Renault Kwid, Duster, Lodgy & Captur to get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay system

Renault India is facing stiff competition from its rivals in the Indian market. The manufacturer currently offers four cars in the market and to make them up to date, features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay system will be extended across the model range of the French car manufacturer.

Renault currently does not offer the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone connectivity with any of their cars in the Indian market. It should be noted that Renault Kwid became the first car in the segment to offer a touchscreen infotainment system, but it does not provide smartphone connectivity at the moment. The Renault dealers say that new infotainment systems will arrive at the dealerships by 12th February in the major cities and a fortnight later, all the dealerships across the country will get the updated systems according to CNB.

Of course, the upgraded infotainment systems will only be available with the top-end versions of the models in the Indian market. The Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have become the new norm in India. Almost all the modern vehicles get the smartphone connectivity with the touchscreen infotainment system in the market. Renault is expected to upgrade the hardware of the touchscreen infotainment systems to make them work with the new-age smartphones. All the Renault models in the Indian market including the Kwid, Lodgy, Captur and the Duster offer touchscreen infotainment systems.

The smartphone connectivity system has become the new universal norm in the vehicles in India. While it may not affect the sales of these vehicles in a significant way, the customers will surely feel that they are getting an updated and new-age product. Apart from the smartphone connectivity, the new systems are expected to get other connectivity options like USB, AUX-in, and Bluetooth. It may affect the prices of the vehicles slightly, but Renault is not likely to push for higher rates as the cars are not very popular among the customers.

Renault is expected to do two significant launches this year. One of them will come in the form of Renault Kwid-based MPV. The upcoming seven-seater vehicle carries the codename RBC and will be launched by the festive season this year. The other major launch coming from the manufacturer is the all-new Renault Duster. The Duster will get a full model change. The Duster was a very popular car in the Indian market until the competition became extremely stiff. The updated Duster is expected to bring back the magic when it is launched later this year. The Duster will take on the likes of Hyundai Creta directly and the upcoming Mahindra XUV300 indirectly.

The Renault Captur is currently the flagship vehicle of the brand and is selling with a heavy discount. Renault recently announced that the losses in India have doubled in the Financial Year 2018. However, with the upcoming cars in the market, Renault is expected to regain its position in the market soon.