February 2009 – Announcement of 2008 results. Renault announces its 2008 results against the backdrop of a worldwide economic crisis. After a difficult year, the Group posts a net profit of €599 million, through annual revenue dropped by 7%. In this difficult situation, Renault is obliged to take a number of emergency measures. A crisis-period labor deal is introduced and the targets of Renault Commitment 2009 are revised downwards, except for Quality.
February 2009 – eMX Concept and New SM3. Renault Samsung Motors proudly presents eMX Concept. This little bombshell with a futuristic design is the first concept car to be designed entirely in Korea. It is unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show in February 2009, alongside New SM3. This powerful sedan inspired by Mégane has already attracted a large clientele. The Korean police force has even ordered 600 vehicles for its officers!
March 2009 – Duster by Dacia. Dacia creates quite a stir at the Geneva Motor Show when it unveils its first ever concept car, Duster. This surprising 4x4 is the result of close cooperation between Renault Design Central Europe in Romania and Renault Design Technocentre in France. Nippy, affordable and drivable, the newcomer has everything it takes to attract a young, urban clientele. European launch is scheduled for spring 2010.
March 2009 – the Renault-Nissan Alliance: 10 years already. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is 10 years old! A decade of working together that has been particularly beneficial for both companies, who took the opportunity to announce plans to reinforce their cooperation. A dedicated team has been created to speed up and consolidate the synergies between the two entities. In these times of crisis, this is a welcome decision, which should help to strengthen the Alliance’s current position as the world’s third largest carmaker.
April 2009 – Twins for the Scénic family! The Scénic family saw two new arrivals in 2009. Two new models of the most popular compact MPV in Europe were released within a couple of months of one another. New Grand Scénic, a powerful people mover fitted with the very latest safety systems, was launched in April. Equipped with the third-generation Renault Protection System (SRP3), it is the twelfth model in the range to score the maximum five stars in EuroNCAP tests. Its little brother, New Scénic, arrived on the scene in June.
May 2009 – Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO. Carlos Ghosn is appointed Chairman and CEO of Renault. He is also appointed President of the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting on 6 May, succeeding Louis Schweitzer. These appointments are the crowning achievement in the career of this graduate from Ecole Polytechnique and Paris Ecole des Mines, who joined Renault in 1996 before becoming President and CEO of Nissan Motor in 2001.
May 2009 – En route for the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. Renault and the cinema go back a long way! The company has been an official partner of the Cannes Film Festival since 1983 and supplied some 100 vehicles for the organizers of the 62nd festival. 70 Vel Satis and 30 Espace models transported the stars through the streets of Cannes to the foot of the famous steps.
September 2009 – The big Dacia picnic. The growing numbers of Dacia fans are starting to make themselves heard! On September 27, 2009, they met up in the Mansigné leisure park in France for the first ever “Big Dacia Picnic”. The program included entertainment, attractions and activities of all kinds. The event attracted more than 4,000 aficionados and 1,052 Dacia vehicles.
September 2009 – Laurens van den Acker heads Industrial Design. Laurens van den Acker is appointed Director of Industrial Design at Renault. Born on September 5, 1965, this graduate from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands spent most of his career in the automotive industry, before joining Renault in May 2009. His remit is to revitalize the image of the range, in harmony with the brand’s new “Drive the Change” signature.
October 2009 – “Drive the Change”. Drive the Change. Renault unveiled its new brand signature to the media and the general public at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The signature is in keeping with the Group’s values of innovation and vitality and sends out a clear message just a few months before the large-scale launch of the Renault‑Nissan Alliance’s first electric vehicles.
October 2009 – Zero emission. Renault creates a sensation at the Frankfurt Motor Show, when it reveals its Z.E. (for Zero Emission) range. The Group is preparing for the large-scale launch of its Zero Emission vehicles that are accessible to all in 2011. A few months later, Renault announces the sites that will manufacture the vehicles in the ZE range: Zoe in Flins (France), Flins in Bursa (Turkey), Kangoo Express in Maubeuge (France) and Twizy in Valladolid (Spain).
November 2009 – A zero emission factory in Morocco. Renault and the Moroccan government lay the first foundations of the Renault-Nissan plant in Tangiers. They also inaugurate the construction of an Automotive Training Center. The plant will be operational by the start of 2012 and will be capable of outputting 170,000 vehicles per year on the Logan production line. The site is designed to produce zero carbon emissions, in line with the Group’s ecological commitments.
December 2009 – Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Express Z.E. prototypes. On the sidelines of the Copenhagen Conference on climate change, Renault invited guests to test drive a selection of prototypes of its electric vehicles. These prototypes are the precursors of Renault Fluence Z.E. and Renault Kangoo Express Z.E. that will be launched in 2011.
All year long – Renault Sport in the spotlight. Will 2009 be Renault Sport’s year? This year, the Twingo, Clio and Mégane models in the Renault Sport range have been renewed. As a result, the UK magazine “What Car?” voted Twingo RS Cup, Clio RS Cup and New Mégane RS 2010’s best sports models in their respective categories. Renault Sport Technologies was also elected “manufacturer of the year” at the prestigious Top Gear Awards.