Renault's next car in India could be an EV; What’s their future?

Renault sold 3,369 cars in the month of September in 2023 that translates to Market share of less than 1% while Renault’s market share in the same month last year was 2 percent. So, is Renault dead in India and what are their future plans? Let’s dive in Deeper.

Renault launched their last car in India in January 2021, and that was the Kiger Crossover. Since then, no major launch or major facelift has come from Renault. At present, Renault offers only three cars in its portfolio: Kwid, Triber, and Kiger. It is obvious that this dormancy triggered many questions regarding their future prospects in the India market. Fortunately, many media reports surfaced last month that reported on the future plans that Renault is explicitly planning to work upon for the Indian market.

The French automaker reportedly sees ‘untapped potential’ for itself in India. The Indian automobile market is set to become the 3rd largest in the world soon, and Renault wants to capitalise on this growth. However, this is not an easy task, and Renault knows it very well. It is a well-known fact that a car maker who wants to succeed in the Indian market must have a comprehensive portfolio that offers ‘something for everyone’.

Reports claim that Renault is planning to introduce at least nine products, including electric vehicles, in India during the next 3–4 years. The list includes not only updated versions of the existing cars but also complete new products for the Indian market. They are reportedly developing two new EVs that are bound to come to the Indian market in the near future.

The new Renault 4

For Renault, the ‘4’ was just like what ‘Qualis’ was for Toyota in India. It was launched in 1961 and remained in production until 1994. Renault produced more than eight million copies of that cute little car, and now the Scoop media reports that an all-new Renault 4 EV is in the works.

The French automaker announced in 2021 that they would bring the 4 back, and this time it would be an EV. Based on the CMF-BEV platform, it will share its underpinnings with the upcoming R5 hatchback. The Renault 4 could be the second EV that may come to India by the end of 2025, but before that, Renault is planning to launch the electric version of its entry-level hatchback, the Kwid.

Kwid EV

In Europe, Renault’s subsidiary Dacia sells the full electric version of the small car Kwid as Spring Electric, and this car may be the first EV from Renault in India. It is equipped with a 26.8 kWh battery pack that offers a range of 210–240 km. It’s electric motor produces 44 hp and 125 Nm of peal torque. The EV could be priced under 10 lakh to compete with its settled rivals like the Tiago EV and Comet EV.

Renault-Nissan Alliance

The Renault-Nissan alliance had previously declared its intention to launch six new models, including two electric vehicles (EVs), in India starting in 2025. Renault's first EV is set to be a derivative of the Kwid compact car and is expected to be based on the common module family-asegment (CMF-A) platform. The Alliance had declared its intention to invest in Tamil Nadu, with a budget of INR 5,300 crore, to develop and manufacture the new models, with the main development base being the alliance's engineering and technology centre in Chennai, Renault Nissan Technical & Business Centre India.