UPDATE: Renault India has issued an official statement, clarifying the matter and dismissing all the reports suggesting there was as issue with the Kwid engine production. You can read the full statement by clicking here
Renault introduced the Kwid to the Indian market in September last year. The entry-level hatchback from Renault received a good response and has been successful model for the company after its compact SUV, the Duster. The company registered a growth of 211% in April 2016 over the same period in the previous year.
Click here to read our review of the Renault Kwid
However, recent reports reveal that the company has put a halt to the production of the Kwid at its plant in Oragadam, Chennai. Officials state that the suspension of production is due to the regular maintenance schedule. Industry sources (specifically a report on ET Auto), however, report that the French automobile manufacturer has scrapped as many as 1,500 engines and suspended the production citing high noise levels from the motor.
According to the Renault filings with the government of Tamil Nadu, the plant is meant to shut down for maintenance from May 21st to May 29th while the production of the Kwid has been on hold since the 11th of May. As mentioned by the officials from Renault, the maintenance is scheduled in two phases, with the first phase being conducted last week. Official also added that there would be no impact to the manufacturing of the Kwid as the production for the model had been ramped up to meet the rising demand.
Also read: Renault Kwid with 1.0-litre petrol engine spied in Chennai
The Kwid is Renault’s entry-level hatch that is powered by a a 799cc, 3 cylinder petrol engine. The motor produces 51 hp of power and 72 Nm of torque and come mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. The Renault Kwid comes with a price tag of Rs. 2.62 lakh (Ex-Showroom, Delhi) and rivals the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Alto and the Hyundai Eon in the Indian market.
Source: ET Auto