Renault has doubled sales in 2022, rejecting market trends in Australia

Renault AustraliaNow under the management of private distributor Ateco, the overall car market, which shrunk in 2022, has doubled its year-to-date sales compared to 2021.

The French company’s local operations reported 3151 sales across its dealerships as of the end of April, up 98.6 percent from the same number last year, recorded in the same period last year.

Although the 2021 numbers were influenced by Covid and management changes, Renault’s calendar year in Australia has had the best start – in terms of size – since 2018, when it sold 3208 cars in the same four months.

It ranks 21st among the overall brand list this year between Volvo and Lexus and the Jeep and Scudder favorites. In contrast, at this moment in 2021, it was ranked 26th. It also increased its market share from 0.4 percent to 0.9 percent.

Ongoing 2022 results stand in stark contrast to the overall new vehicle market, down 3.5 per cent due to ongoing stock deficits across the board, chip deficits and the collapse of coveted shutdowns with key suppliers.

No other car brand with comparable sales volume has come close to the Renault’s 2022 growth story, although many smaller volume players, such as Citroen, Lotus and Genesis, have grown from small bases to higher percentages.

Renault’s top performer is the Korea-built Collios, which shares its underpinning with the outgoing Nissan X-Trail but wrapped it in a more glamorous body design. This medium sized SUV sold 1202 in 2022.

There is even an expansion of performers from there, including smaller capture SUVs (533 sales), Kangu vans (389), master vans and buses (360), and Arcana crossovers (308). Only traffic vans (300 sales, less than 719) lagged behind 2021.

Renault Australia launched the new business structure on April 1, 2021, using a distributor licensed last year from a fully factory-supported operation.

In addition to pushing new products into the market (Captur and Arcana), Ateco added that the two core agenda items are providing the brand with more workforce and revitalizing its multi-franchise dealer network so they can give Renault more of their focus.

Talking to Care Expert Today, Glenn Seeley, general manager of Ateco for Renault Australia, says everything is going well, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

“We need to make it really easy for us to do business, engage with our network, make the business more customer-centric and build the brand, they are the pillars,” he said.

“Supply has been problematic,” he added, suggesting that sales could potentially be higher. Moreover, some brands are hoping to get better before their stock situation worsens.

“We need to put Renault on that SUV shopping list কা light, small or medium SUV. There is still a lot of work to be done [there]”Mr Silly added.

“One of the things that Renault really cares about is the great looking car.” It is not good to hide the best looking cars. We want to get across the brand as European, but it’s very humane, “he added.

From a product standpoint, Renault says the older Colios has some gas in the tank, while the Capture and Arcana would ideally (from its point of view) become more original models.

Leaving in 2023, the company expects to secure two new electric vehicles: the first quarter of the new-shaped Kangu E-Tech electric van and the Megan E-Tech crossover later that year.

“We’re preparing our hands for any new product announced by EV,” added Mr Sally, including the reborn Renault 5 hatch.

We can safely expect more electrifying products to arrive in 2024-26, including European-market hybrids and potential regenerative cynic crossovers, a foregone conclusion.

There is also the new, Kadzar-replacement Renault Austral small SUV for Europe, which has shared its bones with the new Nissan Kashkai. Regarding that car, Renault had previously said “we will raise our hand for any right-hand drive product and then evaluate it for our market”.

The company is suing to bring low-cost Dacia products here, such as the next-generation Duster and larger SUV previewed by the Bigstar concept. These vehicles will wear Renault badges like the South Africans, Mr. Seeley said.

Another goal is to rebuild Renault’s performance credentials, which have faded since the death of Cleo RS, although Megan RS endures. Renault is investing in the Alpine brand – its Formula One team title – and future sports products are on the radar.

“The Australian public is receptive to the new brand,” Mr Silly added, referring to Alpine.

The retro, mid-engine coupe Alpine A110 coupe, rival to the Porsche 718 Cayman, died here last September after failing to meet Australia-specific side-effect crash rules.

“We are seeing good steady growth now and between 2026/27,” Mr Sally concluded.

More: Renault Australia’s turnaround plans, as Ateco takes control