The new low cost crossover will be positioned below the Duster and above the Sandero Stepway and could be sold across several emerging markets including Russia.
The crossover segment has certainly been a profitable one for a lot of manufacturers globally. Having taken a head-start with the Duster and the more premium Captur in several markets, Renault managed to capitalize on the growing affinity towards crossovers and now the French automaker is planning to add another model to its arsenal to further penetrate its market share in the segment. As these new spy shots indicate, Renault is working on a new budget oriented low cost crossover that was spotted tested in Europe.
As seen on the test mule, the Renault crossover prototype has gone through extensive cost cutting with flat body panels that are cheaper to manufacture, a single wiper, thin economy tyres and dated ORVMs, which hopefully will be ditched on the production version. In terms of styling, the front grille is reminiscent of the Duster facelift sold internationally and will be sharing parts from a lot other Renault and Dacia models. The prototype was seen with the headlights borrowing the design from Sandero and Logan models, while the tail lights are similar to those on the Captur crossover. The crossover will be positioned below the Captur and above the Sandero Stepway in the company’s lineup.
The camouflaged low cost crossover could also be sold in Russia under the Lada brand, while the rest of the world could get it as a Renault product. An Indian launch could also be a possibility as a sub-Duster offering and can be expected to be tucked under the sub 4-metre mark to take on the Ford EcoSport and the new lot of hatchback crossovers. While details are scarce right now, more clarity is expected to come by the end of next year when the model is likely to go on sale. The company could be producing the new crossover at Tangier, Morocco or at Renault’s new facility in Oran, Algeria.
Source – World Car Fans
