India to be a global production hub for the Renault Kwid - Report

Attributed to the low costs and large supplier base in the Indian plant.

In the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, has stated that India will serve as a production hub for exports across the globe, reports Car and Bike.

This represents a departure from Mr Ghosn's firm strategy of local manufacturing for local markets. One of the reasons for the Nissan CEO's change of heart could be attributed to Renault Kwid's success in India, which is manufactured at relatively lower production costs and that Renault India has a large supplier base around their plant in Chennai.

Other than the Latin American-spec model that will be manufactured in Brazil, Renault India could export the Kwid to emerging as well as developed markets. An import document revealed that the India-made Renault Kwid was exported to Germany and France for testing purposes to see how it matches up to European roads, climate and fuel, while Renault's India CEO confirmed that African and Latin American projects for the India-made Kwid will see it shipped out in various forms like CKD, SKD or just components.

Also Read: Renault Kwid – First Drive Review

The Renault Kwid for export markets will pack upgraded tech specs and safety features. For instance, a new 1.0-liter petrol engine and an automated manual transmission is in the pipeline which is expected to debut at the Auto Expo 2016 on February 3. The Renault Kwid international-spec will also be offered with dual airbags and ABS, which is not found on the 800 cc version sold in India. Styling will be adapted too, as seen in the body-colored bumpers and simplified looks of the Brazil spec Kwid.

[Source: Car and Bike]