[2026 Paris Motor Show] Renault's Counterattack Against China's Aggression… Development Period to Be Shortened by Two Years

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Renault, participating in the 2026 Paris Motor Show, unveiled a radical innovation strategy to counter the fierce offensive from Chinese automotive brands, along with a specific electrification roadmap for the Korean market.

On the 11th (local time), Ivan Segal, Vice President of Renault Global Sales and Operations, stated that he would not shy away from reality regarding the recent rapid rise of the Chinese auto industry, but would actively learn from and embrace their overwhelming development speed and competitiveness. The company is operating a dedicated local organization on a permanent basis to drastically shorten the European new car development period, which typically takes four years, to less than two years, similar to China. A representative example of this innovation is the development of the small electric vehicle Twingo in just one year and 11 months.

Furthermore, Renault is directly confronting Chinese brands that are launching aggressive low-price offensives by refraining from unreasonable push sales of unregistered vehicles and adhering to a strict residual value defense strategy.

Regarding concerns over the crisis at the Busan plant in Korea, the company drew a clear line and revealed its determination to break through head-on. While it is true that some disruptions have occurred in the production of the Polestar 4 for North American export due to U.S. regulations, Segal emphasized that export performance to other countries with which Korea has signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), such as Colombia, is positive, and the possibility of diversifying export channels to the European market remains fully open. In particular, he presented a specific roadmap to reinforce powertrains in 2027 to keep pace with the rapid electrification transition speed of the Korean market, and to launch a pure electric vehicle that precisely meets the needs of Korean consumers domestically in 2028.

Regarding cooperation with China's Geely Auto, the company clearly stated its policy of strictly limiting itself to a thorough localized win-win structure where both companies share assets mutually, excluding indiscriminate global partnerships.

Meanwhile, Renault adopted "a car you can live in" as its brand motto and presented four core principles—loved design, human-first technology, electrification, and refined space—as the foundation for new vehicle design. In particular, by introducing steer-by-wire technology and a flat floor structure to maximize the quality of life for occupants indoors, Renault plans to solidly maintain its market leadership based on its robust distribution network across Europe and dense dealer network.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original