Renault India Announces World Premiere of ‘Compact Hatch’ on May 20 in Chennai

The small car, codenamed ‘XBA’, is reported to be called ‘Renault Kayou’. India will be the launch market for the hatchback, which will rival the likes of the Maruti Alto and the Hyundai Eon.

This will also be the first time Renault is conducting a global unveil outside Europe. The XBA/Kayou will be unveiled by Mr. Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Renault Group.

Production of the Renault Kayou will take place at the Renault-Nissan Alliance plant in Oragadam, Chennai. The hatchback will roll out with a newly-developed 0.8-liter three-cylinder petrol engine paired to manual and reportedly even automated manual transmissions (AMT). A diesel engine will not be on offer.

The Kayou/XBA will debut the CMF-A modular architecture in India, a platform which will also be used by Nissan to develop their next Datsun car (codenamed I2).

Renault India’s design center has played a “significant role” in the development of this car, Mr. Sumit Sawhney, Renault India country CEO and managing director, told Indian Autos Blog. Upon launch, which is anticipated in the second half of this year, the hatchback will retail with a sub-4 lakh price, Mr. Sawhney confirmed.