Magna Steyr will produce Chinese cars in Austria
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Magna Steyr will produce Chinese cars in Austria
- The assembler Magna Steyr has an assembly plant in Graz, Austria, with a production capacity of 200,000 vehicles per year, for subcontracting agreements generally signed with premium/luxury brands such as Mercedes, BMW, Fisker, Saab, Chrysler, Aston Martin, and Jaguar. In recent years, the Graz plant has been producing only 100,000 vehicles per year, or even less. In 2024, several contracts were terminated, notably with the discontinuation of sales of the Jaguar I-Pace and E-Pace, as well as FiskerOcean. The factory nevertheless continues to assemble Mercedes G-Class, BMW 5 Series, BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra. But these last two models are on probation because BMW and Toyota have announced their withdrawal in 2026.
- Magna-Steyr therefore approached several other carmakers to continue assembling vehicles at its Graz plant. Two Chinese carmakers responded favorably to this request: Xpeng and GAC. While they currently sell few vehicles in Europe, they have ambitions to increase sales, like most Chinese carmakers. Xpeng sold 10,879 battery electric vehicles in Europe in the first eight months of 2025, representing between 16,000 and 20,000 for the entire year. Assembling them in Austria could allow them to avoid the heavy European Union tariffs on models imported from China (31% for Xpeng) and also open doors to the North American market.
- The Xpeng G6 and G9 have been assembled in Graz since the beginning of September 2025, despite no official announcement from the carmaker. The GAC Aion UT and Aion V will be assembled in Graz within a few weeks, with a production run of a few thousand units per year. These models have not yet been sold in Europe.
Dacia will renew its range of sedans between 2026 and 2029
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Dacia will renew its range of sedans between 2026 and 2029
The Dacia product plan for 2026-2030 has been unveiled.
- After renewing its Duster SUV and launching a larger SUV than the Duster called Bigster, the Romanian brand Dacia, a subsidiary of the Renault group, plans to renew its range between 2026 and 2030.
- 2026 : A facelift of the Sandero sedan and the Jogger estate is scheduled for 2026. On this occasion, the Sandero will be marketed in a full-hybrid version for the first time in its history (either the 1.6 or the 1.8) while the Jogger will adopt the 1.8 hybrid engine of 155 hp already fitted to the Duster and Bigster in replacement of the 1.6 hybrid of 140 hp.
- 2027 : The battery electric Spring (A-segment) will be replaced by a derivative of the future battery electric Renault Twingo. This future Dacia will therefore abandon the low-cost platform inherited from the Indian Kwid in favor of the Twingo's CMF-B-EV platform, along with its motor and battery, which will provide it with greater range and comfort. The anticipated price is less than €18,000, thanks to production taking place in Slovenia rather than China.
- 2028 : The Sandero will be replaced just two years after its facelift. The future Sandero will use the platform of the Renault Clio VI, which will be launched in 2026. It's possible that this model will be offered as a battery electric vehicle for the first time. Finally, the Stepway version will become a standalone model, supporting the Sandero in the B segment.
- 2029 : The range may be completed with a C-segment sedan and station wagon to compete with the Skoda Octavia. This move upmarket would attract a new customer segment currently absent from Dacia.
Inovev forecasts 300,000 units per year of the new Renault Clio VI
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Inovev forecasts 300,000 units per year of the new Renault Clio VI
- Renault unveiled the sixth generation of the Clio (B segment) at the Munich Motor Show. It will go on sale in spring 2026 and may be the last Clio not to use a fully electric powertrain. The new model features a completely new design, although it shares some similarities with its competitor, the Peugeot 208.
- The sixth generation of the Renault Clio is expected to revive sales of the model, which have gradually declined from 600,000 units in 2006 to 400,000 in the 2010s, then to 200,000 in 2022. Sales did, however, rebound to 300,000 units in 2023 but have not increased since. This two-decade drop in Clio sales can be attributed to external competition, but especially to internal competition, such as the Renault Captur SUV (B segment).
- The Clio VI is 7 cm longer (4.12 m), including 1 cm on the wheelbase, even though it uses the CMF-B platform. Its engines are upgraded with more power: a 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol engine producing 115 hp replaces the old 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol engine with 91 hp, and a 1.8-liter four-cylinder full-hybrid engine producing 160 hp replaces the old 1.6-liter four-cylinder full-hybrid engine with 145 hp. The diesel engine, after a brief reappearance on the Clio V, is definitively discontinued.
- The Renault Clio VI, which will be produced exclusively in Turkey (Bursa) at a volume of 300,000 units per year according to Inovev, will have as its main competitors the Peugeot 208, Opel Corsa, Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Polo, Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia, Lancia Ypsilon, Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i20. The Citroën C3, Fiat Grande Panda and Dacia Sandero are positioned in the B-segment also but in a lower price market.
Renault could produce BEVs in Spain
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Renault could produce BEVs in Spain
- Initially, Renault wanted to create an electric car hub in France, but it seems that this hub is increasingly extending beyond French borders. Certainly, Renault currently produces all of its battery electric cars of its own brand in two factories located in northern France, Douai (R5, Megane , Scenic ) and Maubeuge (Kangoo, R4).
- But from 2027, the production of Renault's battery electric cars will also be established outside of France, since the battery electric Twingo will be assembled in Slovenia, at the Novo Mesto site.
- Renault has announced that Spain could begin producing battery electric Renault vehicles starting in 2028. At least three electric SUVs would be produced at the Palencia plant, where the Renault Austral, Espace, and Rafale (with internal combustion or hybrid engines) are currently assembled. The future battery electric models produced at this site would be derived from the three above mentionned models and could thus compete with the battery electric Peugeot 3008 and 5008. Around 2029/2030, the next generation of the battery electric Scénic, whose origins date back to autumn 2023, could also be added, potentially relocating production from Douai to Palencia. The Douai plant could then take over production of the Alpine A390, currently produced in Dieppe.
- It's worth noting that a significant portion of the Palencia plant's production is currently dedicated to manufacturing hybrid vehicles (Austral, Espace, Rafale). Therefore, it appears that battery electric and hybrid vehicles will coexist at the Palencia plant for several years, depending on demand.
Morocco could produce more than one million vehicles per year from 2030 onwards
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Morocco could produce more than one million vehicles per year from 2030 onwards
- Morocco produced 600,000 vehicles in 2024 (410,000 Renault-Dacias and 190,000 Peugeots), excluding battery electric L6/L7 cars (20,000 units last year) such as the Citroën Ami, Fiat Topolino, and Opel Rocks-e. It plans to produce over one million vehicles from 2030 onwards, thanks to the expected doubling of production volume at Stellantis.
- Stellantis says it wants to produce 535,000 vehicles of all types each year from 2030, including 400,000 B-segment cars like the Peugeot 208 (200,000 units per year) and another model based on the Smart Car platform (200,000 units per year), perhaps the future Fiat 500 expected in 2030, and 135,000 small vehicles divided into 70,000 battery electric microcars and 65,000 battery electric Fiat Tris three-wheelers. The factory will also produce hybrid engines (350,000 per year) and charging stations (200,000 per year).
- Given that the Moroccan car market is around 165,000 units per year, it is certain that the Kenitra plant (like the Renault-Dacia plant in Tangier) will have to export most of its production. In 2024, Morocco exported nearly 70% of its production, compared to nearly 60% in 2019 (the first year of operation of the Kenitra plant). This rate is expected to increase with the doubling of production capacity at the Stellantis plant in Kenitra. This high export rate will approach that of Eastern European countries such as Romania, Hungary, Czechia or Slovakia, with even lower labor costs.
- Inovev's forecasts predict a volume of 850,000 light vehicles produced in Morocco in 2030 (excluding the L6/L7), taking into account the evolution of the European market, the main buyer of vehicles produced in the country.
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