Renault Kwid's Production to Be Increased

By Kritika Sethi

1 mins read

Published on December 15, 2015

Highlights

Renault Kwid is the French carmaker's latest master stroke in the country. While Renault managed to sell 10,600 units of the hatchback in just two months, the car allegedly also has a waiting period of up to 10 months. Launched in September, it was reported last month that the Renault Kwid had received 70,000 bookings. And with the car gaining that kind of momentum in the market, the waiting period was bound to be affected. One must note, Renault Kwid's competition, namely Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon, have been performing well too. While the Alto brand collectively sold 21,995 units in November, Hyundai sold 7,154 units of the Eon too. Considering the demand, Renault has decided to ramp-up the car's production by 50 per cent in the next 3 to 6 months. Sumit Sawhney, Managing Director, Renault India, told ET, "Kwid has been a great success and we are ramping the capacity to meet demand. With 98% local content, we along with our vendors, are cranking up on volumes. Chennai rains was a dampener, but we are working overtime to meet the demand." Also Read: Renault Kwid Review Last month, it was also reported that the Renault Kwid grabbed 10 percent share in the entry-level hatchback segment - a segment that accounts for about 26 per cent of the overall passenger vehicles market in the country. Renault also registered a growth of 144 per cent in domestic sales in November, 2015. While Renault is yet to share specifics about the Kwid's production, ET's report claims the capacity will be increased to 8,000 to 10,000 units a month by February/ March, 2016. Just so you know, the currently the Renault Kwid's production capacity is about 5,000-6,000 units per month. Interestingly, the report also claims that this number may go further up over time. Also Read: Comparison - Renault Kwid vs Maruti Suzuki Alto Renault Kwid comes powered by an 800cc petrol unit mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and puts out 54bhp and 72Nm of peak torque. Its mileage is rated at 25.17km/l, which makes Renault Kwid India's most fuel-efficient petrol car. Other than 98 per cent localisation, Renault Kwid also offers multiple segment-first features such as 300-litre boot space, 180mm ground clearance, and a 4.1-inch touch-screen infotainment system, etc..