Renault can fend off growing Chinese competition through a combination of good design, emotional products, better customer experience and high quality, CEO Francois Provost said.
“Our Chinese competitors are super-efficient on cost and technologies, but our intention is to catch up and have the same competitiveness,” Provost told Automotive News Europe at the launch of the new Clio here Sept 8.
The Clio’s debut was Provost’s first public appearance since being promoted to succeed Luca de Meo, who left Renault in mid-July to lead Gucci owner Kering.
The sixth-generation Clio features a bold new look — after an evolutionary change between the fourth and fifth-generations — that shifts away from the design language of current Renault products, which the automaker said will better differentiate its bestselling model from the competition.
The new Clio uses the same OpenR Link infotainment system with Google built in as larger models, a feature that gives a “unique customer experience,” Provost said.
Chinese automakers are starting to challenge the domination of European companies in smaller segments. The MG3 small hatchback, launched last year, is now the third bestselling hybrid in its segment, after the Toyota Yaris and current Clio, according to figures from market researcher Dataforce.
As a volume maker, Renault is particularly vulnerable from lower-cost Chinese brands such as BYD and MG. Chinese brands had a market share of 5.3 percent in July, according to figures from Dataforce, slipping slightly from a record 5.5 percent in June.
Speaking to journalists in Munich, Provost promised to carry on the work of de Meo, who helped guide Renault Group from a record loss in 2020 to record profits in 2024.
“My job is to continue the Renaulution strategy [de Meo’s turnaround plan], to set a strong plan, but to be more agile and flexible to the uncertainty we are facing,” Provost told journalists at the event.
Provost will unveil a new strategic plan, expected to be called Futurama, in the first half of 2026.
Renault reported a first-half net loss of €11.2 billion ($12.8 billion) after writing down the value of its stake in struggling Nissan, highlighting the challenge facing Provost after a run of solid results under de Meo, until a mild profit warning in mid-July prompted shares to plunge the most since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Provost affirmed de Meo’s wish to see less-onerous regulations within Renault’s core market of Europe, which he said were pushing up prices too high for many car buyers.
Provost joins Stellantis execs in calling for new small-car rules from EU
“We have a tsunami of regulation,” Provost said. A separate EU regulation for small cars would reduce prices and boost stagnant new car sales, he said. “Based on this for sure, the TIV [total industry volume] would go up,” he said.
Stellantis Chairman John Elkann and Stellantis’ Europe chief, Jean-Philippe Imparato, have also called for new rules to encourage less-expensive small cars, perhaps modeled after Japan’s kei cars.
Provost said that boosting sales of small cars would help renew the aging — and higher polluting — car parc in Europe and therefore reduce carbon dioxide. “It will be a huge change,” he said. “If you replace a 15-year-old Clio with the new Clio, you have 95 percent less emissions.”
The sixth-generation Clio comes with Renault’s newly updated hybrid drivetrain based on a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that first appeared on the Dacia Bigster this year. Output rises to 160 hp from 145 hp while emissions fall to 89 grams of CO2 per km from 95 g/km, on par with the Toyota Yaris at 87 g/km.
Through July, the Clio was Europe’s second-bestselling car after the Dacia Sandero, with 137,969 sales, an increase of 6.4 percent, according to figures from Dataforce.
Prime dichiarazioni pubbliche del nuovo CEO di Renault, Provost.
Il manager francese riconosce la difficoltà della sfida con i marchi cinesi, nei primi mesi dell’anno la MG3 è la terza utilitaria ibrida più vendute in Europa.
Nonostante ciò c’è la convinzione di poterli battere, grazie ad una migliore qualità ed ad una forte attenzione ai costi.
Provost prevede di continuare l’opera di De Meo, ad inizio del prossimo anno verrà presentato il nuovo piano.
In continuità con il vecchio amministratore delegato, viene portata l’idea in avanti di alleggerire le regole per le auto con cilindrata più piccola.
Proprio oggi, quella furbona della Von Der Leyen ha aperto a cambiamenti in tal senso, con la solita velocità a cui ci ha abituato la commissione ci vorranno anni.
Il cancelliere tedesco Merz al salone di Monaco ha criticato apertamente le regole europee, anche se non ha chiesto in modo diretto la cancellazione della fine della vendita dei veicoli con motore a combustione dal 2035.
Anche ascoltando le dichiarazioni dei vari manager (Kållenius, Zipse, Blume, Provost, Imparato, i capi di Hyundai e Toyota in Europa), basterebbe rendere le regole meno draconiane e dilazionarle in più anni.
Le uniche voci a favore del mantenimento della data del 2035 sono stati il Ceo di Volvo Motors, il ceo di Polestar e la ceo del settore internazionale di Byd, tutte aziende cinese o controllate dai cinesi. Chissà perché
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