French car maker Renault Group has reiterated its full-year financial outlook for 2026 following a 1.5% year-on-year rise in third quarter revenue to €11.60bn ($12.90bn).
The company reaffirmed its expectations for an operating margin of approximately 5.5% of group revenue and automotive free cash flow of around €1bn.
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A slight improvement in operating margin is anticipated in the second half of the year relative to the first six months, though elevated raw material expenses and inflation are expected to make the standard seasonal increase less pronounced.
During the third quarter, automotive revenue reached €9.83bn, matching the figure from the prior year and representing a 0.2% decline at constant exchange rates.
Total vehicle deliveries fell 6% year-on-year to 497,799 units.
Within this total, sales of the Renault brand declined 2.9%, and Dacia sales contracted 12.8%, whereas Alpine recorded a 58.4% increase.
Retail sales across Europe rose by 5%.
Electric vehicle (EV) deliveries increased 84.7% year-on-year during the quarter, raising the group’s EV proportion by 12.2 percentage points to 25.8%.
When incorporating hybrid and plug-in hybrid passenger cars, electrified models accounted for 54.9% of total group passenger car volumes.
Across the first nine months of 2026, Renault generated €41.85bn in revenue, up 7.1% compared with the corresponding period in 2025, or 7.6% at constant exchange rates.
Automotive turnover increased 6.6% to €36.6bn.
Group vehicle sales dropped 2.2% year-on-year over the nine-month period to 1,662,222 units.
Renault brand sales rose 1.1% to 1,178,946 vehicles, supported by a 3.1% volume increase in Europe that placed the brand second in that market year-on-year.
Dacia sold 471,007 vehicles, representing a 9.7% drop, while Alpine delivered 12,269 units, a 65.6% rise.
EV sales expanded 59.4% during the nine months, making up 20.9% of passenger car sales.
Product introductions scheduled for the second half of the year feature the new Megane E-Tech electric, Trafic Van E-Tech electric, and Duster E-Tech hybrid for the Renault brand, alongside the Sandero Hybrid, new Spring, and Striker for Dacia.
Renault Group CFO Duncan Minto said: “Renault Group delivered resilient Q3 revenue, once again demonstrating the strength and agility of our operating model. Our competitive advantages are built on three complementary brands, a highly utilised and flexible industrial footprint, a strong dealer and aftersales network and our leading financial captive, Mobilize Financial Services.”
