NEWS

FRENCH marque Renault has revealed the dealers charged with the task of selling its electric vehicle range. Twenty one electric vehicle sites – branded ‘Z.E. Expert’ – are now live and ready to offer the full range of sales and after-sales services for Renault’s electric vehicle customers. And each dealer has benefited from a comprehensive [...]

IAN Plummer has decided to leave Renault UK as commercial operations director with effect from December 31, 2011. A press release said Plumber had ’made a significant contribution to the Renault brand in the UK, formerly as managing director of Renault Retail Group, where he led a strong resurgence in the company’s results and, more recently, [...]

AROUND 55 Renault dealers across the UK will close in 2012 as the French firm cuts back on its model range, the company has announced today. At the moment, the French manufacturer has 190 dealers across the country. But that figure is set to plummet to ‘around’ 135, a Renault spokesperson told Car Dealer. ‘We [...]

FRENCH firm Renault has announced it is to slash its model range dramatically in early 2012. From February, the company will stop selling some of its best-known cars in the UK. In a shocking pre-Christmas announcement, Renault said it will axe the entire Laguna range comprising of the hatch, sport tourer and coupe, Espace and [...]

RENAULT has announced it’s extending its new warranty to every model and its plans to improve customer satisfaction. From the beginning of next month, the French firm’s three year, 100,000 mile warranty will be extended to every model, and Renault dealerships will be involved in bold strides to improve customer satisfaction. An internet-based dealer rating [...]

RENAULT has released a photo showing off their new Twingo ahead of its unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It’s an important unveiling for the French firm, as the supermini is the first car to show off Renault’s new design direction. The most significant change is at the front-end as the Twingo boasts design cues [...]

MITSUBISHI is the latest car manufacturer to react to the News of the World phone hacking allegations. The Japanese firm said that it will donate the money it would normally spend on advertising in the tabloid newspaper to charity. On the social media site Twitter, the manufacturer said that ‘Based on a Facebook user suggestion, [...]

RENAULT Cardiff’s new car sales executive will be swapping his suit and tie for gloves and boots for charity. The sales executive at the dealership will putting himself into the ring as he takes part in the White Collar Boxing Evening in aid of Marie Curie. Despite having never boxed before, the 27-year-old from Cardiff [...]

SHOPPERS in Southampton were greeted by a most unusual site at the weekend courtesy of Autoplanet. Renault dealer Autoplanet took over Southampton’s West Quay Shopping Centre last weekend with an impressive display of racy Renaults. On display was a Renault F1 Team Formula One car in last year’s waspish racing livery, stopping shoppers and children [...]

LEADING car manufacturers have announced their plans to help Japan following the earthquake and tsunami last week. Hyundai Motor Group have said that they will donate 100 million yen (approximately $1.3m) to assist recovery efforts in the country. The donation will be made to the Korean Red Cross and delivered to the Japanese Red Cross [...]

RENAULT Manchester and Greater Manchester Police joined forces recently to help reduce number plate theft. In a day-long event on March, 12, dealership staff handed out special tamper proof screws to motorists free of charge. One of Renault Manchester’s qualified technicians was also on hand to help motorists fit the special screws to their vehicles [...]

RENAULT has confirmed that the Espace replacement has been signed off and the Laguna is in its ‘early stages’. That was the announcement from Beatrice Foucher, head of product planning at Renault, who said that the new Laguna is at the very early stages of development. ‘I know in my mind what it should be. [...]

RENAULT Birmingham has launched a brand new one-stop-shop for local businesses with its new Renault Pro+ centre. Last weekend marked the official opening of the new Pro+ centre at the Digbeth-based dealership, providing a dedicated service for Birmingham firms and commercial vehicle users. Led by manager Rod Sheead, Renault Birmingham’s Pro+ centre is one of [...]

VA Va Voom is back! To support its new TV ad for the Clio, Renault has announced its launched a Facebook campaign. Renault says the social media campaign will encourage the public to start asking themselves what Va Va Voom is and who has it. Fans of the Facebook page are asked each week to vote [...]

AFTER the launch of the Twingo and Clio Gordini models, the Wind Roadster is the next to receive Renault’s heritage look. Shod with 17-inch black diamond alloy wheels, the Wind Roadster Gordini features Malta blue bodywork with trademark twin white stripes, Glacier white door mirrors, grille trim and rear wing, and a gloss black roof. [...]

LIFESTYLE Europe has announced its acquisition of a new dealership, formerly Tates Renault of Brighton. The firm has big plans with the dealership, including the running of Ford service and parts franchises at the site. The acquisition brings the number of dealerships run by Lifestyle Europe to 20. Lifestyle Europe’s chairman, Marc Matthew said: ‘Our [...]

RENAULT dealers across the UK will have a new addition to their showrooms in the form of Renault-branded tyres. The French marque has announced plans to ‘help drive down’ the cost of motoring by introducing its own high-quality, low-price tyre brand. Called ‘Motrio’, the new tyre range is believed to be the first tyre produced [...]

RENAULT’S UK MD has admitted the Avantime and Vel Satis models flopped because their quality was a ‘disaster’. The firm’s managing director, Thierry Sybord, was in charge of marketing in France at the time the two wacky cars were launched – and was the man who eventually pulled the plug. He said: ‘The problem with [...]

NEWLY appointed Renaultsport specialist SJ Cook & Sons has turned its hand to matchmaking. The Bristol-based dealership, which only became the UK’s 12th Renaultsport specialist last month, has handed over the keys to two brand new Clio Renaultsport 200 Cups to husband and wife Paul and Teri Arpino. Despite being married for 17 years, Paul [...]

There it is again – stuck to the back of the Audi like a piece of road tar on the bumper. Damn hot hatches – don’t they realise they’ve no right to keep up? Get back where you belong, in a McDonald’s car park. To say the Megane 250 Cup is competent would be doing it [...]