[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by ampere

Yes that should definitely work. They should market the product and price it for a premium cross over, which can do a bit of 4x4. People wanting VFM will opt for Duster.
People wanting the feel of plush interiors may go for this one as compared to Yeti which at 21.75L OTR Bangalore is quite exorbitant. If Koleos is priced at 17-18L OTR Bangalore
(Duster at 12-14L OTR Bangalore) I think may have good sales.

The big difference between the two products has to be the engine.
I hope they are planning for 2L diesel block.

Oye Ampere brother ! Don't boost Renault so much. They themselves are looking at launching the Duster at around 7-9 L only, so in all probability should not cross 11 OTR for Bangalore And isn't the Koleos coming in as a CKD? So 18-20 OTR seems likely though.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

They themselves are looking at launching the Duster at around 7-9 L only, so in all probability should not cross 11 OTR for Bangalore

Looking at the Fluence's pricing, I don't think Duster will be priced that cheap. But I will reserve my comments till I see Koleo's pricing.

USP for Koleos - Hmm, I would be happy if they don't advertise saying..split tail gates, a segment first in Koleos! And for God's sake, please don't bring in a stripped down diesel and fully loaded petrol, not this time at least!

And that's such a sick Orange color for the car - BMW X1 effect huh? The other color [grey] is good though! Looks tough & neat.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Looking at the Fluence's pricing, I don't think Duster will be priced that cheap. But I will reserve my comments till I see Koleo's pricing.

USP for Koleos - Hmm, I would be happy if they don't advertise saying..split tail gates, a segment first in Koleos! And for God's sake, please don't bring in a stripped down diesel and fully loaded petrol, not this time at least!

And that's such a sick Orange color for the car - BMW X1 effect huh? The other color [grey] is good though! Looks tough & neat.

International forums claim that the orange colour is inspired by the Porsche Cayenne !
Doesn't the Outlander already offer the split tail gate feature? So maybe they can proudly advertise, the first diesel SUV with split tail gate

[ampere]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

Oye Ampere brother ! Don't boost Renault so much. They themselves are looking at launching the Duster at around 7-9 L only, so in all probability should not cross 11 OTR for Bangalore And isn't the Koleos coming in as a CKD? So 18-20 OTR seems likely though.

Aravind, I sincerely hope what you say comes true. But I doubt it would happen, looking at FLuence prices. I am hoping it does not cross 14L max with 4x4 in Bangalore. This means the 4x2 top end diesel should be some somewhere around 13L (OTR Bangalore). That is my best guess. I am not looking for a 4x4. But yes if it comes under that range, then why not!

Also my guess is 9-11L max for the petrol versions.

The other point I hope is that in event of making Koleos a premium offering, Renault does not end up making Duster look very cheap. I wont mind paying 12-13L OTR for the extra comforts/electronics.

[ajmat]

The only Fluences I have seen are in a showroom. Are they selling?

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by ajmat

The only Fluences I have seen are in a showroom. Are they selling?

Believe Fluence's delivery is starting only this month! So hopefully we will start to see "some" of them soon.

Edit:: Deliveries were supposed to start from June ! Has anyone spotted new Renault showrooms in the first place?

[raul]

Yes, in Mumbai I have spotted a spanking new Renault showroom very close to the Audi and Merc showrooms on link road Andheri west. Given the general pricing trends here with all manufacturers pushing prices upwards I suspect Duster will befall the same fate, a value suv everywhere priced and positioned as premium here, and given the lack of alternatives they have no incentive to be circumspect.

[rbp]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Believe Fluence's delivery is starting only this month! So hopefully we will start to see "some" of them soon.

Edit:: Deliveries were supposed to start from June ! Has anyone spotted new Renault showrooms in the first place?

There is one showroom that has come up near Cauvery theatre (Guttahalli) on the way to new airport, I do see a few Fluence's around the showroom, but there is hardly any one in the showroom.

[ra'ul M]

Originally Posted by ajmat

The only Fluences I have seen are in a showroom. Are they selling?

I saw one in Chandigarh. Does not look too good in flesh to be honest. I really fail to find a reason why people would prefer it over a Cruze, considering its spartan interiors in comparison.
The guy who owned it said he wanted something different! I don't know how many people think like that.

[vb-saan]

This morning, saw a black Koleos parked next to a white Yeti (in Singapore). The Koleos appeared bigger than the Yeti, but the latter looked much more elegant. Unfortunately couldn’t take any photos.

[RavenAvi]

The Telegraph has reported that Renault’s forthcoming hatchback for the B and B+ segment in India is codenamed B58.

Here’s a round up of what is known about this elusive city car -

1) Renault’s B+ hatch sits on the V-Platform which underpins the Nissan Micra and upcoming Nissan Almera/Sunny/Global sedan.

2) It will be powered by the same 1.2 3yl petrol/1.5 K9K diesel engine used on the Micra/Verito.

3) It could feature a tall boy design with the demeanor of a Suzuki WagonR (sells 12k-13k units month). Can Renault provide the Maruti buyer a stylish and more frugal alternative?

4) Design work was completed by Renault’s design team at the Mumbai studio.

5) Unlike the Micra, there’s no 28 year legacy for the Renault hatchback to honor and abide by. Its design and features will be suited better to Indian tastes, we hear.

6) The B58′s branding is work in progress. It might not use an existing product’s name from the international portfolio.

7) Teaming up with the Duster and a B+ segment sedan, the hatchback will form the lower half of the Renault India product line.

8) It will be an exhibit at the Auto Expo in New Delhi next year. Market introduction will take an additional three months.

9) The Polo, Swift and i20 will be on its hit list. For a relatively inexperienced company, it will take some time before it can achieve its goals.

10) The B58 has no connection to the Renault Clio, Twingo or Sandero.

Renault could be secretly working on another hatchback that sits under the V-Platform model to challenge the Altos and Santros in India.

Renault plans to operate with 100 dealerships by the end of 2012 and is vying for a spot in the top 3 non-Indian automakers participating in India.

Dacia is seen developing a series of low cost vehicles including a city car, MPV and the next gen Logan sedan. With slight alterations and clever badge engineering, these might be fit for the Indian market too post 2012.


SOURCE - IAB, Telegraph India (Renault bid to drive sales in east | Business | The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata))

[R.G]

Now the second car (Koleos) is unraveled .

Check out their site : Renault cars in India

[ra'ul M]

The B58 is being unveiled at the Grand Prix next month.

Source: Renault B58 small car to be introduced in October | CarTradeIndia.com

[shankar.balan]

The Duster Diesel with all bells and whistles and 4WD should not cross 14 to 15 on road in Bangalore.
If that happens there will be a lot of takers for it if indeed it is the same Euro spec vehicle.
It will really become the valus conscious utility buyer's YETI then.
And Scorp and Safari consumers will migrate to some extent to the Duster.
But these isnt any news at all from the company except vague statements here and there. Lots of speculation on the net across a variety of websites make for some interesting reading.

Originally Posted by ampere

AThe other point I hope is that in event of making Koleos a premium offering, Renault does not end up making Duster look very cheap. I wont mind paying 12-13L OTR for the extra comforts/electronics.

[volkman10]

"Renault has just notified that its V-Platform hatchback will be revealed on the 29th of this month by Mr Carlos Ghosn, the COO of Renault s.a.s. The branding and strategy of the B+ segment hatchback should be discussed during the staging. This is only an unveiling so variants, exact specifications and prices are likely to divulged only at the Auto Expo in January.
Powertrains are expected to be retained from the Micra. A thorough reskinning will give it very little in common with the Micra."


Renault unveils premium compact car on the 29th of October