Renault is today (1st March2010) inaugurating the second phase of the Avtoframos plant in Moscow, in the presence of Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

• Renault's Moscow plant was inaugurated in April 2005 with initial capacity of 60,000 vehicles per year and a 230 million euro investment. Capacity is now being boosted to 160,000 with an additional investment of 150 million euros. • Sandero is the second Renault vehicle, after Logan, to be produced in Russia at the Avtoframos plant. The new, stylish 5-seater hatchback makes its debut on the Russian market on March 1, 2010.

• Renault was the fifth-ranked brand in Russia in 2009 and had a 5 percent market share. This is largely due to the success of Logan, the highest selling foreign branded vehicle accounting for 53,869 of the 72,284 units sold. Renault now intends to make further inroads into the Russian market with Sandero.

Russia is a strategic market for Renault
By increasing annual production capacity at the Avtoframos plant to 160,000 units, Renault is stepping up its commitment to Russia and confirming the importance of the country's market. Despite plummeting 49 percent in 2009 as a result of the crisis, the Russian market still has huge growth potential. Car ownership is currently 230 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, compared with 600 per 1,000 in Western Europe.

Logan has sold well in Russia since its launch in 2005, even in the midst of the crisis. This demonstrates the importance of offering locally produced vehicles tailored to customers' needs. In 2009 Logan was the top-selling foreign vehicle in Russia, enabling Renault to grow market share by 1.3 percentage points to 5 percent.