French vehicle manufacturer Renault has announced it will divest its vehicle operations in Australia to independent distributor Ateco Group from April 2021.

Renault vehicles will continue to be sold in Australia, however, the brand will soon be represented by the Ateco Group, Australia’s leading independent automotive vehicle distributor.

For the time being, the existing 53 Renault showrooms and three service outlets will remain unchanged.

“This announcement by Groupe Renault secures Australia’s future as an important market,” said Renault Australia Managing Director, Anouk Poelmann.

This sentiment was echoed by Ateco Founder, Nevill Crichton, who said the move “enabled the Renault brand to stay in Australia and allow its customers to continue enjoying the same high levels of service they have come to expect from one of the world’s leading automotive brands.”

Data sourced from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show that Renault sales in Australia have dropped for the past five years in a row, with 2020 being the weakest sales result in eight years – representing a 40 per cent decline in comparison to its peak sales of 11,525 recorded in 2015.

Amid the downturn, Renault has reduced its model range to two SUVs, one hot hatch and three vans. It is unclear how the move to Ateco will impact the product offering in Australia.

Source: Car Advice | Renault switches to independent distributor in Australia from April 2021

4 February 2021