Renault will be launching the sub Rs. 4 lakhs XBA small car in India by December this year, its second launch after the Lodgy MPV in India.
Banking on the Duster for 80 percent of its sales in the country, Renault India will be launching two new products this year which include the Lodgy MPV and the all-new XBA (codename) entry-level hatchback with both models expected to bring in major volumes for the company. Confirming the timeline for launching the models, the automaker stated that it will be bringing the Lodgy by the end of this month or early April; whereas the XBA will be launched after nine months.
This makes the Renault XBA scheduled for launch in December this year. The hatchback is said to be currently in the development phase and will be a global model. Priced below Rs. 4 lakhs (ex-showroom), the XBA will be competing with a host of entry-level offerings including the best selling Maruti Alto, Hyundai Eon as well as the Datsun GO in the segment. In fact, the XBA shares its underpinnings with the Datsun Redi-GO concept that was showcased last year at the Auto Expo.
The Renault XBA is based on the low-cost CMF-A platform and will draw power from an 800cc three-cylinder petrol engine developed together by Renault and Nissan. There is also a possibility of a 1.0-litre motor featuring on the XBA in the future while an AMT unit is also said to be on the cards. The XBA will witness extensive amounts of localisation to keep the prices competitive and will be produced at the company’s facility in Chennai. The India made XBA could also be exported to other markets in the future.
Coming to Renault’s other products, the company is betting big on the new Lodgy MPV that is expected to be the next volume puller after the Duster. Sharing its underpinnings with the compact SUV, the Lodgy will be using the same engines and will also be available in the range-topping Stepway variant. The company is also in the process of launching a feature updated Scala later this year after launching the updated Pulse hatchback last week.
Source – EconomicTimes.com