New Sub 4 lakh car, new MPV to drive up Renault volumes in India

Renault in India, currently, relies heavily on one model – the Duster. And, though there’s a new 4x4 Duster due for launch in October (read here), the real volumes for Renault will come from its new sub 4 lakh hatchback and a new MPV. According to Renault, the French carmaker will have three volume pillars going forward – the Duster, the new small car and the new MPV. The traditional volume getters – a hatchback and a sub Rs 10 lakh sedan, the Pulse and the Scala, in other words - will however, continue to be niche offerings. That’s till Renault digs deeper into its M0 platform to pull out replacements for the two aforementioned models.

Getting back to the new sub 4 lakh small car, the new Renault hatchback will take on the likes of the Hyundai i10 and the Maruti Suzuki Celerio. The new car won’t share its underpinnings with the Datsun Go, though. Instead, it will use Nissan-Renault’s new modular platform for small, affordable cars called the CMF-A. The Renault small car will be the first car in the world to roll out on this platform which will eventually underpin a new hatchback from Nissan, besides other vehicles of different body styles. This platform has been designed with only emerging markets in mind, so costs have been kept properly in check. The new Renault sub 4 lakh small car will only come with a petrol engine.

The new Renault MPV, meanwhile, is the Lodgy. But, Renault might not use this name for its seven seater offering when launched in India. The Lodgy uses the same M0 platform as the Duster and the commonality of parts, particularly on the inside, are clearly there for everyone to see. The aircon vents, the various buttons and dials, and even the gear shifter and the finish for the plastic is identical to the Duster. But, this isn’t a bad thing for the new Renault MPV, since it will sit under the Duster in terms of price and positioning. So, borrowing from a more expensive offering, can only benefit the MPV.

The engine options will be identical to the Duster as well – one petrol and one diesel. The diesel, however, will only come in the lower 85PS tune. This should not only make the MPV more efficient, but easier to drive in bumper to bumper traffic given its lighter clutch action. The new Renault MPV, Lodgy, is expected in the first quarter of the 2015 calendar with a price tag of around Rs 7-9 lakh which should make it more expensive than the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga but cheaper than the soon to be launched Honda Mobilio.