PARIS – Production of the new Renault Twingo, unveiled as a concept at last week's Paris auto show, will be launched next spring at the Revoz d.d. plant in Novo Mesto, Slovenia.
The facility, 100% owned by Renault SA, currently makes the Renault Clio II.
Revoz plans to significantly increase the regional sourcing of parts for the Twingo from Central European countries such as Croatia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, southern Poland and Romania.
“Because we have this unique location for the production of the new Twingo, it has allowed us to better localize parts (sourcing),” says Marcel Brouiller, Revoz’s president of the board of managers and industrial department manager.
About 60% of Twingo content will be sourced regionally; half of which will be manufactured in Slovenia, he says.
“It is twice (more than) what we did on Clio II one year ago,” Brouiller says.
In addition, the auto maker has "moved some parts (sourcing) not only for the new Twingo, but also for the Clio II from France, Spain or Italy to Slovenia, Croatia or other countries in this area,” he says.
In contrast to earlier plans, the auto maker now says it will not phase out Clio II production when the Twingo comes online, and both vehicles will be manufactured side-by-side through the end of 2007.
Brouiller says the Clio II's future after next year is "not decided at this moment.”
Revoz manufactured 177,945 cars last year – its highest-ever annual output. Production this year is expected to reach 150,000 units with a workforce of 3,000 employees.
