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Renault demands more differentiation from its partners and less badge-engineering
► Renault Group’s Francois Provost talks badge engineering
► Alliance partner need to be more distinctive from Renault
► New Ford partnership sets better example
Renault will demand more differentiation when it forms partnerships with other manufacturers and move away from what is effectively manufacturers rebadging its cars.
With Renault’s latest wave of models being among the best in their segment, it’s found itself winning the popularity contest with other firms looking to leapfrog off its success.
Alliance partners Nissan and Mitsubishi have both significantly expanded their tie-ups with Renault in recent years, with Mitsubishi in particular rebadging much of the core Renault line-up with minimal changes. A Renault Clio, for example, is rebadged as a Mitsubishi ASX, in many European markets.
But Renault Group CEO Francois Provost has now said that he’d prefer to do ‘fewer partnerships’ and said that in the past, Renault ‘did not request enough differentiation’ between the cars.
‘This is a change compared to my predecessor [Luca de Meo],’ said Provost. ‘I will never do a partnership without enough differentiation.’
Provost didn’t pinpoint the exact rebadging efforts that was too similar, but the close similarities between a Nissan Micra and a Renault 5, and the fact most European Mitsubishis are Renaults with new grilles and badges – decisions made under de Meo’s rule – are likely.
Meanwhile Renault has more recently signed an agreement with Ford that allows the Blue Oval to use its AmpR platform, underpinning the hugely successful Renault 5, for two new small EVs. One is expected to be a rebooted Ford Fiesta based on the R5, while the second is likely to be a small crossover closely linked to the Renault 4.
Speaking about Renault’s new ties with Ford to develop small cars and new LCVs, Provost said that he and Ford boss Jim Farley shared ‘exactly the same view’ that the cars must not look the same.
‘Jim [Farley] has the same view: If he chooses to partner with Renault, it will be a Ford, and you will see and we will discover together as I can’t see the design of the Ford. But what I’m sure of is that it will be a Ford, and it’s completely different from Renault.
‘So I prefer to do less partnerships, to do, let’s say, strategic partners, partners with who we feel we have intimacy, not for a one-shot tactical partnership, but for the long-term. But now you will see each time it’s with enough differentiation.’
Provost said an example of a successful partnership was the new Dacia Spring, based on the Renault Twingo.
‘Can you hesitate between telling the difference between the Spring and the Twingo? They’re different cars but the platform is the same.’
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