Renault-Nissan alliance: Four new SUVs and two EV hatchbacks

The Renault-Nissan alliance has been responsible for the creation of successful products such as the Renault Kiger and the Nissan Magnite, and the alliance has announced its future plans for the Indian market. This includes the introduction of six new products – three by Renault and Nissan each, and the first of these products will be launched by 2025.

Earlier this month, the Renault Group and Nissan had announced that the two companies would collaborate on new SUVs and a new Nissan car based on the Renault Triber. However, today’s announcement gives us clarity on Renault-Nissan’s model lineup for the future. These include four new C-segment SUVs that will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta, the Kia Seltos, the Skoda Kushaq and the Volkswagen Taigun. Renault-Nissan has stated that these SUVs will be offered only with ICE powertrains, though the company did add that the platforms that these SUVs will be based on are capable of being adapted to PHEV or EV powertrains.

The new products will also include two A-segment (hatchback) electric vehicles, and these will be the first EVs for both Renault and Nissan in India. Globally, Renault and Nissan are considering an A-segment EV for markets such as Latin America, and it is likely that these upcoming made in India EVs could be exported to global markets, especially when you consider that left-hand drive versions of the Magnite are exported to global markets from India. The new products are still some time away however, with the first to be launched in 2025.

Another important factor in this alliance is that the shareholding has been changed, with Nissan now in the driver’s seat of the alliance, thanks to a 51 per cent shareholding, with Renault’s shareholding at 49 per cent. Renault-Nissan’s future plans for India also include a Rs 5,300 crore investment in the country, and the alliance’s RNAIPL plant in Chennai will be transitioning to carbon-neutrality by 2045, and it will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.