Renault’s Brezza rival is reported to target the affordable subcompact SUV segment currently ruled by Maruti Suzuki
Renault seems to have become more serious about the Indian market as suggested by a recent report surfaced on the web. A whole host of product offensive is waiting in the pipeline starting from next year onwards as the French manufacturer is all pumped to take on the industry-leading Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai.
An investment of Rs. 2,500-3,000 crore is reportedly being planned over the course of next four years to help develop new vehicles aligned with Indian customers’ major preferences of economy, space and affordability. The upcoming products are targeted at mass market segments where Maruti Suzuki dominates the entire landscape. Instigated by the overwhelming success of the Kwid global entry-level small car, Renault is preparing to enter one new product every year.
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The first in the new fleet has been rumoured to be the Kaptur compact SUV, as soon as by the end of 2017. It will compete against fierce nemesis such as Mahindra XUV 500 and the upcoming Tata Hexa. Around June 2018, Renault has said to be hitting showrooms with an affordable people carrier rivaling Ertiga. With a sub-four metre sedan projected to be the last of the lot by June 2020, a new generation Duster has been rumoured to arrive midway through 2019.
It will soon be followed by a subcompact SUV fighting against Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Ford EcoSport. Internally codenamed as HBC, the Renault SUV will enter a space that has garnered plenty of buyers in recent times. The EcoSport set the early benchmark but it was Vitara Brezza that took full advantage of MSIL’s customer base and delivered nearly 10,000 units in average in the last three months.
Also Read: Next Generation Renault Duster to Launch in H1 2019
Renault may try to execute the plan as similar to how Kwid was positioned against Alto. Within an affordable price bracket, a fuel efficient engine package and loaded features will help Renault get more footfalls and the HBC will be an important product that bridges gap between Kwid and Duster in the lineup. The engine bay could see economical turbocharged petrol and diesel engines with standard manual and optional AMT transmissions. To keep the costs down and increase localisation, the compact SUV may share the CMF-A modular platform with the Kwid hatchback.
Source: ET Auto