Renault will sell well over 100,000 cars this year, double the number it did in 2015, says a confident Sumit Sawhney, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India Operations.

The carmaker will record triple-digit growth and surpass the targets it has set for itself, he said in an informal interaction with journalists in Chennai.

What gives him this confidence? It is not just about the one-lakh bookings for the Kwid, Renault’s compact hatchback; any manufacturer can settle back and revel in the success of generating such demand within four months of launch, but not Renault, he says. Sawhney’s confidence also stems from the fact that the French car manufacturer has a number of launches lined up to sustain the momentum.

More variants of the Kwid are in the pipeline, including one with a one-litre engine and an AMT (Automatic Manual Transmission) version. The common module family (CMFA) platform on which the Kwid is built can support half-a-dozen more models, which the company will fully tap, he said.

Renault is finally making ripples in the volume segment.

Along with the launch of the new-look Duster SUV, it recently announced the launch of the new version of the Duster, including a four-wheel-drive version, unique in this segment, and six-speed AMT.

The Duster is selling 2,500 units a month, which is good for the SUV segment.

“We have our plate full for this year,” Sawhney said. With this, the company hopes to get a 5 per cent share of the car segment, well ahead of its 2017 goal.

Long waiting list

While the waiting list for the Kwid goes up to June-July, production is being stepped up and should touch about 10,000 by March.

Export of the Kwid to SAARC countries as fully built units is also on the cards. The company is looking at exports to African countries also, he said.

Renault is also expanding its dealership network, which will go to 240 by the year-end from about 200 now.

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