Renault to axe Laguna, Espace, Modus and... Wind!

[Vinylseats]

Thought this news may be of interest to this forum - it's all future shite after all.

 

Axe falls on Renault line-up

 

Array of models are to be dropped as poor sales hit hard, with annual figures down by 50,000 in only five years

 

 

Renault is trimming the fat from its UK line-up, following plummeting sales figures over the last few years. From February, no fewer than five models will be axed, leaving some notable gaps in the range.

 

Top of the chops are the Laguna hatch, Sport Tourer and Coupe. Also disappearing will be the Espace and Grand Espace, Modus and Grand Modus, Wind roadster and Kangoo passenger car. Collectively, these make up nearly 10 per cent of Renault’s total UK sales.

 

A source revealed there will be no direct replacements for the Modus, Laguna or Espace families. Renault is working on small, medium and large crossovers to take their places.

 

First to arrive will be a supermini-SUV in 2013, to complement the new Clio range, while the larger crossovers will follow a year later. The Wind and Kangoo have sold poorly and will be dropped altogether, even though the Wind only launched 18 months ago.

 

A host of new models will arrive next year, but Renault is admitting the cuts will hurt sales figures. It expects to shift only 51,000 cars and vans in the UK in 2012, compared to 75,540 in 2011. Considering it sold 126,816 vehicles in 2006, this is a significant drop, although Renault believes sales will be back above 75,000 in the UK by 2013.

 

According to a Renault spokesman, the drastic measures are part of a plan to push the brand upmarket. With its budget arm Dacia launching in the UK next year, Renault now has the chance to focus on “sexier and sportier†products and leave traditional models behind.

 

Clio heads new arrivals

 

It's not all doom and gloom, however. Nine new Renault and Dacia models will appear next year. The most important arrival is the fourth-generation Clio, on sale in November. It will be joined by a supermini-SUV in 2013, inspired by the Captur concept.

 

The facelifted Twingo, Scenic and Megane go on sale in January, February and April respectively, while the Twizy EV arrives in March. The Fluence Z.E. and Zoe Z.E. go on sale in May and October, and the firm’s Dacia budget brand arrives here in December, with the Duster SUV and Sandero hatch.

 

From February, all cars will come with Renault 4+, a four-year/100,000-mile warranty with four years’ free roadside assistance and servicing plus the option of four years of zero per cent finance.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/276397/axe_falls_on_renault_lineup.html

[Craig the Princess]

With its budget arm Dacia launching in the UK next year

 

[Alexg]

We took a Reanult wind in Part Exchange 10 months ago. The fruitcake who traded it in bought it brand new 3 months before, he lost £5k. The dealer we traded it to still has it...

[morris_ital_lover]

Axe falls on Renault line-up

A source revealed there will be no direct replacements for the Modus, Laguna or Espace families. Renault is working on small, medium and large crossovers to take their places.

 

Is that the sweet smell of fuck up on the horizon... methinks so.

 

I can understand that they are not selling well but replacing them with crossovers sounds as practical as replacing all your boxers with swimming trunks.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The great British public have finally realised that modern Renaults are junk.

 

The Renault brand is so damaged now that I doubt Crossovers will save them - they only found eight idiots to buy the Koleos. Thank fuck for Nissan eh? They cleared out all their dull non event saloons and hatches and went to big selling crossovers but is there room for any more?

[cort16]

Sales of several of the outgoing models have been low compared with their rivals, with the Laguna selling 3204 in 2010 against the Ford Mondeo’s 30,115 according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The Wind, meanwhile, has sold only 2354 since its launch in mid 2010.

 

Espace sales have also been struggling against rivals, selling only 499 in both formats in 2010 against the Ford Galaxy’s 7533.

 

 

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/renault-laguna-wind-and-espace-dropped/260529

 

Proton have only sold 395 cars this year

http://www.am-online.com/new-car-sales-figures/

[Craig the Princess]

We took a Reanult wind in Part Exchange 10 months ago. The fruitcake who traded it in bought it brand new 3 months before, he lost £5k. The dealer we traded it to still has it...

 

In 5 years (for some of us months) time the Wind will be grade A autoshite.

[M'coli]

I'd love it if the Wind came with keep-fit windows.

 

I'll get me coat.

[Cavcraft]

I have to wonder if the majority of Laguna sales were because company car choosers who wanted to piss their bosses off opted for one. The figures compared to the Mondeo tell their own tale and as RBJ has said Renault have well and truly been rumbled by the British car buyer.

[Shep Shepherd]

A workmate has a Wind, which is one of only two I've seen:

 

 

Future Autoshite without doubt

[Skizzer]

In 5 years (for some of us months) time the Wind will still be ugly as fuck.

 

EFA I fear it will be 20 years before the 2 surviving Winds have the shite appeal of their spiritual Datsun ancestors:

 

 

Matter of time before some of us start to get frisky about a Laguna coupe for pocket money though (R9UKE, I'm looking at you), and I'm surprised about the Espace getting canned.

[trigger]

I'm more impressed that they are dropping the Wind and bringing out the Flatulence instead, and who said Renault didn't have a sense of humour!

[cort16]

I don't think the wind looks that bad but it could have been a Nissan GT-R for £3000 and still no-one would have bought it with that name.

[Cavcraft]

Ye Gads that Wind is fugly. Genuinely amazed the sales figures even made single figures.

[RENOMAD]

The great British public have finally realised that modern Renaults are junk.

 

The Renault brand is so damaged now that I doubt Crossovers will save them - they only found eight idiots to buy the Koleos. Thank fuck for Nissan eh? They cleared out all their dull non event saloons and hatches and went to big selling crossovers but is there room for any more?

 

So I'm an idiot for buying a Koleos--------I bought it BECAUSE it wasn't built in France , but built in Korea.

[RENOMAD]

With its budget arm Dacia launching in the UK next year

 

 

[Craig the Princess]

Ye Gads that Wind is fugly. Genuinely amazed the sales figures even made single figures.

 

There is one parked at work, I quite like it. It reminds me of a CR-X del Sol.

[Cavcraft]

[RENOMAD]

I work in a Renault Garage and I will be the first to admit that the range from 2001 to 2008 is best forgotten, but to be fair to Renault, they have worked massively to get the cars more reliable. The Laguna 3 has been much better than the previous car, if much duller, and the Megane 3 has been a dream compared to the fat arse version..Unfortunately people are slow to forget the problems that they have had, and that coupled with the Recession mean that the newer cars havn't enjoyed the success that they should have had.

[pompei]

I've only ever seen one Wind - I thought it looked quite striking in a left-field sort of way.

 

Pity about the Espace - the original was revolutionary in its design and concept.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Its out of scale.

If it was 2 feet longer, two feet wider and two feet lower it would look so much better*.

 

 

 

*Whilst you were sitting next to it on the hard shoulder waiting for a recovery truck.

 

I made this a while ago - spent 30 seconds shortening it and it looks a thousand times better.

 

[RENOMAD]

That looks like the same photo.

 

I thought that too until you see that about 6 inches has been chopped from the height --lower front wings and boot

[MK5 Escort]

I’m not surprised the Laguna is being axed. It was on the cards a couple of years back if memory serves me. I wasn’t fond of the previous model (that grey flash ‘thing’ on the bonnet ruined the front end for me) and the current model just looks awkward. Add in it’s poor reliability record, it’s obvious it wasn’t going to be a sales success.

 

I will be sad to see the coupe go. I must say as modern cars go, I do have the hots for one of those...

 

Espace going? I know it’s not exactly a huge seller but it’s an iconic name. It’s the one that started it all. Not exactly a huge seller in this day and age granted, but I do think Renault will live to regret this one. I suspect the name to be revived within ten years.

 

Modus - meh... Not fussed on these.

 

Wind - I said it was going to be a flop even before it was launched. I know someone who only bought one a few months ago (brand new) too despite my advice! Can’t wait to tell her that one in the morning...! It may be worth while us sh*tters looking out for one in around six/seven years when the values become reasonable enough. It has the potential to be another ‘Fuego’ type of car. Edit : I see I'm not the first to think along these lines.

 

The great British public have finally realised that modern Renaults are junk.

 

Apart from women. They still love them for some reason. The same goes for Peugeots. Always something French with women I find these days...

[messerschmitt owner]

I had a modus as a hire car - it was Aubergine, slow, handled like shit, the fuel consumption was atrocious and there was feck all space inside it - so little that the BMW 1-series I had before it was actually genuinely capacious in comparison!

 

strangely, I am attracted to the Wind, but that 'lowered' and 'lengthened' version looks just like a more modern Honda CR-X.

[Felly Magic]

I notice the local Renner dealer can't seem to shift their black ex demo 'Fart'. It does look silly to be honest.

[warren t claim]

what's all this about a free Renault 4+ with every new car? I quite like the sound of that!

 

I think Renault is trying has seen the niche model success at its sister company and is trying to follow suit.

[Felly Magic]

I have a feeling Renner may do OK with Dacia in the UK, and maybe then will realise where they dropped the biggest bollock of all. If Dacia do well, could Renner even bring Lada back to the UK?

[tooSavvy]

PROTON sell $u3K all cars.........

 

Well, I love my SAVVY.... with 1100 Twingo power D4F.... wisely, 'not' fitted with A/C = Drive it like ya stole it performance is good

 

tooSavvy

[AnthonyG]

Autocar or AutoExpress claimed that the Wind was designed with the UK market in mind, due to our love of convertibles and coupe cabriolets.

 

I think that's bollocks, surely Renault UK would have told them to come up with a better name than that if we were the biggest market?

 

I also read recently that the Laguna name will die worldwide when the 3rd generation ends. In some markets you can buy something called the Fluence (sp?) which appears to be a booted Laguna. I guess that replaces it going forward.

 

Out of the four getting dumped, only the Espace surprises me. But then you see a lot more Galaxys and the new VW/Seat thing then you do Espaces. The S-Max, which is very common, is not much smaller either.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I am pretty sure the Flatulence is a Megane derivative. Doesn't matter, though, because the Megane is big enough/too big, as are all of its competitors.