Renault said first-quarter sales rose 7.3% from the same period a year earlier, reaching 12.53 billion euros, a result that substantially exceeded the company-provided consensus expectation of a 0.1% increase to 11.69 billion euros.
The jump in revenue was driven in large part by a sharp rise in sales to external partners. Renault cited increased production for Nissan and the distribution of vehicles for China’s Geely in Brazil as material contributors. Sales to partners accounted for 5.9 percentage points of the quarter-on-quarter growth, helping the group's core automotive business revenue to climb 6.5% to 10.8 billion euros.
Renault also noted that the new Clio 6 is being sold at a higher average price than the outgoing generation, which contributed positively to revenue per unit. Despite the higher top-line, overall sales volumes for the group declined in the period.
Renault attributed the drop in volumes to a disruption in maritime logistics early in the year. Severe weather forced the temporary closure of the Strait of Gibraltar to shipping at the beginning of the year, which hampered the flow of parts to the company’s Morocco plant and delayed shipments of finished vehicles from that site. The group reported a 16.3% fall in sales for its Dacia brand over the period, while sales of the Renault-branded vehicles rose 2.2%.
The automaker said it will implement additional measures to limit the impact of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on its raw materials, energy and logistics costs, but it did not provide specific details on those measures.
Renault confirmed its targets for 2026. The group reiterated an operating margin target of around 5.5%, down from 6.3% reported in 2025, and an automotive free cash flow target of about 1 billion euros, compared with 1.47 billion euros in the prior year. The company reported its results using an exchange rate of $1 = 0.8548 euros.
Contextual note: The company-provided consensus figures and the breakdown of contributions to growth were cited by Renault in its first-quarter update. Where Renault indicated forthcoming measures to mitigate commodity, energy and logistics pressure, it did not disclose the specifics of those actions.