Renault to up its game as Kaptur SUV, Megane and Symbol sedans await India entry

French carmaker Renault has had a roller coaster ride in India. The company entered India with a tie-up with Mahindra in 2007. The relationship didn't last long and Renault re-entered India as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2008. While the initial models were slow sellers, Duster gave Renault India the much-needed reboot and the arrival of Kwid made them a significant player.

Also read: R.S. 2027 Vision: Renault's radically designed 2027 F1 concept car is partially autonomous

Renault India currently holds nearly five percent of market share which is higher than Volkswagen, Ford, Fiat and Skoda. To retain the positive momentum, the carmaker is set to launch an array of new models that include Kaptur SUV, Megane and Symbol sedans, according to Carwale.

Renault Kaptur

Renault Kaptur, the bigger SUV to be positioned above Duster in India, is currently undergoing tests on Indian roads and has been caught on camera several times. The launch of the SUV is expected in the festive season.

The India-bound Kaptur will be built on the same platform as the Duster SUV to keep its price in check. Renault also sells Kaptur in Europe, that has a similar-looking stance and name, but carries different underpinnings. Kaptur is based on the Clio platform.

It is likely to get a 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines. The 1.5-litre direct injection, the common-rail diesel version is expected to churn out 89bhp of power. The transmission options will be a six-speed manual and a six-speed Easy-R AMT gearbox.

Renault Symbol

Renault Symbol is the Logan in the Brazilian market. The new version of the Symbol is expected to replace Scala in Renault's India portfolio. The new version of Symbol is in line with the new-gen design language of Renault. The new Symbol comes with C-shaped LED DRLs incorporated to new headlamp units. The grille is in line with the new Koleos SUV. The rear of the car is more cohesive, unlike Scala. This is expected to make the vehicle more popular.

The sedan is expected to be powered by a 1.6-litre K4M petrol engine, while the diesel mill will be the same 1.5-litre dCi unit. Apart from the manual transmission, the sedan is also expected with AMT transmission on both diesel and petrol mills.

Renault Megane

One of the first sedan models Renault launched in India was Fluence. Owing to a steep price, the sedan's sales weren't promising and the company later pulled the plug on the model. However, Renault is reportedly planning to bring Megane as a rival to Skoda Octavia, Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla Altis.

The Megane sedan comes with a 1.6-litre naturally petrol engine that develops 115bhp and a 1.2-litre turbo petrol that develops 130bhp of power. It also get the 1.5-litre dCI engine in two states of tune, 90bhp and 110bhp setups

The arrival of Symbol and Megane in the Indian subcontinent is expected in 2018.