Renault and Nissan sold a total of 2,433,372 and 3,477,799 vehicles respectively. Globally, Renault sales decreased by 4% while Nissan sales saw a 3.3% reduction.
Major areas of growth for the Alliance were in Russia (+96.9%), Colombia (33.6%), China (22.5%), and Middle East and Africa (+15.2%).
Renault saw growth outside Europe but was offset by declines in Europe. Nissan also had a mixed year with a diversity of results from market to market.
Renault sold 2,115,176 vehicles under the Renault brand (down 6%), 121,855 vehicles under the Samsung brand (up 2%) and 196,341 Dacia-branded vehicles (up 19.5%). A total of 247,000 Logan models were sold worldwide in 2006 under both the Dacia and Renault brands.
Growth for Renault came from outside Europe, where sales increased by 8.8%, driven by the increasing availability of Logan, the performance of Samsung and the growth of the Renault brand in international markets. By the end of 2006, sales outside Europe accounted for more than 30% of Renault's total global sales.
In Europe, a lack of major product launches combined with the acceleration of the selective commercial policy to reduce unprofitable sales, which will have a noticeable positive effect on future used car business, resulted in a decrease in sales of 8.8% for Renault.
Nissan sold 3,341,527 vehicles under the Nissan brand, down 3.1% over the prior year. Global sales of Infiniti vehicles stabilized at 136,272 units, boosted at the end of the year by the new G sedan.
Nissan recorded sales of over 1 million units for the second consecutive year in its largest market, the United States. Newly launched products such as the Nissan Versa compact helped offset declines in the truck market.
In Japan, Nissan's sales including minicars fell 11.5% to 766,702. In Europe, annual sales were flat at 539,773 units. New growth markets such as Russia balanced declines from mature markets.
In other global markets, poor performances in Thailand and Taiwan were balanced with continued growth in China and the markets of the Middle East - Nissan.
Posted January 31st, 2007 by Nymphadora
