by Gilles Guillaume

PARIS (Reuters) – Renault reported on Wednesday a 9% increase in its global sales volume in 2023, returning to growth after four years of decline following its strategic repositioning, its exit from the Russian market and shortages of semiconductors.

The diamond group sold 2.23 million vehicles – cars and vans – across the world last year, he said in a press release.

Sales of the Renault brand, which represents more than two thirds of the group’s sales, increased by 9.4% and those of the “low cost” Dacia brand (a third of total sales) increased by 14.7%. The group’s high-end sports brand, Alpine, sold 4,328 Berlinettes (+22.1%).

The French car manufacturer had again recorded a decline of 5.9% in its volumes in 2022 while it had established a sales record of 3.88 million vehicles in 2018.

Financially shaken at the time by the downturn in several of its markets, Renault then turned its back on its global sales ambitions by reducing its range and refocusing, under the leadership of Luca de Meo, on its geographies and models. the most profitable.

“(Our) commercial policy remains focused on value, which is not contradictory with gaining market share,” declared Fabrice Cambolive, general manager of the eponymous brand, during a press conference call.

“We are regaining in terms of attractiveness (…) our design is improving, our mix versions are still very high (…) and we also see it with the conquest rates,” he added. “The idea is to continue at this same level of performance” in 2024.

The group, which will publish its annual financial results on February 15, is targeting an operating margin of between 7% and 8%, compared to less than 6% in 2022.

TEN NEW LAUNCHES IN 2024

If Europe was at the heart of the first years of its strategic recovery plan – the continent still accounted for 63% of the brand’s sales in 2023 – Renault intends to develop again outside Europe with 8 new launches in international status for the diamond brand by 2027.

Electrified models represented 40% of its sales in 2023, compared to 38% in 2022, and purely electric models – at the heart of the Ampère project, whose IPO is planned by the summer – 11% of sales. .

“In 2024 we will be able to complete our EV offer” with the Scenic and the R5, continued Fabrice Cambolive. “So we should improve this percentage in the months to come with the arrival of these new launches.”

All engines combined, the manufacturer will launch a total of no less than ten new models this year – seven Renaults, two Dacias and its first electric Alpine, the small A290.

Regarding supply disruptions caused by changes in maritime transport routes due to attacks in the Red Sea on the sidelines of the war in Gaza, Renault says it has sufficient visibility at this stage.

“We have visibility over the next eight weeks, after that we don’t know what could happen,” replied Fabrice Cambolive. “A priori we will not be impacted in the coming weeks by this supply crisis.”

The group’s order portfolio in Europe represented 2.5 months of forecast sales at the end of December, Renault added in its press release. In 2024, he expects stability in the automobile market in Europe and Latin America and a decline of 11% in Eurasia.

(Report by Gilles Guillaume, edited by Blandine Hénault)

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