Renault Australia is making room on showroom floors for a stronger SUV lineup, seeing the end of well-known Clio and short-lived Zoe.
Renault Australia will cut all but one passenger car in its local lineup as it seeks to bolster sales from new SUVs.
Pained for sales this already, the Clio and Zoe are the first to go, leaving only the Megane RS hot hatch as the lone passenger vehicle on local showrooms. Both Clio and Zoe hardly moved the needle in the last 12 months and will make room for the all-new Captur and Arkana SUVs which arrive next year. They will join the Koleos medium SUV.
The Kadjar which is currently on sale will also depart, effectively replaced by the Arkana. The Arkana is a much sleeker unit, bringing the latest technology and drivetrains the French brand has to offer.
The move mimics Mitsubishi and Nissan – Reanult’s partners in the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance – which offer minimal passenger cars in their own Australian lineups; a sure sign of Australia’s trend to own crossovers and SUVs now. It’s also a sign that Renault’s cut-price EV, the Zoe, which was once Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle, is playing in a segment without much demand.
Renault will not only offer SUVs, however. Its commercial arm will remain strong with the Trafic, Master, and Kangoo still available.
“The Australian motoring landscape has changed dramatically in the past 12 months, but Renault is here for the long haul,” said Renault Australia Managing Director Anouk Poelmann.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of the Renault brand.
“Globally, we are now under the leadership of new CEO Luca de Meo, a true automotive visionary with a passion for all things auto related.
“Locally, we are very proud to announce the addition of two exciting new SUVs to the Renault Australia line-up,” said Poelmann.
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SUVs exciting? Does this many live in an alternative universe. That is really funny.