Renault plans to raise localisation in Duster from 70% to 80%

Renault India has plans to increase the localisation of the Duster crossover from 70% to 80%. This step is expected to help the company keep the price of the vehicle and cost of maintenance low, which in turn, should help keep buyers interested in it.

Renault launched the Duster in India more than three years ago. The car has enjoyed a good run in the market and has been the company's best-selling model in the country. More than 1,30,000 units of the car have been sold since it was launched.

However, with the launch of mode modern vehicles like the Hyundai Creta and Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, the sales of the Duster have been on the decline. In the period April-August 2014, Renault managed to sell 16,216 units, while in the period April to August 2015, only 7,560 units were sold. In August 2014, 3,101 units of the Duster were sold, but during the same month in 2015, the company managed to move only 1,109 units - a drop of 64%.

Renault is also in the process of expanding its sales and service network. It plans to have 205 outlets by the end of 2015 and 280 by the end of 2016. The company wants to command a market share of 5% by 2017.

Source: Autocar Professional