Electrification, segment C (compact sedans, from the eternal Golf to the Audi A3 Sportback), renewed retail strategy. Thanks to these three moves, Renault shows resilience in an increasingly competitive market and with the crisis of logistics and microprocessors which puts enormous pressure on the Automotive sector. “In 2021 we made a lot of progress on profitability (the data will be released in February, ed) and we are optimistic about 2022 – comments Fabrice Cambolive, sales and operations director of the Renault brand – Renault has managed to make 1 sale out of 3 with e- tech and 1 out of 2 sales to private customers. Renault is taking advantage of the good results achieved in 2021 with Arkana to consolidate its positive trend and return to position itself in the C segment in 2022, leveraging the launches of the new Mégane E-Tech Electric and the new Austral. We look forward to 2022 with the ambitious goal of always moving forward, strengthened by the consistency of our product portfolio and our commercial policy “. The most positive data is that, according to the group’s note, “the group’s order book in Europe has doubled compared to 2020 and amounts to more than three months of sales”.
It cannot be hidden, however, that 2021 was also a difficult year for Renault. The worldwide sales of the transalpine group amounted to 2,696,401 vehicles, down 4.5% on 2020 and on the pre-year 2019 when the cars sold were 3.7 million (-37%).
However, the Losanga group pursues the sales policy launched in the third quarter of 2020, which is leading to an increase in the share of its sales in the most profitable channels. In the five main European countries (France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom), the share of sales to retail customers now represents 58%, up 6 points compared to 2019, the pre-crisis situation.
Even in times of crisis, the strategy of the group led by CEO Luca de Meo is outlined: the Renault brand, to begin with, has strengthened its position in Europe in the electrified market. The e-tech range (electric vehicles and hybrid engines) already accounts for 30% of Renault passenger car sales in Europe in 2021 (compared to 17% in 2020). For the new Renault Arkana, which allowed the brand to return to the C segment, the e-tech versions represent 56% of sales.
The Renault brand alone, faced with the persistent consequences of the shortage of components, has implemented a selective sales policy. World sales reached 1,751,089 units (-6.7% compared to 2020 and -35% compared to 2.3 million in 2019) and a market share of 4.7% (-0.6 points compared to 2020 , MTM except China and North America). In Europe, Renault recorded a market share of 7.1% (-0.7 points) with 984,784 units.