pulse hatchback next year in Oragadam. Production of the Micra accounts for the most capacity utilization.
If construction is underway in Gujarat in the next couple of years, the first car will roll out by the end of 2015. The company could invest in excess of 10,000 crore to setup the facility and prepare a vendor base that it can tap into for sourcing cheaper components for global Renault models.
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The Telegraph has reported that Renault’s forthcoming hatchback for the B and B+ segment in India is codenamed B58. We have gone through details of the B+ hatchback on previous occasions. Here’s a round up of what we know about this elusive city car -
1) Renault’s B+ hatch sits on the V-Platform which underpins the Nissan Micra and upcoming Nissan Almera/Sunny/Global sedan
2) It will be powered by the same 1.2 3yl petrol/1.5 K9K diesel engine used on the Micra/Verito.
3) It could feature a tall boy design with the demeanor of a Suzuki WagonR (sells 12k-13k units month). Can Renault provide the Maruti buyer a stylish and more frugal alternative?
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IAB reader Bairesh Raj passed on these spyshots of the Renault Fluence testing on the GST road near Chennai. The launch will unfold in the next few months during which we expect Renault to announce a 1.5-liter diesel (think Nissan Micra) and a 2.0-liter petrol engine.
The Fluence will brought down to India from Turkey in the form of knock-down kits. Renault will be anxious to break out of the shell the Logan created with the more modern Fluence positioned in the Corolla-Cruze territory. Earlier spy pics sent by our Pune reader Snatak suggested Renault will offer an automatic transmission, possibly married to the diesel engine. Before that, Renault has to set up a dealership network.
Earlier, we brought you a scoop about a mysterious SUV spotted on the GST road which leads to Renault-Nissan JV plant at Oragadam. We predicted that Renault is testing the Duster in India. Now, Overdrive magazine confirms that the Duster will make it to the Indian shores by early 2012. Overdrive reports the Duster will be priced at about Rs 7 lakh for the 2WD version and Rs 9 lakh [ Read More ]
Nissan made announcements of reviving the Datsun brand to deliver low cost products to emerging markets like India, Russia and Indonesia. So it was obvious that Renault had to follow suit.
