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With its annual volumes declining significantly and market share falling below 1 percent in India, French carmaker Renault is working overtime to deliver a new range of SUVs and compact electric utility vehicles that will help it gain some ground in an increasingly competitive landscape.
- Renault Kiger EV production is set to start in the second half of 2026
- Renault India will likely source batteries locally for its EVs
Renault Kiger EV, Triber EV details
Our sister publication, Autocar Professional, has learnt that Renault India is developing the Kiger EV, internally named Project RJ2K5, whose production is set to start in the second half of 2026, indicating that it will likely go on sale in the fiscal ending March 2027 (FY2027). Built on a dedicated EV platform, the Renault Kiger EV is designed for mass-market buyers, with a target price below Rs 15 lakh. An electric Triber is likely to follow, and it may cater to families as well as fleet buyers.
Another person in the know said the company would likely source batteries locally for its EVs to ensure accessible price points, for which it has been engaged in discussions with Tata AutoComp.
Renault Kiger, Triber facelifts and Duster launch timeline
The company is banking on 2025 to change its fortunes. It will release significant facelifts of its compact models, Kiger and Triber, before launching the all-new midsize SUVs Duster and Bigster in 2026.
It has already been two years since Renault announced its mid-term plan with Nissan to invest Rs 5,400 crore for upcoming models. The strategy involves launching six models between the alliance partners in India. So, this lull in new products was anticipated. The management feels that the current correction is not surprising and expected the brand to hit a low in India in 2024 before being revived with several new models.
In 2024, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo openly admitted the company’s struggles in India, describing it as a challenging market. In his last visit to the country, De Meo told Indian media, “India is not an easy market, and many carmakers have had to bite the dust.” Yet, the French carmaker is “not shying away from the market and is ready to bet on India for the future” with its alliance partner Nissan, he pointed out.
The CEO said the company is figuring out how to cater to the Indian market and set things right in its new phase. “We need to find our secret sauce, and in the past, maybe the only thing we were focusing on was trying to get the cheapest possible car to get access to mobility, but the market is changing a lot, so we have to be a little bit more creative,” he explained.
Renault India is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Average monthly sales have slipped below 4,000 units, and the brand has fallen below Volkswagen in the current financial year.
Renault India future plans
According to a person close to the company, Renault’s roadmap for India – which encompasses new EVs, facelifts and the return of legacy models – appears more reactive than proactive. “If Renault genuinely aims to regain relevance in India, it must move beyond token updates and delayed launches. A sharper focus on product differentiation, customer experience and proactive market engagement will be essential to reversing its downward trajectory,” added the person, requesting anonymity.
Along with the series of product actions, there is a transition taking place in the sales and marketing department, which will be headed by Dacia Spain’s CEO, Francisco Hidalgo Marques, as Sudhir Malhotra stepped down late last year.
De Meo agreed that the market is very competitive. However, Renault is convinced that India will play an increasingly important role in the alliance between the companies (Renault and Nissan).
“I think we were amongst the first to believe in the potential of this market, and we still believe in it. In the meantime, we also understood that we can deliver,” he said. De Meo was also candid in accepting that the brand Renault is right now “at a low point of its lifecycle in India, but we had the opportunity to prove that we could be very successful in this market.” He was referring to popular models ranging from the Duster SUV and Logan sedan to the Kwid hatchback.
Also see:
Renault Kwid, Maruti Swift, Hyundai Grand i10 were most popular used cars in 2024: Spinny
Renault Kiger, Triber, Kwid get 3 year/1 lakh km warranty as standard
New Renault Duster spied in India for the first time
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