In keeping with our European-EV-fail theme for the day, we’ll regale you with a remarkable story coming out of Spain. As new car sales plummet to 19 year lows and unemployment crests 25%, Renault in Spain is offering buyers of its Laguna or Espace passenger vehicles a free Twizy electric vehicle. While Renault in the UK has decided instead to drop both the Laguna and Espace (and others models like the Wind, Kangoo and Modus) from its product portfolio, Renault in Spain is clearly taking a far more pragmatic (or is that desperate) approach.
The offer can essentially be seen as a ‘two birds with one stone’ approach, with Renault’s notoriously slow moving, large passenger cars, now being joined by the small, two-seat electric quadricycle, as the most guilty for being double parked on Renaults showroom floor.
The Renault Twizy is built in Spain (pictured here as its 2009 concept) and has seating for two, with the passenger positioned directly behind the driver. It is touted to have a maximum driving range of 100 km when driven at moderate speeds. The offer equates to roughly a R72 000 discount off the total deal, with the Renault Twizy acting effectively as a one-third-off saving on the price of a new Laguna.
Although we admit both cars in this deal are not desirable in the slightest, and Renault are clearly taking drastic measures, but surely for the saving you’d take the plunge and consider this deal anyway, right? Or does this type of desperado two-for-one selling simply devalue both the products in question? We’re inclined to think the latter. Feel free to let us know your comments below.
