In times of demonetisation when there is little to rejoice Renault India is happy as a clam. It registered a growth of 9.2 per cent with monthly sales of 11,244 units in the month of December 2016 as against 10,292 units in the corresponding month last year. Renault India has become one of the fastest growing automotive brands in India. And, this growth can largely be attributed to their small car ‘Kwid’ which has been pushing the sales figures of the French car maker.
By December 2016, Renault India had sold over 1.10 lakh units of Kwid alone. With great cabin space to make sure there is enough comfort for three adults in the rear seat, Kwid became an instant hit in the compact entry-level car segment. In fact, the first-in-class seven-inch touchscreen display, class-leading boot space of 300 litres and driver’s side airbag all helped to swell the ranks of the product over all others in the segment. In December, came the AMT version of the car with a unique rotary dial on the central console with D, N, and R modes and better fuel efficiency. All at a price of Rs.4.25 lakhs that is only Rs. 30,000 more than the top-end RXT trim of Kwid 1.0litre. Since then, Renault has been moving ahead at a quick pace.
So much so, that Renault India now has quite a few things in pipeline and is focused to offer more cars and more services with a bigger dealer network. In terms of network expansion, Renault India ramped up its network from 205 to 270 in 2016, making it one of the fastest ramp-ups in the automotive industry.
Sumit Sawhney, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India Operations said, “India is a priority market for Group Renault and plays an important role in Renault’s international growth. In a short span of time, Renault has grown its presence exponentially, becoming one of the youngest and fastest growing automotive brands and the number one European brand in India. We are on track with a 4.5 per cent market share at the end of 2016 achieving a robust three-digit growth over 2015.” After the launch of Kwid 1.0 litre and Kwid AMT, in the year 2017, the manufacturer intends to add some more cars to its growing portfolio. And high on the list of expected launches are Renault Modus, Captur, Dokker, and Talisman. Well, it remains to be seen if we can have from Renault’s stable a car that becomes a super-hit like Kwid.
“Our focus for 2017 will be to continue and build on our growth journey, reflecting our long-term commitment to the Indian market. We plan to launch at least one new product every year, over the next five years, beginning with some exciting product innovations starting this year. We will continue to build our network this year as well, with strategic measures to make our cars more accessible to customers across the country.”
