Renault may be serious about introducing its Alpine brand in the U.S.
A new report indicates the French automaker is in talks with AutoNation over a deal centered on the Alpine performance brand, which offers a single car at present, the A110 sports car.
Citing comments made by Renault CEO Luca de Meo, Bloomberg reported on Thursday that the automaker could team up with AutoNation to sell Alpine cars in the U.S.
Bloomberg also reported that a partnership between Alpine and AutoNation could go beyond the simple placement of cars in dealerships, and that Alpine is also looking at options beyond the AutoNation deal.
The report comes just weeks after de Meo said the U.S. market was key for Alpine boosting its sales and that a pair of electric SUVs was being developed with the U.S. in mind. The electric SUVs, which will target Porsche's Macan and Cayenne, are due in 2027 and 2028.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said an outside partner could be tapped for platforms for the new SUVs, and that Geely would be a natural fit, since Renault and Geely already have joint projects.
According to Bloomberg, a deal on equity holdings worked out between Renault and alliance partner Nissan in January makes it easier for Renault to work more closely with new partners.
Before the arrival of the two SUVs, Alpine will launch a compact crossover and a hot hatch. They are slated to arrive by the middle of the decade, followed in 2026 or 2027 by a redesigned A110. All future models from Alpine will have electric power only.
