The Chinese car aspires to gain ground in Europe consolidating in the low range. Renault’s response: a diesel engine

Chinese cars have arrived in Europe with the clear intention of putting a good bite in the electric car market. At this time, Byd is Looking for a third floor To build its future models, the SAIC group has a A good asset with mg and independent companies such as Xpeng either Child They also try to make a hole.

But, really, if a market has managed to penetrate the Chinese car is in the cheap car. In Spain we have good examples. Although Byd’s performance has not been bad, the real impulse to its sales has come with A plug -in hybrid that clearly competes in price. While, Omoda enrolled thousands of cars In a few months thanks to a Omoda 5 that he liked for its aesthetics and a competitive price. Mg already knows what it is to do with the First position in sales in our country.

It has logic that the real entrance door For these companies it is to compete for price. In Europe, most manufacturers They have turned their backs to the cheapest vehicles and even Dacia has justified claiming that the obligations of The European Union requires them to raise the price of their cars and prevents them from being equally competitive as before.

To this we must add that Chinese vehicles with combustion engines They are not affected by tariffsas it happens with the electric ones, which allows them (even more) to play to improve the price of European companies to gain market share, make a customer base and, later, to climb little by little.

And to stand up, Renault has opted for a different strategy: to offer a type of clear setback but that allows to compete in price and that, in addition, it has less and less rivals in the market.

Yes, in some markets a Renault Mégane has put on sale with diesel engine.

A diesel engine as an alternative

Among the European companies that have pressed the most in recent months to alive combustion engines, Renault has taken the singing voice.

In fact, the company has taken forward Horsea joint company with the Chinese giant Geely to continue developing engines moved by fossil fuels. Those of the rhombus, in addition to betting on the electric with force, have also made it clear that they trust in the future where hybrid and electric living together In harmony with pure combustion engines, the case may be.

With this in mind, they have launched the Electric Renault 5 And soon we will see on the streets the new Electric Renault 4. In recent times, the range has been renewed in depth with the Renault southern and the Rafale or an update that has left us to Scenic As a completely electric car.

This renewal has had its consequences. Classic models like Mégane have said goodbye because, again, They only have an electric version. Sure? Where Renault needs to offer cars with more tight prices continues to maintain the Mégane Gran Coupéan option of three volumes of the compact classic.

And, in addition, he does it with a diesel motorization of which We had to say goodbye in Spain. In countries such as Poland or Czech Republic, where electricity are testimonial and diesel continues to represent an important part of sales, the French are clear that this mechanic is still essential.

In fact, it has been in Poland where the company has rescued this car to put it on the street with the format already mentioned next to a 1.5 dci engine of 115 hp, they explain in Auto Swiat. In that market, the diesel offer is being reduced and it is a good occasion to fight with a car that has already been made the investment, it is cheap to put it in the market and, in addition, it has a technology that Chinese manufacturers do not have.

Collect in Acea That in Poland although diesel sales have been reduced, in January of this year they continue to represent 8.3% market share but electric and plug -in hybrids barely reach 6%. In the Czech Republic it makes even more sense because the diesel market share is a spectacular 19.4%. And vehicles without electrification of any kind total 67.8% of total sales.

However, we must bear in mind that EU emission regulations They continue and although They have been delayed from 2025 to 2027this last year remains red in the calendar because the average emissions that show sales in these three next exercises must be below 93.6 gr/km of CO2.

This means that with a car like this, whose engine is 118 gr/km of CO2, they would need to sell 1.5 electric to compensate. Or an electric and a plug -in hybrid. One more reason to understand why Renault only bets on this type of mechanics where it needs to put its cheapest cars on the market and where electrification advances at a very slow pace.

Photo | Renault

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