Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has told the Financial Times that he believes the alliance can become the world’s third largest carmaker this year.

The French and Japanese carmakers, along with their Russian partner AvtoVAZ, will sell between them nearly 7m cars this year – a number likely to push them ahead of General Motors and third behind Toyota and Volkswagen and its partner Suzuki.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Ghosn said that Renault’s performance this year would be helped by a resurgence at Avtovaz, which came close to bankruptcy in 2009, but should sell about 600,000 to 700,000 cars in 2010 because of scrapping incentives recently introduced by the Russian government.

He also told the FT that he believes 2010 will be a record year for the car industry on the back of strong demand in emerging markets.

Ghosn said the global industry should produce and sell 70m light vehicles in 2010, with most of the growth coming outside the US, Europe and Japan. In April PricewaterhouseCoopers forecast global light vehicle production this year would reach 65m against 57m in 2009, but still down from a peak of nearly 69m reached in 2007.

JD Power has forecast that global light vehicle production will reach 67.7m.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Ghosn said that Renault is “not anymore a French carmaker” with an increasing proportion of its sales coming from markets outside western Europe, and from products such as its low-cost Logan, which it mostly sells in emerging markets.

The auto industry, he said, will benefit from strong demand from emerging markets this year while consolidation between car makers will accelerate.

“You don’t know who’s going to be jumping into the laps of who and when and for what reason, but that’s going to happen.”