Revenues from sales financing for the Renault Group were up by 1.9% year-on-year for the first quarter of 2013 to 529m (£445m).
Meanwhile, revenue from the Group’s automotive division fell 12.6% to 7.74bn, leaving total revenue at at 8.27bn for Q1, down by 11.8%.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
Renault sales financing operated by RCI Banque, captive finance partner to the Renault-Nissan Alliance, recorded a 1.4% rise in average loans outstanding to 24.3bn compared to Q1 2012. New financing contracts fell 4.0% to 229,000.
Registration results
Particularly, Renault attributed to the fall in automotive revenue to the 11.6% year-on-year drop in registrations in Europe in Q1, as experienced by many manufacturers, although the brand did regain market share in France, Germany and Spain.
As hoped, the latest model Clio has gone some way to recovering Renault sales in Europe by becoming the best-selling new car in France.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataHowever, in the UK, the only one of the biggest five markets in Europe not to see a Q1 decline in new registrations, Renault sales slumped 15.33% to 9,806 units.
2013 outlook
The Group anticipates the new car markets in France and Europe to each decline by 5% this year, with the first six months weaker than the final six months, but expects the global market for passenger cars and LCVs to grow by 3%.
Despite this, the Group is targeting an increase in European market share with the launch of the Captur, ZOE, Clio Estate and Logan and sustainable pricing on 2012 releases on the Clio and Dacia Sandero.
Overall, Renault aims to increase registrations and automotive operating margin and achieve a positive automotive operational free cash flow in 2013.
richard.brown@timetric.com
