Exclusive insights from the Renault Duster press conference

Renault India launched the Duster SUV in 6 plus option packs variants with an aggressive price. The company also shared some exclusive insights only with our team and plans of future products

After the press conference at the Duster launch, we caught up with Mr. Marc Nassif, MD Renault India for a small chat on the Renault Duster launch. Here are a few points that he shared with us on the company’s future aspects.

• The company has received a phenomenal response on the new Renault Duster; 4000 cars have already been pre-booked within the last 10 days. This is the highest Renault has ever received for a product in India.
• Renault expects the Duster to sell a minimum of 1500 units a month. The figures are based, keeping into consideration, the company’s rapidly growing dealership network.
• AWD Variant unlikely for India – “4X4’s cater to a very small chunk of sales figures in India; hence it’s not the right time to launch one. Renault however has the technology and will offer the 4X4 variant, once there is a rise in demand,” said Nassif.
• Renault is currently considering an automatic variant for the Duster. The company however says it is too early to comment on when it’ll be launched.
• Sedan based on the V-Platform in the works, will launch before Diwali if everything goes as planned.
• India should reach the top 10 markets for Renault by 2015
• The Renault-Nissan manufacturing unit in Chennai is capable of producing 2, 00,000 units every year. The Franco-Japanese alliance’s however is now close to filling up the installed annual capacity of 4 lakh units (on three shifts and two lines).
• The current localization level for the Duster is 60%, the company however is working on raising it to 80%.
• The K9K diesel engine (used on the Duster, Pulse and the Fluence) is fully localized.

Stay tuned for more on the Duster!