Getty Images
Industryweek 10285 Lada
Industryweek 10285 Lada
Industryweek 10285 Lada
Industryweek 10285 Lada
Industryweek 10285 Lada

Renault-Nissan Sales Hit Russian Speed Bump in 2015

Feb. 4, 2016
The company's Russian brand, Lada, suffered a 31% drop in unit sales last year.

PARIS—Renault-Nissan's sales growth downshifted last year as a collapsing Russian auto market weighed on the French-Japanese alliance's turnover, it said on Thursday.

Overall sales for the partnership--comprising Renault, Nissan and Avtovaz--grew by 0.7% in 2015 to a total of 8.53 million vehicles, compared to a 2.5% increase in 2014.

Renault-Nissan is the world's fourth-largest car maker after Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors and produces one in 10 cars sold across the globe.

The United States, China, France and Japan are the alliance's top markets.

The Renault company alone revved up unit sales growth of 3.3%, while Nissan managed 2.1%, above the global industry average, thanks to record sales in the U.S., China and Europe.

But leading Russian carmaker Avtovaz, taken over by Renault-Nissan in 2014, put the brakes on overall group sales. 

The Russian car market collapsed in 2015, shrinking by 35% as Western sanctions against Russia over Ukraine and the impact of collapsing oil prices took their toll on the Russian economy, Renault-Nissan said.

Avtovaz, makers of the Lada brand, actually outperformed the overall domestic market, but still suffered a dramatic 31% drop in unit sales to 305,000.

Renault-Nissan drew some consolation from the fact that Avtovaz increased its share of the shrinking Russian car market to 32.3% from the previous year's 30.7%.

There was also weakness in sales in Brazil, the ninth biggest market for Renault-Nissan, where the alliance has a market share of just under 10 percent.

But Renault-Nissan reported progress in sales of zero-emission vehicles, saying it now sells around half of all electric cars worldwide.

The Nissan Leaf model alone has clocked up unit sales of 201,000 since its launch in 2010, making it the world's best-selling electric car, according to Renault-Nissan.

Renault-Nissan is a partnership based on cross-shareholdings between the Renault and Nissan companies. Alliance chief is Carlos Ghosn, who is also chief executive officer of both Renault and Nissan.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!