Update – 18th May
Renault India says – “We would like to bring to your notice that the news article titled ‘Renault Halts KWID Output’ that appeared in Times of India today is factually incorrect and misleading. The article claims that 1,500 engines have been scrapped due to high noise levels. This is incorrect and we have had no such concerns at our end.
We recently ramped up production at our Chennai facility by starting third shift operations to cater to market demand. Moreover we are also increasing the speed of our production line. In addition to our maintenance shutdown planned towards the end of May we have decided to slow down production since last week in order to ensure a perfect execution of the ramp up of our production volumes.
We would like to reiterate and reinforce that we remain fully confident in the mid and long-term growth prospects for our business in India. Over the next few years, Renault India will further strengthen its position in the market and be a significant player in India’s dynamic auto market.”
Original Story – 17th May
Production of the Renault Kwid has been reportedly suspended at the Oragadam plant as the automaker has run into an engine issue. As many as 1,500 units of the 800 cc engine made for the Kwid were found to have higher noise levels than the intended specification.
Economic Times reports that, according to its vendor and dealer sources, not a single Kwid has been built at the facility since May 11. The 1,500 odd defective engines are being scrapped. The suspended production of an in-demand car could potentially increase the waiting period which already stands around 5 months.
However, talking to the publication, a company spokesperson stated that deliveries of the Kwid will not be affected by the production halt as the targets for the month would be met. The person also said that the suspension is due to a two-phase regular maintenance routine at the plant of which the first phase has been completed.
ET says that according to Renault filings with the Tamil Nadu government, the planned shut-down is only between May 21 and 29 but the Kwid’s production has stopped from May 11th onwards.
The Renault Kwid has proven to be a great success for the company and has garnered over 1.4 lakh bookings since its launch in September 2015.
Renault Kwid 1.0L AMT – Photos
Via – Economictimes.Indiatimes.com
