Renault Scored Record Sales in Brazil, Failed in Europe

In a world hit by financial crisis, Renault manages to show us once again their cars are preferred in non-European countries, especially in the developing ones.

Although 2008 wasn't exactly the best year for the French automaker, the Renault Group reported their sales have dropped only by 4.2% and their market share actually increased to 3.6%.

If you wonder how is it possible for them to come up with such numbers, the answer is: sales outside Europe totaling  873,798 units, nearly 37% of all Renault group sales.

That being said, Renault models seem to be extremely popular among Brazilians since the Group increased sales to 56.4% and became one of the top six brands in this country. That means they scored record sales of 115,000 vehicles in Brazil. However, the models that made history for the Renault Group in Brazil are Dacia Sandero and Logan which were sold in  40,000, respectively 36,500 units.

Another region that seem to admire Renault vehicles' performance is Asia where the French car manufacturer managed a 12.2% growth. More than 54,000 Logans were delivered last year in Iran.

And since we're speaking about developing countries, Renault is also highly appreciated on the Moroccan market, where the Group continued to be on top with 27.8% market share.

Despite the economic crisis, Renault seems to be satisfied with its 2008 achievements. “The intensity of the crisis affecting the automotive sector and the brutal fall in our main markets led us to review our growth objectives for 2008. Despite the crisis, the Renault group has grown its market share,” said Patrick Blain, Executive Vice President, Sales.

As for the winning models, Twingo is the most sold car in France and in the top three in Europe in its category, while Clio maintains third place in Europe in its class.

The results encourage Renault to re-examine their plans for 2009. They still promise to renew the range with leading products in Europe New Mégane, New Scénic and Grand Scénic, Clio III phase 2, and Master, but in an attempt to fight the credit crunch, they speak about an entry range “adapted to today's economic conditions”. Yes, you guessed it: they'll try to continue the success of the Dacia brand.