Chennai: French auto maker Renault would launch a new variant of sports utility vehicle ‘Duster’ over the next few months, a top company official said here today.
The vehicle would hit the road “before the forthcoming festive season”, Renault India, Country CEO and Managing Director, Sumit Sawhney said here.
“We are very much committed to India. Our immediate short term action was the Kwid 02 (Anniversary edition) launch. We are about to launch Duster Sandstorm before festival season”, he told reporters.
The company currently retails small car Kwid, sports utility vehicle Duster and multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) Lodgy.
Kwid and Duster have been the volume drivers for Renault in Indian market.
Sawhney who was here to launch a new outlet, revealed that the company would introduce global sports utility vehicle “CAPTUR” later this year.
“CAPTUR will be unique. Already it has been successful in Russia, Brazil. It is a SUV with cross over DNA. You will have very good visibility all around with good ground clearance”.
“we will be ready for launch in fourth quarter”, he said, declining to reveal the price of the vehicle.
It will be manufactured at the company’s Oragadam facility near Chennai, he said.
“CAPTUR” has been sold in more than 75 countries and it already crossed over one million units globally, he said.
Responding to a query, he said the company would position the car above the SUV ‘Duster’ segment.
Talking about the MPV ‘Lodgy’, Sawhney said the company would introduce ‘Lodgy’ with speed governors installed. “The maximum speed it can go is upto 80kmph”, he said.
On the expansion of dealer network, he said, the company already crossed 300 outlets.
To a query on exports, he said the company would begin exports to Bhutan and Bangladesh tihs year, as part of expanding its overseas presence.
“We have been exporting to Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius, Maldives. South Africa. We will also launch in Bhutan, Bangladesh”, he said.
The company has been shipping ‘Kwid’ and ‘Duster’ to overseas markets.
PTI