Renault to Share Upcoming Kayou with Dacia

While previous reports suggest that the Renault version is set to be named the Kayou, a global name doesn’t seem out of the question, as Dacia nameplates Sandero, Duster and Lodgy also bear the Renault lozenge. As reported earlier, the Dacia version would be manufactured in Morocco and come with a sub-€5,000 price tag.

Renault, however, had confirmed that the unveiling of the XBA in Chennai would be the global debut. The Dacia model in question is a different brand altogether, albeit the same car. The Kayou will be based on the company’s CMF-A platform and the other model that the platform would house is the Datsun Redi-GO concept that was shown at the Auto Expo 2014 for the first time. The Kayou is set to compete against the likes of the Maruti Alto and the Hyundai Eon, and variants of the Tata Nano.

Power is set to come from a freshly-developed 800 cc three-cylinder petrol engine while a diesel engine is out of the question, at present. The Kayou was recently spied in a heavily-camouflaged manner testing near Chennai, showing small wheels and a single windshield wiper, not very far from the Renault-Nissan JV plant in Oragadam, where the car will be manufactured.

While the petrol engine is set to produce between 45 and 50 hp, it will come mated to a five-speed manual transmission. An optional AMT is being reported, and so is a version tailored for Brazil.