Renault scrapping the building of large cars

[Mikey1]

Just read with interest that Renault will be scrapping the building of large new cars from 2010,this means the new Laguna and the new Espace.

Lets hope that other manufacturers dont follow suit.

Could be a short supply of large new cars to tow with

 

[Icemaker]

yep it seems it is true, but to be honest renault have lost the plot recently, i allways wanted an espace but after testing one and reading reviews it was obvious i would have been making a mistake, the laguna is just horrible and my wifes new generation clio is no where near as good as her second generation one, we have had loads of trouble with it and its just 18 month old.

below is an edited statement from one of the major editorials,

Renault is poised to scrap the next-generation Laguna and could virtually pull out of the large car market altogether, senior company sources have revealed.

Renault's Sandouville - which current builds the Laguna, unsuccessful Vel Satis executive hatchback and the ageing Espace MPV - will start building commercial vehicles as well by 2011.

By then its expected that the Vel Satis and Espace will have been phased out. And although Laguna production will continue alongside the commercial vehicles, it will not be replaced when it dies, probably by late 2011.

Last autumn Renault announced that it had suspended development work on its future large cars, including the next generation Renault Espace.

 

[Stephen_374341239]

FORD are thinking of going that way to.

 

[RogerP]

sounds like an investment opertunity there then , go and buy a mondeo , bubble wrap it for a couple of years then sell it at a huge profit to someone desparate for a large car.

Cant be any worse an idea than sticking your money into HBOS or RBS shares can it?

 

[ScouseIan]

This follows a trend really. The number of big cars made by european manufacturers has been going down over the years.

Remember the Ford Granada / Scorpio?

Vauxhall Sentator/Carlton/Omega

Renault 30/25/20/Safrane

Citroen CX/XM

Rover SD1/800

Alfa Romeo 164/Lancia Thema/Fiat Croma/Saab 9000 (same car)

I'm sure there are many more examples of this. At one time these were great choices to tow with.

Its not so bad though. If you want a car in this sector (or the next one down) then somebody will always make it. I foresee that in 10 years time it will come from China or thereabouts though. Manufacturing in europe is dying. The cost of making anything in the far east and shipping it over here is much less than manufacturing them here.

Nothing to worry about I think

Plus, aren't renaults rubbish?

 

[JohnnyV]

Actually this trend is quite frightning - I guess eventully if you want a larger car you will only have a very limited choice from a few manufacturers.

You were quite right about Ford & Vauxhall

I loved my Granada - when it was due to be changed the option from Ford was the Scorpio - No Thanks - anyway that killed their market.

No Granada so I had an Omega, in fact I had 4 x Omega's when the last one was due for change no more Omega just the Signum.

So I had a Volvo S80 - I think my point is that there will always be someone who will make a larger car but as you say they will probably come from outside Europe eventually - States?

Anyway we could always buy a small truck !

Jon

 

[xtrailman]

For years, evertime a car was redesigned the follow on was just about always larger Heavier ect.

I found it quite annoying, due to the fact that i only had a

small garage.(one of the reasons for moving house).

When i questioned the logic in this constant bloating of car size, i was told it was due to people now being 6 foot?

As i had fords or vauxhall cars at the time i argued that if i wanted a larger car from the cavalier at the time, then the carton or senator would fit the bill.

Made sense to me.

Who are these customers that required the focus to grow, the fiesta to grow, and the mondeo to expand another 5" plus in the latest version?

 

[Rodone]

But, since the days of the Granada's and the Carltons, surely alot of cars have grown in size anyway. The new Sigma must be as large as the old Carlton and I think the Mondeo is larger than the old Granada. Then look at the Ciroen C5..... My neighbour has a Renault Laguna, and if they all give the problems that he has had, then I think Renault are doing the right thing !

 

[RogerL]

Mondeo is now larger than the old Granada/Scorpio - the Insignia is larger than the Carlto/Senator/Omega.

Renault are simply reacting to customer demand, they aren't regarded as good or reliable cars by most buyers!

 

[AndyR]

It would be a great service to the motoring public if stopped producing ALL its range of cars.

... based purely on my experiences of buying a new Renault Scenic 3 years ago.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi all

after buying a modest bailey 2 years ago I looked round for a cheap to run smallish hatchback that would tow the van for the 4to5 weeks a year that I use it, wouldn't break the bank and be really good to run about in for the other 48 weeks. after several weeks of looking and discounting 98% of the available tow cars it came down to 2 options the pug 307 or the renault megane. the pugs were a bit dearer as it was a newish model so I chose the megane 1.9dci.

I must say it is brilliant low tax runs on fresh air and does everything I want it to do and I have had no problems with it since day one the only thing changed in 2 years is one set of tyres for a chunky set of dunlops (which were brilliant in the last bit of snow) and a battery.

what as this got to do with the thread you my ask well probably not much, only everyone else seems to think renaults are rubbish I don't, if pulling out of the large car market means they will concentrate on making more efficent smaller cars like the megane then I for one am all for it.

colin

 

[Mikey1]

My post wasnt to knock Renaults.

I was simply saying that one manufacturer has decided to stop its production of large vehicles due to the currant climate not that they are poor.

Im sure other manufacturers will follow suit as they say once one starts others will follow?