Renault India CEO Sumit Sawhney - Another SUV would be very interesting for us

14/02/2014 - 11:53 Renault Duster, Renault KWID, Renault Shrawan Raja

Renault India CEO Sumit Sawhney spoke to Just-Auto.com on the sidelines of the 2014 Auto Expo held in Noida last week.

Sawhney assumed the role of the company's managing director ahead of the show, moving up from the position of Renault's sales and marketing director for India.

Renault Duster Adventure Edition front three quarters at Auto Expo 2014 — Sawhney could easily sell the idea of launching a sub-4m SUV to the Paris HQ with the results coming from the Renault Duster.

Sawhney says the brand's A-Segment car based on the Renault-Nissan CMF-A architecture to be positioned below the Pulse would give the company coverage of 75 percent of the Indian market. He says the entry level car would be built on the "frugal engineering" philosophy, and is aimed at developing markets. The small car is expected to roll out towards the end of next year.

A second SUV (to go with the Duster) he says would be "very interesting" for the company. He says 30 changes were made to the Duster for the Indian market, emphasizing the degree of localization, that would have to apply to future product programs if Renault wants to spin volumes.

Renault KWID Concept rear three quarter live — The KWID Concept points to a sub-4m SUV on the alliance's CMF platform or the currently localized Nissan V-Platform.

At the Auto Expo, Renault had showcased a 3.6m long crossover concept named 'KWID' for young Indians who want an affordable, small, urban and connected car, pointing towards a future sub-4m segment offering.

The concept was designed by Renault designers from India, Japan, Brazil and Russia, and according to Renault's chief designer Laurens Van Den Acker, it was the "most international concept car ever done".

[Source - Just-Auto.com]