French car maker Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan, are seriously considering a new small car for the Indian market. Renault has appointed Gerard Detourbet, currently head of its entry level division, to oversee the Indian project. The proposed entry-level small car will take on Maruti Suzuki’s Alto and Hyundai’s Eon in the country’s rapidly growing small car market.
“40-50 % of the car market in India is at the entry level and going ahead too it will form onethird of the total car market. So, our entry is inevitable. And this is a step in that direction,” Sudhir Rao, COO, Renault India.”
The project is still in the conceptualisation stage and will take a year or two before it is officially announced. There is a possibility of using the existing V platform to develop a smaller car and will be slotted below the Micra and Renault’s Pulse.
Renault-Nissan is looking for a larger share of the growing Indian automotive market and are focusing on the small car segment which is biggest and growing segment.
