Renault XBA (Renault Kayou) to world premiere in India today - IAB Report

Expected to launch in India in the second half of this year.

Renault will lift the wraps off its all-new entry-level small car in Chennai, India, today. Codenamed 'XBA' and reported to be called the Renault Kayou, the small car will be revealed by Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan alliance.

When it is launched in India in the second half of this year, the Kayou will be priced under INR 4 lakhs, and will compete with the likes of the Maruti Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon. Like its rivals, the Kayou too is expected to be powered by a 0.8-liter three-cylinder petrol engine, but a diesel will not be seen on the sub-Pulse hatchback. Instead, the petrol motor could be paired to manual and automated manual transmissions.

Based on the new CMF-A architecture, the Kayou is expected to get a butch front fascia and well proportioned panels throughout, inline with Renault's global design language. This is key as Renault plans on selling the Kayou in global markets, where it is expected with a starting price of EUR 5,000 (INR 3.61 lakhs).

Renault is also expected to announce today if it will export the Kayou from India to Europe, or make the small car at its Tangier plant in Morocco for European markets.

Rivals: Maruti Alto, Hyundai Eon, Tata Nano variants, Datsun redi-Go
Expected Price: INR 3-4 lakhs, ex-Showroom
Launch date: May 20, 2015 (unveiling)