Renault Enters India’s Minivan Market

Renault SA jumped into India's competitive minivan market on Thursday by introducing the Lodgy there.

The van, available with seating for seven or eight, is offered with a 1.5-liter diesel rated at 84 hp or 108 hp. The engine is the same one that powers Renault's most popular model in India, the Duster small SUV.

Renault markets the Lodgy under its Dacia nameplate elsewhere but is using its own brand in India. To challenge the market's top-selling Toyota Innova (starting price: 1.5 million rupees), the Lodgy has a base price of 819,000 rupees about the same as Honda's Mobilo minivan.

Renault hopes new products will help it boost its 1.6% market share in India to 5% by the end of 2016. But the company's sales in the country fell roughly 26% in the fiscal year ended March 31.