Renault Sub-4m Sedan Plans For India Axed - Here's Why

17/02/2021 - 19:00 Renault, Renault sub-compact sedan, Renault, Car news Saptarshi

Back in February 2020, there were some news about Renault working on a sub-4m sedan for the Indian market. This news had surfaced at the time of the 2020 Auto Expo. This Renault sedan was meant to take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, the Honda Amaze and the Hyundai Aura. However, it now appears that Renault may have dropped the idea of a sub-4m sedan for the Indian market.

Renault Lba Sedan Rendering 2021 — Renault had previously hinted about a sub-4m sedan for the Indian market but have now dropped the plans due to the segment's dying popularity.

And that's primarily due to the lack of interest in this segment. Venkatram Mamillapalle, MD and CEO of Renault India, firmly believes that the sedan segment in India has gradually been losing its popularity. An investment for a new model in this body style does not make for a very lucrative business case. The carmaker will instead be focusing their resources on utility vehicles such as the Duster, Triber and the newly-launched Kiger sub-compact SUV.

Also Read : Renault Kiger Launched in India; Prices Start From INR 5.45 Lakh

Internally codenamed the Renault LBA, this sub-4m sedan would have been underpinned by the CMF-A+ platform, the same that underpins the Triber, Kiger and also the Nissan Magnite. It would have been a petrol-only offering, possibly with the same set of engines that currently does duty on the Kiger and the Magnite - the 72hp 1.0L naturally aspirated petrol engine and the 99hp 1.0L turbo-petrol engine.

With the sub-compact and compact SUV segments on a continuous growth curve, it has almost killed most other body styles in this price range. With Nissan pricing the Magnite so aggressively in between INR 5.5-9.5 lakh range, it is even eating up the premium hatchback space and the Renault Kiger will do the same. Meanwhile, the compact SUV segment has been meting out the same treatment to the C-segment sedans in India.

In other news, Renault launched the Kiger sub-compact SUV in India a couple of days ago, undercutting all its rivals with its price ranging between INR 5.45 lakh to INR 9.55 lakh. It even undercuts the price of the Magnite by a few thousands. Renault will also be launching a turbo-petrol version of the Triber in India, and while it was slated for a launch in 2021, it will now most likely arrive in 2022.

Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Renault updates and other four-wheeler news.