Renault Group has been telling us of its strong finish to 2014 taking 8.2 per cent market share and coming in at number four in the overall market, setting the scene for a good start to the new year.
Renault Ireland says that it and Dacia were the two fastest growing brands in Ireland last year with the Renault Group share up 1.4 per cent points versus 2013 and new entrant Dacia taking a fantastic 2.8 per cent market share in 2014.
Already just over 10 days into the new registration period, 2015 looks set to drive on for the Renault Group with sales up on last year with 8.1 per cent of the market. Already almost 300 Dacia cars have been sold in the first ten days of 2015 capturing 2.5 per cent of the market.
The success in 2014 for the Group was in part due to the popularity of the stylish Renault Clio and the very popular Dacia Duster, both in the top 20 selling cars last year.
The Dacia brand which continues to shock Irish motorists with its ridiculously affordable range of cars, has proved to the market that by doing the maths, you can own a brand new car for a lot less than a second hand car or get more bang for your buck than other established brands.
The availability of finance through Renault’s own bank RCI was also a key factor in the success of the two brands with over 50 per cent of registrations secured through Renault and Dacia Finance, as was Renault’s unique five-year warranty which is available across the entire range of Renault vehicles.
In just three years Renault and Dacia Dealerships have generated over €200 million in finance to over 12,000 Irish motorists through the RCI. The bank lent €85 million in 2014 and has 26 branches nationwide, through the network of Renault and Dacia dealerships.
Europe’s best-selling and multi-award winning LCV range also performed well in 2014 finishing on the podium for the fourth year in a row taking 9.7 per cent of the LCV market last year. Since the start of the new year Renault’s range of LCV has also performed well with 8.4 per cent capture in the first 10 days.
The popular Master was the best-selling model for Renault, followed by Kangoo and new Trafic. The award-winning LCV range combined with the very attractive five year warranty makes Renault LCV a very affordable proposition for businesses of all sizes.
Renault and Dacia continues to be Ireland’s fastest growing network with 26 dealerships nationwide, all of which operate a branch of its own bank, with 35 per cent of finance customers choosing the popular PCP (Personal Contract Plan ) to finance their vehicle.
Patrick Magee, country operations manager, Renault Group told us: “2014 turned out to be a great year for the Irish motor industry and for both our brands that performed very well. Dacia continues to be the fastest growing car brand in Ireland and has exceeded our market predictions coming in at a market-blowing 2.8 per cent at the end of its second year in the country. Ten days into 2015, it looks to be a promising start to the new registration year with our sales going extremely well with the Renault Group at 8.1 per cent share. 2015 will also see an exciting new vehicle launch for Renault which will be unveiling later this summer…watch this space.”
