At an almost empty Geneva Motor Show, Renault showed great ambitions

Hard to miss. At the Geneva Motor Show, the Renault and Dacia stands take up half of the exhibitor hall. At the center of the Renault 5s, proudly presented, stands a huge yellow tower. Next door, a shop selling products derived from the iconic car attracts people looking to buy sweaters or electrical circuits. If traditional manufacturers have abandoned the Geneva Motor Show, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, Renault has taken the opportunity to take up all the space. We have rarely seen Chinese manufacturers MG and BYD, who were sensibly coming to the European market to introduce their new hybrid models. The excitement surrounding Lucid, the American manufacturer looking to replace Tesla, didn’t last long either. The event was at the stand of the French group. Or how the Geneva Motor Show morphed into the Renault Motor Show.

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A ubiquity that reflects the ambitions of the Renault group. For 2024, the French group did not want to get involved when announcing results and announced an operating margin of more than 7.5%. Free cash flow More than 2.5 billion euros, objectives already achieved in 2023. But in Geneva, Fabrice Camboliev, director of the Diamond brand, announced that “ Acceleration in performance and profitability », after a turnover increase of 13% and a sales increase of 9% in 2023.

The first sign of this success: its electric Scenic, launched in late 2023, was voted Car of the Year this morning at the opening of the show, up against the BMW 5 Series and the 2008 Stellantis. Renault has not won this award since 2006 with its Clio. ” An award that will put the spotlight back on the cynic », smiles Fabrice Cambolive, before adding Cleo ” It won the award in 2006 and still tops this year’s best-selling vehicles “Renault is hoping for more success for this new electric Scenic, which starts at 40,000 euros and whose first sales are scheduled for April. No fewer than 9 other vehicles from the group’s three brands – Renault, Dacia and Alpine – are expected in 2024.

A popular R5

In Geneva, Renault stands out for its presented products. The R5, a car that democratizes electric, is a case in point. Other manufacturers present chose to showcase premium electric and hybrid cars. For the French group, the strategy lies elsewhere. ” We decided to move upmarket on thermal vehicles to support hybridization and introduce electric vehicles to the center of purchasing power in Europe. », explained Fabrice Camboliv. So the Renault 5 should be released by the end of the year or early 2025 for 25,000 euros. At the Geneva Motor Show, the rebirth of this city car seemed to be unanimous. On Renault’s side, while we don’t want to give sales forecasts, the brand’s director was content to talk about ambition. “A Game-Changer for Electric”.

Additionally, the Diamond brand will launch 7 of the group’s planned 10 vehicles this year, indicating that it is a standard bearer. Next would come another historic car that would confirm Renault’s figures: the R4. If we don’t know more about this model that will be released next year, it will be more impressive than the R5, but ” less sedentary “K Concept car Presented last year, “ more civilized », breathes Gilles Vidal, design director of the brand. In the future, the Renault brand wants to focus on the aesthetics of the car.

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“We don’t want to live in a standard that seems to exist almost everywhere. Those who will survive are those who will have soul and, in Renault, this is the culture and the will to create and dare something new,” explains Gilles Vidal.

In fact, the director announces a big surprise from 2026, then on future generation models in 2027.

Dacia is getting a facelift

Next to Renault’s pop-coloured stand, the Dacia is nothing to be ashamed of. If colors are more neutral, not one, but two models are being introduced, or rather facelifted, at the show today. Dacia Duster, one of the manufacturer’s best-sellers, completely changes its appearance. More angular and aggressive than the old version, Dacia is no longer a brand low cost Initially, the model will now be available in exit diesel, hybrid only and gasoline engines. This third version of Dacia’s SUV is looking to boost sales, which have been declining since 2019.

Another car introduced: Dacia Spring, the Romanian brand’s only electric car. Now with the same front end as the new Duster, it is also more modern with a completely redesigned interior. A way to attract new customers after the big blow of the end of the ecological bonus of 4,000 euros for the purchase of this Dacia spring made in China. If the price is not indicated, this new spring should be in the same order of magnitude as its old version, around 20,000 euros. Same price as the Renault 5, minus the ecological bonus. “We don’t play against each other”Fabrice Cambolive insisted. “Last year, both Dacia Sandero and Renault Clio were improved. »

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Optimize costs to accelerate

After all, the Geneva Motor Show was an opportunity for Luca Di Meo to recall his vision of automobiles in Europe for this year and for years to come. As general manager of Renault, but also wearing his hat as president of the European Manufacturers Association (ACEA), he did not hesitate to criticize European regulations.

“Europe needs less restrictive regulations for small cars. The latest, the GSR 2, costs 400 euros per vehicle. You can’t treat an S-Class Mercedes like a Twingo,” he stormed.

The manager also asks for different vats according to the car model. Precisely on these smaller vehicles, Luca Di Maio has renewed his desire for synergy to limit production costs. However, he did not want to comment on possible discussions with Volkswagen and could not rule out any manufacturer for a joint tie-up.

Luca Di Maio also recalled the importance of the pace of production, which must be reduced by two years to keep pace with Chinese manufacturers. ” If it takes you four or five years to react, it’s already too late. The model is both Tesla and Chinese manufacturers, we do not see traditional manufacturers. » Proof that Renault wants to pursue its ambition of victory, without listening to speculation about the need to merge with another manufacturer, as suggested a few weeks ago by the general manager of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares.