Renault, having successfully - one might even say dramatically - turned itself and the wider Renault Group around following a €7 billion loss posted in the wake of the Covid pandemic. The plan that produced that turnaround was known as the Renault-lution (see what they did there?), and now that Renault is back in profit, and even capable of making profitable electric cars in Europe, it's time for the new plan.
Is this the new Renault-lution?
Yes, but it's not called that. So far, all we really know about the plan is that it will be called FutuREady (the RE in capitals being the Renault reference) and that the full plan will be unveiled on 10 March 2026. Before that, there will be some earlier announcements, including the name of Renault's next big concept car, which will be announced on 4 March, and the name of Dacia's new crossover model, which will be announced on 5 March.
What do we know about the new FutuREady plan?
Not much yet. Renault has said that the plan will: "open a new chapter in its history with futuREady, its strategic plan, designed to respond to the profound upheavals in the automotive industry and prepare the Group for a context that is more uncertain than ever” and that the idea is "to move from a success story to a success system, designed to last.”
What does this mean in the way of new models?
It'll mean lots of new Renault models - as well as new Alpines and Dacias. Renault's CEO, Francois Provost, had the unlovely job of succeeding the much-admired Luca De Meo, a hugely charismatic 'car guy' CEO. But while Provost is less of a bombastic character than De Meo, he's keen that Renault capitalises on its recent critical and financial successes with lots of new cars that live up to the likes of the new Renault 5, Renault 4, and Scenic.
So the new all-electric Twingo arrives later this year, and that will be followed by the all-new Clio hatchback. Hybrids will be high on the agenda too - Renault doesn't want to slacken off its successful electric car push, but it recognises that not everyone's EV-ready yet. Because of that, it's going to work with Horse - the engine-making company that Renault co-owns with Chinese giant Geely - to make more hybrids, especially range-extender hybrids, which are essentially electric cars with backup petrol power.
What else is coming?
There's a new Espace coming pretty soon, which should be based heavily on the gorgeous Embleme concept - a car that blurred the boundaries between MPV, SUV, and estate, although the production version is unlikely to get the concept's complex hydrogen range-extender setup. Then there's the matter of a new Megane - the current all-electric Megane was highly praised when it was launched, but its star has faded a bit now. Expect a new model with dramatic styling, and this time around, the choice of either electric or hybrid power.
What about the other brands?
There'll be big Dacia news this year. Quite apart from the new crossover mentioned above, there's the matter of Dacia's first mid-size hatchback and estate, an all-new model that's set to rival the big-selling Skoda Octavia. We might also start to get some hints as to the production reality of the tiny Hipster city car, as well as Dacia's version of the Renault Twingo.
Alpine will keep pushing ahead with its all-electric 'Dream Garage' lineup, too. With the SUV fastback A390 EV just launched, the next two models will be proper sports cars - an all-electric replacement for the gorgeous A110 coupe (this time with a convertible model too), as well as the new A310, a bigger 2+2 electric sports coupe which will be a battery-powered Porsche 911 rival, but with French style. Can't wait for that.