Renault announce ‘Renaulution’ along with local product plans for 2021
Renault South Africa recently hosted a press conference for local journalists in which it shared the brand’s global vision going forward while also providing information pertaining to product updates and new releases scheduled for this year.
Renaulution
New Renault Groupe CEO Luca de Meo has outlined a new strategy called Renaulution which he claims shifts the brand’s focus from volume to value. Translating the marketing lingo is simple, the French outfit aims to generate increased cash flow in the short term by focusing on the areas of the business that are most profitable. This will, in turn, allow them to develop the next generation of products, which the brand claims will be an all-new lineup in 2025. From there, it aims to focus on technology, mobility and energy, no doubt with a slant towards an all-electric line-up.
The brand claims that its new model line-up will reduce the current eight engine range to just four, one diesel for commercial purposes, one petrol, in mild-hybrid, hybrid and plug-in-hybrid guise as well as two electric (EV) powertrains. It has also announced that there will be an increased emphasis on four brand pillars, namely, Renault, Alpine, Lada/Dacia and mobilization. At the same time, Renault Sport enthusiasts will lament the fact that all performance products will now fall under the Alpine brand, which is unlikely to ever reach local shores. Renault also took the opportunity to introduce its new logo, which is still the same basic shape, but the word “Renault” has been removed.
What can we expect from Renault in 2021?
From a local perspective, Renault has a relativity busy 2021 ahead. The first new product comes in the form of a mild update made to the Triber, which has established itself as a surprisingly successful model for the brand. At the time of writing, the updated Triber was already available. The next model to receive an update in 2021 is the Koleos, which is also said to be a mild specification and styling update due in June.
Following the Koleos, there is also an update coming to the popular Duster model, which is said to reach local shores in September. Perhaps the most important news though is that the Sandero will be replaced this year, not by a new model, but by the all-new Kiger, a compact crossover. The Kiger will reach local shores near the near of 2021 and is based on the same platform as the Triber and new Nissan Magnite with both a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine and a naturally aspirated 1.0-litre engine shared with the Triber. It was also announced that the introduction of the all-new Clio and Captur models has been delayed, as has the Duster-based bakkie called the Oroch, which we will see towards the end of 2022.
