Renault planning new entry level products for India - Report

05/12/2017 - 14:46 | ,  ,   | Dhruv Saxena

Renault is looking to consolidate its position as a mass market player in the Indian market by introducing more entry-level models reports Autocar Professional. 2-3 new products based on the Renault Kwid's platform will be added to the company's portfolio over the next four years or so.

Renault working on new entry level models for India
Renault will utilise the CMF-A+ platform for new entry level products for the Indian market.

Speaking to the publication, Gérard Detourbet, Alliance Managing Director, Alliance A-Segment development unit, said,

It's clear that we did not create the platform (CMF-A)  only for one car. On each platform we can develop a lot of things. Not only because we can use different type of bodies but also because we have a lot of possible branding.

First to arrive will be a sub-4m seven-seater MPV (codename: RBC). It will be based on the CMF-A+ platform, a slightly bigger derivative of the Kwid's CMF-A platform. The CMF-A+ is flexible enough to form the basis of six-seven different body styles the company says.

This platform could also give birth to a compact SUV (codename: HBC). The Renault Kwid based compact SUV could arrive before 2020 to rival the likes of the Maruti Vitara Brezza and Tata Nexon. By 2022, Renault will bring the Kwid EV to India. The Kwid-based electric car is undergoing testing in China and will come to India after its launch there.

2018 Renault MPV (Renault RBC) rendering
First to arrive will be a 7-seater compact MPV. It is expected to go on sale in India before the end of 2018.

Also Read - 2018 Renault Duster

Renault India is currently in need of more volume drivers to fuel its growth in the Indian market. Sales of the Kwid witnessed a year on year drop of 20% over the April-October period. While the Captur may give sales a push, the company needs cheaper models to increase its market share from the current 3.37% (October 2017 data).

[source - Autocar Pro]

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