Renault eyes Asia sales growth at 56%

Renault eyes Asia sales growth at 56%

Agence France-Presse, Tokyo

French carmaker Renault expects its Asia-Pacific sales to grow 56 percent for the second straight year in 2002, while sales by its South Korean carmaking subsidiary would increase by almost 30 percent, the company said Monday.

The company said in a statement that its redeployment strategy had relaunched sales of the marque in Australia, Taiwan and Indonesia.

It also continued to expand in China, Malaysia, New Zealand Singapore, overseas French territories and Japan, where it works closely with its alliance partner, Nissan Motors, the statement added.

"Renault's Asia-Pacific division... expects sales of more than 22,000 units (plus 56 percent) in 2002," it said.

The company sold 14,167 vehicles in the region in calendar 2001, a 56-percent increase on the 9,079 sold in 2000, with the Scenic the best-selling model.

At 28.6 percent year-on-year, growth would be less spectacular at the French company's South Korean subsidiary, Renault Samsung Motors (RSM), but the volume of vehicle sales would far outstrip Renault sales for rest of the region combined, according to the statement.

"The sales target for this year is about 90,000 vehicles, compared to 70,000 in 2001, Renault said.

RSM was set up in September 2000 when the French carmaker bought the assets of the former Samsung Motors Inc., giving an annual production capacity of 240,000 vehicles, far in excess of current demand.

Renault said in Paris last Thursday it expected to "consolidate" global sales in 2002 after unit car and light utility sales edged up by 2.2 percent in 2001 to 2.4 million vehicles, boosted by the sales of its foreign subsidiaries.