It is not secret that the Indian automotive industry is growing at a great pace, and major global car manufacturers want to leave their footprints in the Indian market. So much so that every major automobile group is now represented here with either a manufacturing, assembling, retailing or sourcing presence. One of the car manufacturers, which is ready to start a new chapter in India is the French carmaker Renault.
Renault's Plan of Action
After a bitter break-up with Indian SUV king Mahindra & Mahindra, wants to starts afresh in the Indian market. And if you thought it was going to be another small car, you could not have been more wrong. A small car is in the pipeline, but that does not come before 2012. Before that, India gets two mid-sized Renaults. In June2011, Renault will launch the Fluence, a mid-sized sedan that will compete with the Honda Civic and Skoda Laura. The Fluence will be closely followed by the Koleos, which is a compact SUV that will be pitted against the Honda CR-V and the new Skoda Yeti.
Renault Fluence
Renault will make its debut in the Indian luxury car segment with the stylish Fluence. The French carmaker had earlier showcased this awesome luxury car at the 2010 Auto Expo. The Renault Fluence is exquisitely designed. The sunken headlights look super attractive and the sharp ridge along the bonnet and the wave over the front wheels is unique. Even the taut rear and distinguished taillights are mind-boggling. The Fluence is just not about good looks. It can impart the most impressive ride and manoeuvrability. Its suspension is known for being very refined and silent Coming to the engine of the Fluence, Renault is more likely to bring the car in three engine options: a 1.5 litre diesel and a 1.6 and 2 litre petrol engines. The Renault Fluence is unexpectedly nimble and its gear shift is surprisingly quick. The interiors of the car are in line with the other cars in the segment.
The Renault Fluence is built on Nissan's "C" platform, which is nothing but the base on which a number of cars have been built. It is the same platform that also supports cars such as the Renault Megane, which is a larger sedan than Fluence. Nissan has used this platform to churn out the X-Trail SUV, Nissan Rogue, and Renault's new Koleos.
The Renault Koleos would be the second major launch from Renault in the Indian market. The Koleos and the Fluence would be rolling off the company's Chennai assembly line.
Koleos
The Renault Koleos, as we said before, is based on the Nissan X-Trail, and a heavy chunk of the development work on the Koleos comes from Nissan. The exterior design and the cabin are typically Renault, though. The engine options for the Koleos may include a 2 litre diesel engine, and a 2.5 litre petrol engine.
The Renault Koleos is reasonably spacious and, much like the Skoda Yeti, does not have a third row of seats. The cargo space is very good for road trips. The Koleos has the stuff to take the heat from the recently launched Hyundai Santa Fe, but competing with vehicles such as Toyota Fortuner would be a difficult task for the Koleos.
The Renault Koleos is a compact 4x4, which, like many others in the segment, aims to offer a rugged ride complimented by urban convenience and highway power. That is exactly the segment that promised to bring big growth prospects to many car makers in the market. In India, the Koleos would compete with the CR-V and the recently launched Skoda Yeti. Skoda is offering the Yeti from Rs15.40 lakh; pricing would become very critical for Renault. BMW X1 is also awaited eagerly in the market and the fact that it is priced below Rs20 lakh, it will make it hard for Renault to position the Koleos well.
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