Renault-Nissan Alliance sells 8.1 million cars in 2012

Paris, February 5, 2013: The Renault-Nissan Alliance has announced that it has sold 8,101,310 vehicles in 2012, representing one in 10 new cars sold worldwide.

Calendar-year sales increased about 1 percent from 2011, with strong growth in emerging markets and the US, compensating for the protracted European slowdown. 2012 was the fourth straight year of sales growth for the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

The Renault Group sold 2,550,286 units worldwide in 2012, down 6.3 percent from 2011. Renault group sales increased 9.1 percent outside Europe, thanks in part to strong growth in Brazil, Russia, and Algeria. Sales declined 18 percent in Europe as car sales throughout the continent dropped 8.6 percent. Nissan sold 4,940,133 units, up 5.8 percent, setting a new calendar year record. Nissan has two markets each exceeding 1 million units: China and the United States.

AVTOVAZ sold 610,891 vehicles, down 5.5 percent from 2011 as a major Russian incentive program came to an end. In December, the Renault-Nissan Alliance created a joint venture to accelerate its market offensive in Russia where the Alliance sells one in three cars nationwide.

“2012 was a challenging year due to the continued decline in Renault’s historic core market of western Europe and due to political tension in China, Nissan’s top market worldwide,” said Renault-Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “Thanks to the American rebound and strong demand in emerging markets, we maintained our market share and are very well positioned in global growth markets.”

The Renault-Nissan Alliance

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a strategic partnership between Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan. The companies have been strategic partners since 1999. In addition to AVTOVAZ, the Alliance operates strategic collaborations with automakers including Germany’s Daimler, China’s Dong Feng, and India’s Ashok Leyland

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