The Renault factory in Douai, in the Nord department, will say goodbye to the Renault Scénic in 2028. Contrary to the diamond-shaped manufacturer's strategy, which focuses on its "Electricity" production site to consolidate the production of numerous electric models, the family SUV will be heading to Spain and the Palencia factory, north of Valladolid. The relocation of its production will take place at the time of the model's generation renewal.
This is in any case what the Spanish media LaTribuna de Automocion announces, which announces that the future Scénic will join the production site of the Renault Espace, but also of the Austral and the Rafale. The next generation of the family SUV, awarded "Car of the Year in 2024," will be based on an all-new C-EV platform, which could explain Renault's need to simplify the assembly of all its C- and D-segment models. Since its birth in 1996, the Renault Scénic has always been produced in Douai.
Obviously, the simplification of SUV production at Renault could not rule out the brand's need to move production to places where wages are lower. To camouflage the change, Douai should welcome the new Alpine A390, a sort of faux-electric SUV from the brand that already assembles its new A290, based on the R5, in Douai. The plant will also house the new electric Nissan Micra, also based on the R5, and Mitsubishi could join the party with a new Colt based on the R5 by 2027.
Spanish subsidies for electric vehicles
The Spanish media announced, however, that the Scénic would not be the only one to benefit from the new C-EV platform in 2028. Three compact SUVs are in the pipeline, namely a new Renault Austral and a 100% electric equivalent to the Espace or Rafale. The three SUVs will join the range based on the second-generation AmpR Medium platform, which will also include the next-generation Mégane E-Tech. It's important to note that the development of this new platform was led by Nissan, not Renault.
For its three new 2028 C-EVs, Renault is expected to benefit from subsidies from the Spanish government, which is pursuing a policy aimed at encouraging the electrification of its production sites within the country. This is another reason that could explain Renault's decision to relocate the electric Scénic assembled in France. In addition to lower production costs, Renault plans to change the design of its future C-EVs based on the Emblème concept presented at the Paris Motor Show, with more curved shapes. The models are expected to be based on an 800-volt architecture and be equipped with new NMC batteries.
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