Renault delivered a strong start to 2026 in the UK, selling 35,892 cars and vans in Q1 to secure a 5.1% market share as Alpine volumes surged 16-fold year on year.
Sales surge led by Alpine
After a record triple-digit growth in 2025, Renault said the Alpine brand continued to grow worldwide recording a +54.7% increase in sales (3,246 vehicles) in the first quarter.
The Alpine A290 led the brand’s line-up, with 2,452 registrations worldwide, up 63.9%, and played a central role in driving overall growth.
Renault reports that the A390 GT C-segment hatchback, already on sale in key markets, is now being rolled out more widely across Europe.
Alpine has also stepped up its international expansion, adding 44 new sales points to reach a total of 210 Alpine Store and Atelier Alpine locations across 25 countries.
Further openings are planned this year, with a target of more than 300 sales points by year end. Following launches in Barcelona in 2024 and Paris in 2025, new Atelier Alpine dealerships are set to open in Milan and London this year.
EV demand gains momentum
Across the wider Renault brand, Q1 sales rose 2.2% globally, with European volumes up 3.8%, reflecting steady growth in core markets including the UK which currently stands as its fifth largest.
Electrified models accounted for more than 65% of Renault’s passenger car sales in Europe while battery electric vehicle sales rose by more than 40% in Q1 2026, driven by the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, which ranks as the number one B-segment EV in most European markets.
Growth was also supported by the ramp up of the Renault 4 E-Tech electric and solid demand for the Scenic E-Tech electric.
Full hybrid E-Tech powertrains also maintained strong momentum across Renault’s core models, accounting for more than 40% of car sold, which Renault expects to continue with the recent launch of the Twingo E-Tech electric and the new Clio full hybrid E-Tech. Light commercial vehicles have also contributed, with LCV sales up 15.1% in Europe.
Reporting Q1 revenue of €12.5bn, up 7.3%, Duncan Minto, chief financial officer of Renault Group, said: “In the first quarter of 2026, despite a challenging start of the year in registrations due to one-off factors at Dacia, we are benefiting from a robust product momentum across all our brands, for both passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.
“We are taking full advantage of our dual powertrain offer, with EV on one side and HEV on the other, both of which are delivering strong performances. This positive momentum is underpinned by a double-digit order intake since the start of the year. We reaffirm our 2026 FY guidance, with H2 operating margin higher than H1, as per usual seasonal patterns.”
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