Kwid E-Tech leaves Brazil just seven months after receiving restyling; French automaker focuses on restructuring after posting low sales
Renault has decided to withdraw the Kwid E-Tech from the line in Brazil just seven months after the last visual and equipment update of the model. The electric hatch is no longer included in the French manufacturer’s official configurator in the country, ending its commercial trajectory in a scenario of timid sales and strategic restructuring of the brand in the face of Asian competition.
The discontinuation of the vehicle coincides with the expansion of the Chinese Geely in the domestic market. The foreign manufacturer acquired a 26.4% stake in Renault do Brasil’s operation, a move that redefined local portfolio priorities. The commercial space previously occupied by the Kwid E-Tech will be filled by the Geely EX2, which has been growing in sales and surpassing the BYD Dolphin.
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The registration data for the first four months indicated the unfeasibility of maintaining the hatch. Between January and April, the Kwid E-Tech registered only 215 units sold in the Brazilian territory. The commercial performance contrasts with the dominance of competing brands in the entry-level segment: in the same period, the leader BYD Dolphin Mini accumulated 21,647 registrations, while the newcomer Geely EX2 achieved 6,076 units sold.
With the end of the offer of the Renault model, the table of the most affordable battery vehicles in Brazil underwent an immediate change. The Kwid E-Tech occupied the top of the list, priced at R$ 99.990. From now on, the BYD Dolphin Mini takes over as the cheapest electric car in the country, with a starting price of R$ 119.990, followed by the Geely EX2, sold from R$ 123.800. Renault’s Brazilian operation should concentrate efforts on the production of SUVs and hybrid engines.
