Renault's top draw in India faces heat

Mumbai

AFTER a series of flops in India, Renault SA hit pay dirt in 2012 with the Duster, a small sport utility vehicle that lured buyers upgrading from hatchbacks. Other carmakers are coming out with their own.

Suzuki Motor Corp and Hyundai Motor Co this month plan to introduce their first models in the compact SUV segment, posing a threat to the French carmaker in the country because the Duster accounted for 90 per cent of its local sales. Also watching the developments will be Ford Motor Co, whose EcoSport made up 69 per cent of its domestic deliveries.

Rising demand for compact SUVs is attracting the nation's top two sellers as price-sensitive Indians upgrade from hatchbacks to the relatively bigger, but still fuel-efficient vehicles. The entry of Suzu…