I read an article in the paper here in France today: total sales of Renault cars for the period January-July 2006 are down by more than 11%.
In the same period, UK sales of Renault cars fell by a staggering 23.7% over the previous year! They are blaming it on an ageing product range, with the exception of the new Clio. Sounds more serious to me: I don't consider the Modus, Megane, or Scenic to be that old? Sounds like trouble ahead for Renault UK in any case...
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Interesting to know how the figures compare to other manufacturers though. I suspect the entire market is suffering a bit. Also if some of those lost sales have been to Nissan, then I don't suppose Renault care.
Modus and Clio (particularly) are over priced. New Clio is great but too expensive for a 'small' car.
Also other makes are stealing some of Renault's design flair.
New Laguna next year - should generate some new sales.
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I suspect some of previous figures were simply inflated. Renault for example insisted month after month that Megane was outselling Astra if not all cars on the market. Then you look around and - it has to be said - where are those sold Meganes? Where do they go? They certainly don't shake their four letters where I live, not anywhere as often as Renault statistics would suggest. New Astra or new shape Focus is very common sight, if Megane sold in the same, or sometimes even apparently higher numbers it would be clearly visible on the streets. Unless of course they were all registered, sold between agents and then parked in dealerships around UK...
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
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I wouldn't completely dismiss Renault's claim that an ageing product range is to blame.
Renault has 3 volume products - Clio, Megane (including Scenic) and Laguna. The Clio is new but the Megane is more than halfway through its production life (it has just received a midlife facelift) and I would expect to see a replacement for the Laguna at next years Paris motorshow.
The Modus and the Espace are niche products and won't significantly influence Renault's sales figures.
They aren't the only Manufacturer struggling in the UK this year:
Alfa Romeo down 23.9%
Bentley down 16.8%
Jaguar down 12.0%
Lotus down 17.0%
MINI down 12.1%
Mitsubishi down 21.1%
Nissan down 24.3%
Porsche down 12.2%
smart down 19.2%
Subaru down 23.7%
Volvo down 20.3%
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Do you have a link for these figures? I had no idea things were so gloomy in the motor industry these days.
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I got these figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders website (smmt.co.uk). If you click on "latest news" and page through to a report on registration figures published on 4th August.
It isn't all doom and gloom. The total number of car registrations is down by 4%. I have picked some manufacturers that are struggling but others are doing well (Chrysler, FIAT, Jeep, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and others are on the up).
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I don't reasonably think we could have expected different. I don't think it's really in trouble, either, not in the sense that it's going to go bankrupt anyway. I think what we're seeing is down to the following:
1. Increased fuel prices - this will hit Laguna and MPV sales, I've no doubt, despite the diesel engines as VW with their FSI technology and such all make it seem like you're getting a better deal.
2. Clio is overpriced, to the point of being out of the supermini segment - £10,000 for a mid-range Renault supermini doesn't look impressive, no matter how good the car. Though Pug have followed suit, many in this sector will be swayed be the FIAT Grande Punto, and Citroen C2/3 deals etc etc. Additionally the new Clio's fuel economy figures are unremarkable for the sector (1.4 giving 42mpg, Jazz 1.4 giving 48)
3. Megane is now looking dated. I know a lot of people who would consider one, but they're so many of them about and they've such a reputation of unreliability and poor residuals that few people actually would buy one. Also the Citroen C4 is arguably more stylish, cheaper and better to drive, and there are fewer about.
4. Renault I believe had a boom in sales in the early noughties, didn't they? Won't they just be returning to previous levels now?
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"But others are doing well, eg Fiat .... "
I checked the SMMT figures and it shows Fiat's sales in July rising by 68.36 per cent compared with July 2005. For the year to date, Fiat's sales are up by 66.91 per cent.
Surely these extra sales aren't made up entirely of Grand Puntos ?
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Well I've got to say, they're about the only new FIAT's I'm seeing any number of, except oddly, Multipla's. Maybe a big company bought a fleet of them, but I've seen about seven 06 versions of them in the last month.
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3. Megane is now looking dated. I know a lot of people who would consider one, but they're so many of them about ..
Where? I have a good friend who had one, so I notice the car, but they're a *rare* sight on the road. I gather it does sell well across Europe though.
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Loads of Meganes around my way but then there are three dealers close by.
Regarding FIAT sales - the percentage increase is probably from a very low base figure. One reason why I don't really rate percentages. You need to know the actual number of units sold for meaningful comparisons.
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All across the West Midlands.
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