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RENAULT IN BRAZIL

The Brazilian automotive market has enjoyed exceptionally high growth in recent years. The major carmakers – including GM, Ford, Toyota and PSA – have operations in Brazil. Despite strong competition, Renault has recorded a steady increase in sales in Brazil in recent years and risen to fifth place in the Brazilian market.

A strong presence 

In 2011 Renault do Brasil broke its sales records and rose to second place in the group’s global ranking. Renault’s Brazilian subsidiary achieved its best results yet, with more than 194,0000 vehicles sold, and market share of 5.7% in a fiercely competitive market.

 

Brand awareness has increased with the launch of the Renault Institute during the 2010 Sao Paulo Motor Show. The institute will step up sustainable development actions in Brazil in four key areas: education, sustainable environmental development and sustainable mobility, social development, and road safety.

More than a million vehicles manufactured in Brazil  

The Renault group set up Renault do Brasil Automoveis – an industrial and commercial subsidiary in Brazil – in 1997. One year later, the Ayrton Senna manufacturing complex was opened in Curitiba. The complex now consists of three units: the passenger car plant (bodywork and assembly) opened in 1998, the engine plant, Mecanica Mercosul, opened in 1999, and the light commercial vehicle (LCV) plant, operated with Nissan.

 

More than 1 million passenger cars and light utility vehicles had rolled off the production lines of the Ayrton Senna complex by 2010.

 

In October 2011, Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault announced that production capacity will be increased by 2013. Renault will produce an additional 100,000 vehicles a year in its Curitiba plant in 2013, creating 1,000 new jobs in the process.

 

The plant's annual capacity (passenger cars and LCVs) will be increased to more than 380,000 units per year. Capital outlay totals 500 million Brazilian reals, or about €200 million.

Renault Design America Latina 

Sand'Up Concept

In 2008, the group opened Renault Design America Latina – its first design center in the Americas – in Sao Paulo. The center employs 10 automotive designers from Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and France.

 

The center made headlines with the Sand'Up Concept (2008), followed by the Sandero Stepway Concept unveiled at the Sao Paulo Motor Show (2010). It also worked on the design of Renault Duster.

Sandero: born in Brazil, taking on the world 

    The flagship model of the Ayrton Senna complex, the Renault Sandero compact hatchback has been selling successfully since the end of 2007. The range was extended in September 2008 with the release of the urban sport version Sandero Stepway. To build on that success, the two vehicles were restyled by Renault Design America Latina in April 2011. The restyled models feature a contemporary line, more comfort features and, as before, a three-year warranty.

     

    Renault Sandero’s market share has risen from 2.5% in 2008 to 4.8% in April 2011.

Brazil leads the way on biofuels 

Renault Fluence, a new entry in Brazil in 2011

      A growing share of vehicles manufactured in Brazil have Flex Fuel engines. A biofuel pioneer, Brazil started producing and using sugar-cane ethanol in 1975. Now its annual production totals more than 16 billion liters, making Brazil number-two in the world after the United States.

       

      Brazil also plans to replace 2% of domestic diesel consumption – about 800 million liters – with renewable biodiesel fuel.

       

      In April 2010 the Renault-Nissan Alliance and the City of Sao Paulo signed a partnership to expand the use of electric vehicles in this megalopolis of 11 million people, with a view to drastically reducing polluting gas emissions.

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