Renault Bets on Resale Value Instead of a Price War With Chinese Rivals
renaultgroup.com
Renault is skipping the discount race with Chinese rivals in Europe, leaning on high residual values and steady pricing to keep sales growing.
Renault has no intention of getting drawn into a full-blown price war with Chinese automakers in Europe. Ivan Segal, the brand's global sales director, says the company would rather keep retail prices stable and protect residual values than hand out discounts that later drag down the resale value of customers' own cars.
So far, the strategy hasn't slowed things down. In the first half of 2026, Renault sold around 829,500 vehicles worldwide — up 2.6% year-on-year. That's the brand's seventh straight half-year of growth. Electrified models accounted for two-thirds of the total, with EV sales climbing fastest in Germany, the UK and the Nordic countries.
Instead of cutting sticker prices, Renault is leaning on attractive monthly payments and resale value down the line. The brand's residual values are estimated at 53.4% — roughly five percentage points above the competitive average. Renault is also pulling back on fleet sales to rental companies and holding onto dealer demo cars longer, so the used-car market doesn't get flooded with near-new stock.
Affordability of EVs remains a separate challenge. According to 32CARS.RU, Renault wants to bring EV prices in line with hybrids by 2030, while keeping the compact R5, R4 and Twingo profitable.
In short, Renault is trying to bring down the cost of ownership without dumping new cars on the market. The risk is that buyers mostly notice the price on the configurator screen, while the payoff from a strong resale value only becomes obvious years later.
