Renault Will Present New Brand in the Premium Segment

Every car brand has its own image in the eyes of its users. Perception that has been established for years are generally difficult to change because it is so entrenched. That is why car manufacturers make a new brand when it decided to enter into a new segment of the higher class.

The move was also taken by Toyota to create Lexus name when it intends to expand into the premium car segment in order to compete with Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The same thing was done also with the launch of Nissan's Infiniti brand and Honda with Acura brand. In fact, Mercedes-Benz Maybach name was released again when the German manufacturer wanted to create models that compete with Rolls-Royce.

Renault Alpine A110-50 concept car. (Picture from: http://mosnarcommunications.com/)

The strategy makes a memorable new brand like Lexus or Infiniti premium it generates a new image for the Japanese manufacturer who is better known as automakers to lower-middle segment. Variants of the car by the name Lexus or Infiniti now has the connotation of a premium class car high class.

The impact sales of Lexus or Infiniti able to go high in the global automotive market, so the brand is also expanding into the Indonesian market since several years ago. Now, a similar strategy to create a new brand is also carried out the nuances of premium French car manufacturer, Renault. Understandably, Renault in Europe and the U.S. is more popular with middle-class product variants ranging from freight cars to sedans.

The Renault Initiale Paris concept car. (Picture from: http://www.autoblog.com/)

Renault had a character in spite of luxury products such as Talisman sedan, but the car's image as perceived by senior middle-class French car manufacturer's difficult to change. Renault finally decided to develop its own premium brand. The unique name chosen was not much different from Nissan's premium car brand, which is Initiale Paris. Nissan is an alliance of Renault so that both manufacturers often share the products, such as Nissan Juke was the inspiration for the birth of similar products Renault Modus.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) Renault and Nissan, Carlos Tavares said that Renault has been in research and development to get to the new brand for the premium car category. The new brand Initiale Paris was selected because it fits with the Renault's image as cars made in France, as well as for global automotive customers more quickly recognize because of the word Paris on the brand. Earlier in May Tavares also announced that Renault plans to revive the Alpine brand, releasing a teaser video for the Alpine A110-50 concept.

"The possibility of a car with Renault to develop a kind of cross-country designs adopted from the Citroen DS. Design will be made as luxurious as possible equivalent to the cars other premium brands," said Carlos Tavares.

Tavares latest Renault optimistic strategy could succeed as well as success with Nissan Infiniti brand. Renault has so far not yet set a target time of production of its new brand, but is expected in the next five years can be introduced widely.

The reason, the development of a new brand takes time. As an example of Nissan which took 25 years to develop the Infiniti to be great as now. *** [OVI | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 27072012]

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