Will the Duster launch raise dust?

During a recent visit to India, Mr Carlos Tavares, Chief Operating Officer of Renault, dwelt on the Duster SUV and its possible pricing.

“We have the capability to create a good surprise — not a fantastic surprise, but a good surprise. You will not be disappointed for sure,” he told a team of journalists. The Duster will be launched on Wednesday and, from Renault’s point of view, is absolutely critical in taking its India story forward.

Pricing will, therefore, be the key and it indications are that the vehicle will positioned in the Rs 8-10 lakh range. In a recent interview to Business Line , Renault’s Senior Vice-President, Global Marketing and Communications, Mr Stephen Norman, reiterated that the launch of the Duster was “undoubtedly the most important event in India and also the most important at least for the next two years”.

According to him, none of the other vehicles from the French automaker’s stable would have the same potential. “For the price that we are going to be selling it, we will be offering a good looking, robust, modern and fully loaded SUV where, currently with the exception of the new XUV 500, the competition has absolutely nothing,” Mr Norman had said.

The Duster is already doing well in Europe and South America while India and Russia are the next big markets. Renault’s top management believes that the vehicle will offer a “significantly superior package” for the same price than anything else in India now. More reason why its success here is an imperative since its plans will, otherwise, be compromised to that extent.

Mr Gerard Detourbet has spearheaded Renault’s entry car strategy for many years now in a product blitzkrieg that includes the Logan, Sandero and Duster. The Logan promised plenty in the entry sedan segment when it was launched in India over five years ago but things did not go according to plan. The company still maintains that it was an important lesson for the future, the proof of which will be evident in the Duster.

As Mr Tavares put it, Renault’s entry cars are well designed “with no useless content” as it has the expertise in design to cost/manufacturing in low-cost countries. This has been put to good use for the Duster and will play an even more important role in the next affordable car for India which will be priced under Rs 3 lakh.

Mr Tavares said it is here that Mr Detourbet’s success and ability to make cost-effective products is very much linked to the Indian frugality. “This combination of entry car abilities with the frugality of India works very well,” he added.

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