Renault’s plans to launch a compact MPV in India
(Renault RBC) were announced earlier this month as part of Groupe Renault’s
‘Drive the Future’ mid-term plan for 2017-2022. A report by Autocar India has
revealed more details regarding the upcoming Renault compact MPV.
According to the report, the company is quite
positive about emulating the Kwid’s success with the new product despite the
low sales figures posted by the Lodgy and partner Nissan’s compact MPV Datsun
GO+. The two have averaged around 260 and 500 units per month respectively over
the last six months. However, the Maruti Ertiga continuing to clock 6,000+
units a month almost 6 years into its launch, Renault is convinced that they
can do the same with their MPV.
The report quotes a source close to the company
saying,“it has to be an all-new vehicle as we have tried the route of modifying
an existing one but had little success,” referring to the Datsun GO+. The
Renault compact MPV will be based on the CMF-A+ platform, a lower version of
which underpins the Kwid. Unlike the Lodgy, the MPV codenamed Renault RBC will
not have a van-like profile. This will not only help it score higher in the
design department but also improve crashworthiness, which is difficult with a
van-like flat nose.
Renault has not specified a timeline for the launch
of the compact MPV. However, the company has stated that it will be launching
at least one new product every year. The under-development MPV could arrive
towards the festive season next year.
