Renault Reaches Out To Tier 2 And Tier 3 Cities

Now that the Kwid has established itself as a worthy contender to the Maruti Alto 800 and the Alto K10, Renault is turning its attention towards what is possibly the biggest chink in its armour - its sales network. The French manufacturer is among the youngest in the country having made its debut a little over a decade ago with Mahindra (and the Logan).

Over the years, there's been a steady focus on developing dealerships in key areas. For a fresh brand like Renault, it made sense to gain a foothold in the metros first and eventually branch out. Setting up camp in every nook and corner of the country isn't particularly easy (unless you're Maruti Suzuki) and not to mention, extremely expensive. Renault's workaround for this is rather simple - a mobile showroom.

The funda is very clear - if the customer can't come to you, go to them! The initiative is called 'Passion On Wheels' (cheesy, we know) and aims at reaching out to 300 cities in the next three months. It will cover select cities in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra Telangana, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Assam; where Renault say "a progressive and discerning set of customers are significantly showing interest in the Renault brand". The mobile showrooms will have a vehicle on display and facilitate test drives as well. To make the experience a bit more exciting, Renault promises a few 'fun-filled activities' too.

Initiatives such as these aren't particularly novel. In fact, BMW has been road-tripping across the country for a while now, showcasing their products in locales that do not warrant a full-fledged sales establishment. But, it is definitely effective. For a mass-market product such as the Kwid, it's wise to tap into the bigger Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. As of now, Renault has 270 dealerships and the brand is targeting another 50 by the end of this year. It's not a patch on the big boys for now, but reaching out to the masses is definitely a surefire way of getting there.

Recommended Read: Renault Kwid @ Rs 2999!