[1100D]

What did they create the Datsun brandname for? I guess it was to take the fight to the Maruti's low-rung and still retain the premium position of Renault and Nissan.

Now it looks like the full Renault-Nissan alliance is all over the place and completely out of its wits.

They couldn't even capitalise on a little brand equity Nissan already had in our market when they first started here.

All they had to do with all these brands they have setup here, is to launch the Clio, Megane and the mainstream Renaults and not any Lodgy-dodgy Dacia van.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by 1100D

What did they create the Datsun brandname for? I guess it was to take the fight to the Maruti's low-rung and still retain the premium position of Renault and Nissan.

Now it looks like the full Renault-Nissan alliance is all over the place and completely out of its wits.

They couldn't even capitalise on a little brand equity Nissan already had in our market when they first started here.

All they had to do with all these brands they have setup here, is to launch the Clio, Megane and the mainstream Renaults and not any Lodgy-dodgy Dacia van.

My thoughts exactly when I read this news!
When they were launched in India, Renault was supposed to have a premium over Nissan cars. So cars from both makers were essentially re-badged siblings, with the Renault having few more luxury features.

Then they launched the Duster and Terrano which confused this brand positioning.

Then they launched Datsun as a low cost, no-frills type brand.

And now Renault want to launch a cheaper version of the Datsun Go!

From a brand positioning point of view, this has me . They need to take a look at how other companies position different brands e.g. Toyota-Lexus, Honda-Acura. Heck they can take a look at the positioning of their own Nissan-Infiniti brand.

[VinodDevil81]

There is nothing wrong in Renault wanting to have its share in the entry level segment too. But why don't these companies first setup a decent service network across the country, before venturing big time into high volume entry level segments where majority customers are more concerned about the proximity of the service center than the actual looks/features of the car itself?

Slightly Off Topic, but the same applies to Datsun Go too.The car has been launched, but AFAIK it is being sold through Nissan dealerships. Don't know whether any exclusive Datsun dealerships are there at all in the state as of now. Now,how confident will a first time buyer of an entry level car be, if someone suggests him the name Datsun, when he has not even heard about the brand or atleast seen a dealership/service center somewhere? If it was for selling like this through Nissan dealerships itself, then what was the whole purpose of creating a new relatively unknown brand name? When Nissan itself is struggling to sell cars here, how can a new child brand establish itself? That whole effort and energy could have been utilized for improving and strengthening the currently weak Nissan service network in the country.

Back to the thread topic, Renault needs to put a lot of effort and build a reliable service-network before venturing into entry-level segment and challenge Alto.They need to understand that the customers they are targeting are not Duster customers and their buying criteria is totally different. Hope Renault realizes their weak link before it is too late.

[amolbh]

Renault India will launch a new small car next year that will challenge the likes of the Maruti Alto 800 and the Hyundai Eon. Codenamed ‘Renault XBA’, the small car will be based on the CMF-A platform, which has been developed by Renault and Nissan.

In India, the Renault XBA small car will be powered by a sub-1-liter petrol engine (expect a 0.8- or 0.9-liter engine) matched to a 5-speed transmission. An automated manual transmission (AMT) could also be offered from the start.

In Brazil though, the small car will be given a flex-fuel motor (that runs on petrol and ethanol).

Source: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/04/r...ndering-126566

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

New grill and headlamps to 'DatSon Go', another fancy name like 'DisGirl Come' and Renault thinks they can take on the volumes segment.

On a serious note- Based on the Datson Go platform? Another badge engineered product? Renault- Nissan alliance seems to be fully confused about its India operations. And both don't have a good dealer network!

[zenren]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

New grill and headlamps to 'DatSon Go', another fancy name like 'DisGirl Come' and Renault thinks they can take on the volumes segment.

On a serious note- Based on the Datson Go platform? Another badge engineered product? Renault- Nissan alliance seems to be fully confused about its India operations. And both don't have a good dealer network!

Does Renault want to launch a cheaper car on Datsun Go platform with Renault tag? Are they trying to create a premium image for Datsun brand now by undercutting it with Renault? Even a 5 year old kid would have a better sense of direction.

[RSR]

Guys, the Renault XBA in the rendering (thanks to amolbh for sharing it) is not based on the Datsun Go at all. The Go is based on the Nissan Micra's V platform.

The Renault XBA (and its Datsun twin) will be built on the new modular platform (CMF or Common Module Family) developed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Christened the CMF-A, this will underpin the smallest (and least expensive) cars from the Alliance.

The Datsun Redi-Go concept (shown at the Auto Expo) was based on this CMF-A platform. This concept will be close to the production car to be rolled out by Datsun.

The XBA from Renault is also similar to the Redi-Go concept, and will share the same underpinnings with the Datsun entry-level car. It's NOT going to be another badge-engineering exercise, but the two cars can be expected to share the same chassis, engine and gearbox at the very least.

Also, I think the Renault XBA will be positioned slightly above the Datsun Redi-Go's production version, in terms of price and features.

[S2!!!]

Renault's upcoming small car has been caught on camera by a Motor Vikatan reader. The car is heavily camouflaged, hence no design cues are identifiable, except the manual left ORVMs as seen on the cars from the '90s.





Link to news article

[sourabhzen]

Renault should launch improved service center and workshops with faster turn around time to compete with Alto. I keep on listnening to horror stories of their service form my Renault owing friends.

[RSR]

It definitely looks larger than an Alto or an Eon for sure, with good ground clearance too! I initially thought this might be large enough for a B segment hatch, but then there are two big giveaways that this is going to be an entry level hatch. One is the manual ORVM as mentioned by S2!!! and the other is the presence of only 3 wheel lugs - the same philosophy as that followed by the Nano to bring down costs:



It looks like Messieurs Ghosn, Detourbet, Cobee et al are absolutely determined to tap the enormous potential there exists for affordable A segment cars in India. They are quite serious about making the Renault-Nissan Alliance a big player in the volumes segment!

For the benefit of those who cannot read Tamil, here is a basic translation of the source article:

Renault is preparing to blitz the market. This is the company's small car that will take on the Maruti Suzuki Alto, Hyundai Eon and Datsun Go. Codenamed as A-Entry, this car is expected to sport an 800cc engine. Renault is targeting a price tag of below 4 lac rupees, and the car is expected to go into production by the end of this (calendar) year, or the beginning of the next one.

This heavily camouflaged test mule was spotted by Motor Vikatan reader Rajadurai, who snapped these photos after giving it a chase.

[Aditya]

The Renault XBA is expected to be powered by an all-new 800 cc, 3-cylinder engine. It is likely to get an automated manual transmission as well.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

[zenren]

Originally Posted by Aditya

The Renault XBA is expected to be powered by an all-new 800 cc, 3-cylinder engine. It is likely to get an automated manual transmission as well.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

Based on Datsun Go and to be slotted below the Go, I've no hopes about the safety to be expected out of it! They are very likely to launch it before Oct 2015 going by the news elsewhere.

[S2!!!]

Renault is targeting to increase its market share from 2% to 5% within the next 2-3 years. The company strives to bring in cars that can generate high volumes as well as profitability while catering to the mass market segment.

The first car to hit Renault showrooms in 2015 will be a small car (codenamed: XBA) which will be priced <Rs. 4 lakh.

The launch of the 'Lodgy' MPV will soon follow.

The company aims to have 175 dealers across India by March 2015. Production capacity at the Renault-Nissan alliance plant has been increased by 20% to 4.8 lakh units per year.


Link to news article

[D4D]

If anything, the Lodgy will be the make-or-break car for Renault. And I think it will be a big hit. With the growing preference to UVs, I only think it makes sense for Renault to put the 110 PS diesel engine into the Lodgy and sell it as the most powerful monocoque MPV.

In the small car segment(at the lower end), it's difficult to beat Maruti. The Maruti Also K10 and the Alto 800 are terrific buys at their price points, and it is hard to crack the segment. Even Hyundai Eon hasn't managed to do it.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

The first car to hit Renault showrooms in 2015 will be a small car (codenamed: XBA) which will be priced <Rs. 4 lakh.

The launch of the 'Lodgy' MPV will soon follow.

The company aims to have 175 dealers across India by March 2015. Production capacity at the Renault-Nissan alliance plant has been increased by 20% to 4.8 lakh units per year.

I won't be surprised if the real Renault models (Fluence and Koleos) goes off the market fully, and they run the show with just Dacia models (and a few rebadged Nissan) to build volume.