The Renault Laguna will only be sold in the UK again if the next generation model, due in around three years time, is radically different from the current car.
In February, Renault will drop from sale in the UK the current Laguna range, the Wind roadster, both variants of the Modus and Espace and the Kangoo and Trafic passenger versions. Following that announcement, it was revealed that a decision on the styling direction of the new Laguna is due to be taken in the next three months. Renault UK boss Thierry Sybord revealed he favours switching Renault's family sized car to a crossover format to give it a distinct position in the market place, but conceded the UK market was not strong enough to dictate the car’s styling.
"If the next-generation Laguna is the same as the current one, then there’s no way it will be a success in the UK," he said. “My view is that, in Europe, there is not enough opportunity to sell this kind of saloon. There are the two German actors in Europe, and the two big fleet operators in the UK, Ford and Vauxhall. We can’t compete.
Sybord said Renault’s alliance partner Nissan was a good example of how innovation away from traditional segments could lead to sales successes.
“Therefore we are still thinking of a new kind of car, possibly a crossover saloon,” he said. “Look at what the Qashqai has done for that market, it is a success. It would be a new kind of car for the market, but it would be very hard to do. The decision is whether we want to carry on with what we’ve done before; if we build the same car again, the situation will stay the same.”
Thanks to: Autocar
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