Renault Has Suspended The Production Of Kwid In Its Chennai Plant

India's hot selling entry level hatchback, the Renault Kwid's production has been suspended at its Chennai manufacturing plant. Read on to find out the reasons for the suspension of the Kwid.

According to ET Auto, Renault has suspended the Kwid production due to issues with the engine.

A total of 1,500 engines have been reportedly scrapped due to a high level of noise and there is a possibility that not a single Kwid have been produced from May 11.

However, the company denied it and said that it was a routine maintenance and deliveries of the Kwid will not be affected.

One of the spokespersons of Renault India told ET that "The plant conducted regular maintenance in the month of May. The same was scheduled in two phases. The first phase was conducted last week. There is no impact on the production as the plant has ramped up its production in line with the targeted units planned for the month."

The Kwid is a best selling entry level hatchback by Renault in India, it has nearly sold 1.25 lakh units and waiting period runs anything between 5-8 months. Competitors like Maruti Alto are feeling the pinch and Kwid is eating into the sales of units for Maruti.

The Renault Kwid is packed with features like driver side airbags and touchscreen infotainment system which makes it irresistible for the price tag starting from Rs. 2.6 to 3.64 lakh ex-showroom (Delhi)

The Renault Kwid is an 800cc petrol engine churning out 53bhp and a torque of 72Nm and it is giving a good competition to Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon. These cars are entry level in India and one of the bread and butter products for the manufacturers.

Issue of Corrigendum (Renault India)

The article claims that 1,500 engines have been scrapped due to high noise levels. This is incorrect and we have had no such concerns at our end.

We recently ramped up production at our Chennai facility by starting third shift operations to cater to market demand. Moreover we are also increasing the speed of our production line. In addition to our maintenance shutdown planned towards the end of May we have decided to slow down production since last week in order to ensure a perfect execution of the ramp up of our production volumes.

We would like to reiterate and reinforce that we remain fully confident in the mid and long-term growth prospects for our business in India. Over the next few years, Renault India will further strengthen its position in the market and be a significant player in India's dynamic auto market.

Jatin Aggarwal
Head PA and Communications

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