Photo: RenaultSport
RenaultSport, the French performance branch of the Parisian carmaker, is considering an expansion of its lineup.
“RenaultSport isn’t just about Clio and Megane,” the brand’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communication stated in an interview with the Australians at CarAdvice. But the future for the sports division of the French manufacturer is still uncertain because the Renault range is expanding in the SUV/crossover territory and the division doesn’t intend to walk along the same path.
Renault’s new sedan, the Talisman, could be RenaultSport’s new project. However, the midsize sedan segment isn’t in its best hour in Europe, and developing a niche project aimed at performance fans for this particular market might not be the best way for the French division.
Renault's crossover range is strong, but RenaultSport engineers prefer to refrain from developing their versions of these models. First of all, before a RenaultSport project gets the green light, the car has to be demanded by the market, technically feasible and economically viable. Because nobody would buy a lowered SUV with 4x4 and a drop-top, right?
Without these three conditions, an RS variant of a Renault model would not surpass the proposition phase. Otherwise, the prototype gets developed, and the car is slowly making its way into production.
For now, developing a RenaultSport SUV is out of the question, says Regis Fricotte, the brand’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communication. With that said, the brand is not ignoring the future potential of other models in the family or of developments to Renault’s SUV and crossover portfolio.
The only problem with a RenaultSport SUV or crossover would be the fact that the French brand would have an SUV or a crossover that would be lowered, made to accelerate faster, and that would receive an improved chassis and a slight price hike. Some of these characteristics would make the result become the opposite of what it was made for, and the number of compromises would be too high. With all these considered, the market for such a car would be too small to justify the development and marketing budgets invested.
Renault’s new sedan, the Talisman, could be RenaultSport’s new project. However, the midsize sedan segment isn’t in its best hour in Europe, and developing a niche project aimed at performance fans for this particular market might not be the best way for the French division.
Renault's crossover range is strong, but RenaultSport engineers prefer to refrain from developing their versions of these models. First of all, before a RenaultSport project gets the green light, the car has to be demanded by the market, technically feasible and economically viable. Because nobody would buy a lowered SUV with 4x4 and a drop-top, right?
Without these three conditions, an RS variant of a Renault model would not surpass the proposition phase. Otherwise, the prototype gets developed, and the car is slowly making its way into production.
For now, developing a RenaultSport SUV is out of the question, says Regis Fricotte, the brand’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communication. With that said, the brand is not ignoring the future potential of other models in the family or of developments to Renault’s SUV and crossover portfolio.
The only problem with a RenaultSport SUV or crossover would be the fact that the French brand would have an SUV or a crossover that would be lowered, made to accelerate faster, and that would receive an improved chassis and a slight price hike. Some of these characteristics would make the result become the opposite of what it was made for, and the number of compromises would be too high. With all these considered, the market for such a car would be too small to justify the development and marketing budgets invested.
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