Renault India plans 5 launches next year - IAB Picks

Renault India plans to increase its sales two-fold, and targets a 5 percent market share within 3 years. For a company whose sole volume selling product is the Duster, that could prove to be difficult in a market like India where 50 percent of new car sales are in the sub-5 lakh segment. Apart from a small car, the French major will also tap into the UV segment early next year. Here's a list of Renault India's launches lined up for 2015.

1. Renault Lodgy:

The Renault Lodgy will likely be the first model to launch in this list. Renault revealed the image of the India-spec Lodgy only yesterday, which compared to the international version gets a chrome-rich grille. The Lodgy will take on the Honda Mobilio, Maruti Ertiga, Chevrolet Enjoy and the base variants of the Toyota Innova when it goes on sale early next year.

2. Renault Pulse Facelift:

Launched in 2012, the Pulse (and Scala) hasn't seen its sales take off. Being a rebadged Micra with an expensive asking price, buyers shied away from the Pulse. Renault isn't prepared to let the Pulse go just as yet, as a facelift is under development and a launch will take place next year.

3. Renault Scala Facelift:

The Scala is suffering the same fate as the Pulse, but sources have told Indian Autos Blog that a makeover is on the cards for both these products. The engines (1.5-liter petrol and diesel units) will be retained on the Scala, and hopefully its pricing will be realigned to make it more competitive than the current model.

4. Renault XBA Small car:

The XBA (codename) will see Renault enter the highly lucrative entry segment dominated by the Maruti Alto. But with fresh looks, a modern platform (the XBA is developed on the CMF-A architecture which is one of the youngest platforms on the market) and an all-new petrol engine, Renault is hoping to lure the first time car buyer looking for a trendy hatch. The company is also focussing on expanding its presence in Tier II and III cities to better market the XBA.

5. Renault Duster Facelift:

The Duster facelift was globally revealed at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, but Renault has done a fine job by not introducing the refreshed model, yet maintaining sales momentum with the existing car. However, the company understands that it cannot string the current Duster for too long, especially when buyers are aware of the Duster facelift through the media, and partly due to new launches like the Maruti S-Cross and the Hyundai ix25 next year (both of which are aimed squarely at the Duster). A company official acknowledged to Indian Autos Blog that the Duster facelift is indeed on the cards. A market launch in the second half of 2015 can be anticipated.