The launch of production of this new model in the Somaca factory is a key step in the Renault brand’s international strategy, called “Renault International Game plan 2027” and announced in 2023, and of which Morocco is one of the pillars. Today, the Kingdom is Renault Group’s second largest production country globally, where 17% of its overall sales are assembled.
«This new project reinforces Morocco’s role as a major industrial platform for the Group and an essential export base. It illustrates the performance and competitiveness of the Moroccan industrial platform, which plays an important role in the international expansion of the brand.», Underlines the French manufacturer in a press release.
The Kardian is the first of eight models revealed during the announcement of the Renault brand’s “International game plan 2027”, in Rio de Janeiro in October 2023, and whose manufacturing began at the Curitiba plant (Brazil). ) and now at Somaca.
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The Renault Kardian is a compact and urban SUV in the B segment. We find Renault DNA at the heart of its design, both in its style and in its equipment. It inaugurates Renault Group’s new modular and ultra-versatile platform, which will make it possible to develop a wide variety of models for numerous markets outside Europe.
The launch of Renault Kardian manufacturing at Somaca is accompanied by a technological upgrade, particularly in the paint department with the integration of the “Bi-Ton” industrial process, a first for the group’s factories in Morocco. This new process consists of applying two distinct colors to the vehicle to differentiate the body from the roof and which requires a great degree of precision and specific equipment to guarantee the quality and adhesion of each layer of paint.
Export to 15 countries
The industrialization of the Renault Kardian in Somaca was carried out entirely by local skills, involving engineering and industry teams who benefited from 6,000 hours of training, particularly on new painting processes, sheet metal and of assembly.
Designed for international markets, this “made in Morocco” model will be intended for the local market and for export to around fifteen countries, particularly the Gulf countries, African countries, as well as Ukraine and Guadeloupe. In Morocco, this urban SUV will be marketed from December 2024 throughout the brand’s network.
