Renault Australia reversed the local and global trend in November with disappointing sales figures.
Sales for the month were down 56 percent on 2008 in contrast to the rest of the market which rebounded by an average of 20 percent.
The Koleos was the best performer, accounting for 66 of the 154 units sold, increasing by 65 percent on November 2008 and likely to top 1000 sales in its first full year.
Other models are battling however, with just five Clios and two Grand Scenics finding homes in November.
Sales for the year are down by from 3017 to 784 cars (-26 percent) compared to the industry average of a 9.3 percent decline.
The news has been better globally with Renault recording a 32.2 percent rise in passenger and light commercial vehicle sales in November.
Year-to-date sales of passenger cars are down just 2.1 percent to 1,852,917, with European markets leading the way towards the end of the year as many scrappage schemes come to an end.
Despite this Renault has decided to continue with its short-time work scheme – where all employees work for fewer days than normal – until the end of 2010.
Renault said its business outlook remains “uncertain” and said factories could be closed for up to 45 days in 2010, similar to this year.
It is also considering giving workers their first pay rise since 2008 and will weigh that up against demand for its vehicles.
WELL MAYBE IF THEY PULLED THEIR FINGER OUT AND BROUGHT SOME NEW AND INTERESTING PRODUCT HERE!!!! Geeze, I bet even Skoda sold more last month!!!
Renault Aus – Twingo, Modus, new Megane/Scenic, Laguna Coupe, normal Clio and Modus are all cars that would sell well here, just get them here!!!
Nah, probably still beat Skoda by around 50%. Skoda only averaging around 100/month.
The likes of Renault and Skoda are not going to be around much longer without better sales numbers.
Oops, it was in capitals…
Although the both deserve success, the difference is Renault Aus sales were once alright but are going down, but Skoda Aus sales are going up (as well as VWAG making a crapload of money around the world). Renault Aus had it coming I reckon…
Jake, Skoda sales are down from their peak numbers, I don’t see how that is going up. As a matter of fact Skoda sales are so low that dealer demo registrations on new models significantly skew the numbers (and there’s only a dozen or so dealers).
Bottom line is the likes of Skoda and Renault need better sales numbers soon or they won’t survive the Korean onslaught in Australia.
Skoda sales are averaging around 110 a month at the moment, compared to around 40 a month this time last year. How is that down? Renault sales used to be 500 a month (when they had a good model range, but now…
Skoda only shifted 122 cars during November and thats with the facelifted Octavia and new Supurb models so Renaults wasnt the worst performer.
That doesn’t mean Skoda was either…
^EXACTLY, of course their sales are down they have no products. I’d be quite interested in seeing the new Megane and it has been on sale in Europe for about a year but we probably won’t see it here until 2010, hurry up and bring it over Renault Oz…
I am a renault owner – Mk2 Clio Sport.
AMAZING CAR that offers awesome bang for the bucks.
And very reliable too – only one TDC sensor replaced at 123,000kms. Nothing else major has gone wrong since I have owned it.
As for the current situation Renault Australia need a rocket put under them.
They’re getting smashed in the market place because their cars are overpriced and they take forever to go on sale in Australia. Plus their local marketing is pitiful.
When I bought my Clio Sport new it was $33990 and had xenons, partial leather, trip computer, climate control etc plus the best handling and steering of any car in the price range (and better than some much more expensive machinery) – IN OTHER WORDS IT OFFERED VALUE FOR MONEY!
Now if I want a clio sport I need low 40ks! You’re joking.
And Where’s the Clio 200? How long will that take to get here? How much will it cost?
Where is the Megane RS250 – it looks AWESOME and I desperately want one, but how long do I have to wait for one? End of 2010? Why? And what will it cost? If Renault think they can charge more than the current model, they’re going to be sorely dissapointed.
RENAULT OZ SHOULD
1. Focus on the sport models as your hero products to get people into the showroom
2. Market yourselves properly
3. Price yourselves competitively – in other words offer the best performance and handling at a lower price than ANY competitor. So that means a Clio 200 for $34990 and an RS250 at $39990 DRIVEAWAY, plus options.
4. Get the cars here while there is still a buzz about them.
5. If someone takes a renaultsport model in for a service, offer them a new renaultsport demonstrator for the day. These are your potential brand champions, so make sure you show them they are loved! This will get them enthused and possibly get them upgrading more regularly if they’re exposed to new product and can drive it without some sales clown sitting next to them talking nonsense about a car they know nothing about….which brings me to my next point.
6. Get decent sales and service staff who treat customers and potential customers with respect.
7. Offer Renaultsport customers the chance to go to annual track days with their cars and experience the new models.
GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!!!!!!
James, I have recently purchased a Renault Logan (diesel) in India and the car is barely two months old (new) and done only about 1,500 kms. I have had 4 sudden engine stoppages in the last month including two on the highway cruising at 80kmph! Now the service centre tells me there is a TDC sensor problem and there will be a one/two-day delay because the part is not available!
I am getting a little concerned and wondering if I made the right decision. I really liked the vehicle when I bought it… but now…??
Let me know what you think! Will help.
THanks,
Biju.
How would they seriously expect to sell their RS Clio’s when for the same price you can get a larger, more practical, and equally as good to drive Ford XR5?
XR5 is not equally as good to drive. around town the RS Clio would smack the XR5, go drive both and you will see. and the XR5 is pretty good too, its just not a go kart like the RS Clio. if you want practical buy a toyota.
Just like how the RS Clio would smack a new golf GTI around town as well as on the track too.
If you are talking about the 200Bhp version, um no. Might beat a Mark V marginally, very marginally but not the MkVI.
Take for instance the Clio 182 Trophy. It comes in with 180bhp as opposed to the 200bhp of the RS, yet it only weighs 1090 kgs. The RS tips the scales at 1204 Kg’s making them both comparable in power to weight. The Cup has a slightly better chassis, yet on the Bedford Aerodrome West Circuit, could not best the VW Golf Gti Mk V in similar conditions. Both posted identical times.
The Mk VI is better, if marginally so getting smacked by the RS is an exaggeration.
I agree with the above comments – they don’t have the right products – in fact, they hardly have any products at all. We wait literally years for new Renaults to be released here while Renault Australia sit around with their thumb up their butt wondering what they should do.
Where’s the not-so-new Clio? Where’s the new Megane? Where’s the Twingo?
One thing that everyone seems to forget about the car market here in OZ…
We have a total new car market of 1 mill vehicles (give or take a few thousand)..
We have over 250 different models, not counting trim levels competeing for their share. Somehow I see this as being totally unsustainable for the larger majority of importers.
Now they say history never repeats, however I beg to differ. Brands such as Renault, Fiat, Skoda and such have had an on again off again relationship with Australia and this will continue. As the economy starts to strengthen and the public has to tighten their belts to pay for the govco splurges this year, these brands will dwindle to an almost none existant level, thus withdrawing once again. The only true stayers from Europe in Australia have been Volvo, VW & Citroen (although both did have a hiatus) Peugeot and Saab (who I believe is going to struggle even more under that current situation). The unfortunate thing is that I really don’t want this to happen but I cannot see a near future that paints a different picture
How appropriate that the anti-spam word is Saab – another sales stakes loser I fear.
Renault models imported here are all wrong. They pare the Scenic model back to one model – but it is not a diesel. Haven’t they noticed that the European cars which are selling well here are diesels – and Scenic owners would be diesel buyers. This pales into insignificance alongside their failure to get the latest, more saleable, Megane range into the showrooms. They need some creative marketing and range selection. If they can’t work out how to sell Clios, then try Grand Modus – to sell against Jazz; Megane diesel to sell against Peugeot 308, Golf, Focus. Forget Laguna – it isn’t competitive with mainstream Mondeo, Accord Euro or Mazda 626, let alone portraying itself as a “premium” product.
Renault, like Fiat, were out of the market here for too long – the fact that they sell in boatloads in other places like Latin America and Africa doesn’t means beans here. They need to get marketing and sales people not from France, but from local Hyundai or Subaru distributors who know how to get Australian sales going.
And the closing statement in your first paragraph is their biggest problem… Renault is not a premium brand! It is a French version of Australias Holden Ford or Toyota.
They are not sold as a premium product in Europe, so what makes the importers think they can cut it as premium out here??
+1
Excellent comments onepapa!
get it together renault import and rebadge Daicas.
I agree with the sentiments above that Renault management have made an absolute shambles of their product offerings here. Besides the Koleos they have tried to build their brand from the top down, focusing heavily on the rather mediocre Laguna. A big mistake!
Although Renault didn’t have great success in the past with the Clio and Megane bread-and-butter models, they should both be relaunched as the new models are far superior to the old ones: the Clio is larger and more mature looking while the Megane has lost that polarising rear end.
Slow to bring out new product (if they bring it at all) and do little or nothing to create brand awareness. At a time when the other marques are fighting tooth and nail here to try and at least hold sales and market share, Renault Australia are sitting on their hands. They need to get onto bringing out the newest Clio, Megane and Twingo (particularly the faaast versions) and push Renault’s racing pedigree, style and safety history. Cut VW’s Golf GTI lunch from one side with the racing pedigree and the Megane RS’ pure performance numbers and rep (just quote Top Gear, should be easy enough…), cut into the light and compact markets from the other by pushing style and Renault’s safety history.
Or, you know, sit around just hoping people walk into your salesroom of their own accord and buy a Koleos for some reason. That’s a good strategy too!
I guess their missing the point about having a hero car in the range, so that it can sell more cooking models. They just have the hero version available, and its overpriced.
As most have summed up, whoever is Running things here in Australia needs to be sacked for being a lazy salary collector with no passion for cars whatsoever.
The Clio RS 200 has been out for ages and Renault Oz is still trying to flog the old 197. We also want the proper light weight Cup versions and priced cheaper than the standard version like they sell in Europe. Not a fat version with Cup shocks, spring and wheels and flog it for more.
Renault Oz are morons, a monkey could do a better job than they do. Also separate the dealerships from the stupid Nissan dealerships and get staff that only sells Renault, not both.
Arrange track days, Renault race in F1, they make the hottest most focused hot hatches in the world, use this damn it. Promote it, not the boring people mover rubbish. Get some fricken excitement into the brand again and you will pull in the boring people mover buyers as well.
God bless magazines like EVO and Autocar in the UK where we can read and watch content online about the cars we Australians get sometimes 2 years later than the rest of the civilised world.
We are a small market but a very profitable one, yet e are treated with such contempt by local brands like Renault.
i think nissan should jsut take over reanault oz
No thank you! Nissan dealers would have to be the worst. Also look at their decision to only sell the GT-R in two locations in Sydney that couldn’t be further apart if you tried, Brookvale and Campbelltown. Seriously how many people living in the Campbelltown area would be looking to buy a car that is nearly 50% the value of their homes? Nissan Australia = Fail!
Part of the problem is the lack of dealerships. Between Sydney and the QLD border there is ONE service agent only. No sales. South of Sydney or west of Sydney there is only one dealer in the ACT. How do you expect to sell cars without sales and service???
I totally agree with you, but there is a Renault dealer in Parramatta (Lincorp Automotive run it, who are idiots…) and there’s also one in Warwick Park.
sydney has at least 5 or 6. Thats enough to adequately service a metro area, but what if you need a service agent in western NSW? or the North coast? it just doesnt inspire confidence. Then when you consider that some dealers are incompetent or otherwise, it leaves you with even less choice.
I know Peter Warren Renault at Warwick Farm (NSW) opened not long ago and from what I hear they are doing well too.
Here’s how their local lineup should look like:
Twingo – (Sell in RenaultSport spec only)
Clio II – (Sell the previous Clio as the ‘Clio Campus or Classic’ in 3dr and 5dr hatch, one spec level and in diesel and petrol – this already happens in the UK and Europe.
or
Sandero – (Sell this 5dr hatch from South Africa)
Clio III – ( Sell/keep in RenaultSport only spec and or bring in the 5dr wagon)
Thalia – (Sell this ,4dr sedan version of the Clio – front lights look like they’re from the Nissan Tiida, not too bad actually)
Grand Modus – (Just sell the ‘Grand’ version, standard version doesn’t need to come here, offer it in diesel and petrol)
Megane II – (Keep the current 4dr sedan and rebadge it ‘Megane Campus or Classic’ and sell in one spec and in diesel and petrol)
Megane III – (Sell in 3dr/5dr hatch, 4dr sedan, 5dr wagon and 2dr CC)
Laguna III – (5dr hatch, 5dr wagon and 2dr coupe)
Grand Scenic MPV – (Like the Grand Modus, don’t need the standard Scenic here and offer it in diesel and petrol)
Grand Espace MPV – (Like the Modus and Sceinc, don’t need the standard Espace here and offer it in diesel and petrol)
Koleos SUV – (Nothing wrong with it, but does anyone know it exsist’s??)
Logan Ute – (Sell in Ute guise only – Ute is built in South Africa and sold as a Nissan – Proton Jumbuck competitior)
Kangoo II LCV – (Sell an MPV version too)
Trafic LCV – (Is keeping it’s own considering the small dealer network)
Master LCV – (As above)
Scathing!! And thankgod, as I’ve been waiting for someone to say something about Renaults latest effort on the Australian market, or lack of and here is a whole page of people that are telling it like it is!!
Seriously, this company needs to get it’s head out of it’s ar** and start taking this market seriously!! If the ears at Renault Australia aren’t buring, then they should be on blo*** fire!! Are you reading these comments Renault Australia?? Well, you blo*** well should be!!
How do they expect to sell anything when 1. Besides the very capable Koleos SUV, they have nothing else to sell, 2. Try to be a premuim product when they’re not, 3. Sell along and share showroom floor space with Nissan, which obviously hasn’t worked for how long now??, 4, Take years to release new product onto our market and 5. When was the last time you saw a Renault advertised?
Don’t get me wrong, I for one love seeing Renaults on Australian roads, but they’re not doing themselves any favours with the way they’re going about their business.
Advertise the things, make up some catchy tune, use some of those innovative European TV adverts that they show over in the UK and Europe, use some Aussie sports start to sell your porduct, do I need to go on??
Cut the Clio Campus/Megane Campus/Logan Ute (it just won’t happen because it’s not engineered for 1st-world markets) out of your plan – no-one will buy them, otherwise it’s flawless and something that should be sent to Renault Aus (as evidence that people DO give a stuff!).
Also, every week in the Herald they advertise the Koleos/Clio RS/Laguna Expression (not sure about this week, but defs in previous weeks) so maybe its the dealers, not the lack of advertising. No, it’s product. They need MORE!
they should bring that awsome ballet ad over though i think it is banned in oz. its funny and empahizes on safety.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbV98cnBbLg
That ad is actually pretty darn cool! :)
But yes I can see why it’d be banned here. Maybe that’s half the problem for Renault, any good ads they come up with are banned by the fun-spoilers!
The styling of Renault models has ben too challenging for Aussie tastes, coupled with average perceived and actual quality an reliability, high prices and poor marketing = Sales Disaster!!!!
Renault need to:
1. Reduce Prices
2. Offer a 5 year warranty
3. Offer diesel Clios, Meganes and Scenics (with auto options)
4. Market the cars against VW as VW alternatives
Your 4th point is very important.I’ve been reading several tests in regards to the RS range especially the upcoming RS Megane and it seems that when it arrives in Australia the Golf’s “reign” as the top hot hatch will end.By all accounts the RS Megane is faster,handles better and is just as comfortable as the GTI.
The only “problems” I see is that the RS will be available only as a 2 door and in manual.
Overall quality seems to have picked up however,reliabilty seems to still be a problem ..not that Golf is that much better any way!
Advertise RS models quoting european reviewers. RS clio 200 is No 1. Megane RS 250 is no 1.
Televisoin adds should have motion shots of the 2010 F1 car (beautiful) morphing into either the RS Clio or RS Megane which in turn could morph into the base spec Clio or Megane.
Pricing should be mid 30k for RS Clio and 40 – 45k for RS Megane (as stated earlier).
Dealer product knowledge also needs to improve as do residuals.
Renault OZ I want you to succeed I just need to know you are trying.