François Delion, Renault: “The digitalisation of aftersales service creates value and is a key focus at Renault”

François Delion: Satisfactory globally, but complicated locally! Growth remains high overall, driven by Europe and North Africa, which continues to show strong momentum. However, we have experienced a more mixed situation in other regions: in South America, for example, Argentina has been hit hard by inflation and protectionism, and Brazil is a highly competitive market, particularly in the A and B vehicle segments where we are well established. Then there is Asia, where the group is going through a period of transition with renewed product plans that are bearing fruit in terms of new vehicle sales, which we are working to convert into aftersales momentum for the years to come. These challenges and the positive overall momentum only reinforce our strategy based on strengthening the customer experience, service and alternative offers to address the potential for extended growth in the aftermarket!

F. D.: For new vehicles, we are performing close to optimal. For used vehicles, we are making progress on extended warranty offers and are approaching our target of 1 in 5 vehicles covered by a maintenance contract. In the workshop, we are making a real breakthrough, but the pace is slower than expected because we have to convince each customer to sign up to this new innovative financial mechanism. Nevertheless, we have 80,000 in France, for example. But they are in the launch phase in Germany, Italy and the UK. Next will be Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. These contracts will inevitably spread throughout Europe.
We have the right solutions for every type of customer with Alpine, Renault and Dacia, from the most premium and technological products to the most economical. And we have developed our aftersales service in line with this for each proposal, anticipating changing customer expectations over time.

F. D.: Indeed, the momentum has kicked off operationally, but we are continuing to implement new initiatives on an ongoing basis. It is also a subject that has become internationalised as markets mature. We are involving 60% of our customers worldwide in connected maintenance programmes, with some regions at 100%! Our Renault technicians are trained to diagnose remotely and then take delivery of the vehicle. The common thread in this ultra-connectivity is the ad hoc training of technicians. Because no matter what happens, highly qualified profiles are in high demand, wherever they are in the world.

F. D.: We have indeed! We have 2,800 service points and should exceed 3,000 in the first half of 2026 (including 1,500 in France). For the third consecutive year, we have seen double-digit growth in terms of turnover and the number of signs installed. There is no point in rushing recruitment in the network; the only objective remains quality over quantity, and customer surveys confirm the fact. Our workshop churn rate is declining, indicating that we have created a secure environment for members: high-quality technical support, the best possible parts cataloguing system and outstanding brand communication, judging by the positive feedback from our latest advertising campaign. By region, Motrio has become a strong brand in North Africa and is growing rapidly in South America, bearing in mind that we started from a very low base. In Germany, on the other hand, Motrio will remain an alternative offering for our manufacturer networks.

F. D.: Our approach on this point has long been focused on digitalisation, as exemplified by the Digital Care Service launched three years ago in France, Spain, Italy and Germany. We expect to have 1 million customers who have followed this phygital journey by 2025 (including online appointment booking, operation tracking, online payment and even 24/7 key drop-off and vehicle return using a unique QR code). Over the course of a year, between 2024 and 2025, 1,700 garages had already carried out tens of thousands of remote diagnostics, and 120,000 customers were alerted to a fault detected in their vehicle, requiring a visit to the workshop. Another example of an innovative tool is the deployment of the Ixell Paint Assistant* robot, which frees up the paint booth worker and increases the productivity of the dealer's workshop in pursuit of profitability. Of course, to ensure retention, this change in repairs must be coordinated with the ageing of our fleet. But it has become standard practice!
Finally, we reaffirm our ability to open up to external collaborations in order to conquer other markets. This is a measured approach that will be discussed at the most opportune moment, but one that will create value for the aftermarket.

*Renault Group won an innovation award for the aftermarket at Equip Auto 2025