Union to protest against Renault Latitude at Paris 2010

If you’re one of those lucky enough to be in France for the Paris Motor Show later this year, you might just notice a huge crowd swarming around the Renault stage, focusing on the new (and rather handsome) Samsung SM5-based Renault Latitude.

This huge crowd will not be people who love the car. On the contrary, these people hate the car and what it stands for – the import of a Renault product that’s not built in France into the continent. The Confédération Générale du Travail or CGT (English: General Confederation of Labour, a union) will be bringing in bus-loads of workers to demonstrate against Renault’s plan to import the Renault Latitude, as well as Renault’s perceived shift towards overseas production. I don’t blame them – Western European labour is expensive!

The Latitude is car based on the Renault Laguna, but looks quite different and costs less to make, both because of design and the fact that its built at a more affordable site. The Laguna isn’t doing that well in Europe compared to its Volkswagen and Vauxhall/Opel rivals. Renault’s market share in the mid-size car segment that the Laguna competes in have dropped by about half in the past 7 years – it now stands at 3.4% compared to 7.5% in 2003.

GALLERY: Renault Latitude
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GALLERY: Renault Samsung SM5
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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • toyoltak on Aug 18, 2010 at 11:54 pm

    nice looking korean car…

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  • nabill on Aug 19, 2010 at 12:37 am

    those workers should jus grow up , the world has changed…business beats patriotism anytime …

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  • Automoive_Critics on Aug 19, 2010 at 5:41 am

    Nice car. Proton can collaborate with Samsung anytime to serves better model to Malaysian. Now Proton car is like….

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    • The Black Stig on Aug 19, 2010 at 11:09 am

      If Proton collaborate with Samsung, they will use proton models since Samsung doesn’t have their own.
      Now they just re-badging Nissan and Renault cars.

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    • autojohndoe on Aug 19, 2010 at 1:05 pm

      haha…

      you talking about things you dont know… Samsung is a rebadge company la…

      shame… shame with you baseless statement

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  • The Black Stig on Aug 19, 2010 at 7:08 am

    So typical of the french. The will go on strike in just about everything, protest and request this and that. Even their football team went on strike! in the world’s most prestigious tournament… try and beat that..hahaha!!

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  • sonyman on Aug 19, 2010 at 7:23 am

    will it come with Samsung Galaxy s?

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  • azrai on Aug 19, 2010 at 8:04 am

    Oooo…the mind still not global for some French. I thought only PERKASA doesn’t have global mind.

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  • rkg38 on Aug 19, 2010 at 8:16 am

    no more France taste, the design toward japan/korea style…

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  • Espresso! Quick! on Aug 19, 2010 at 8:35 am

    dumb french!!

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  • mitlanevo on Aug 19, 2010 at 8:36 am

    like that also wanna kakacaucau……

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  • Jaybond on Aug 19, 2010 at 8:48 am

    Even though it is being built in Korea, it’s still based on Renault Laguna’s architecture which means French designed, not Korean designed.

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  • JonLing on Aug 19, 2010 at 8:48 am

    Sometimes I really think that some unions have gone too far in terms of “protecting the rights of their members”. Little little thing, protest, strike…….not to say that all of them have wrong motives or something. It’s just that maybe the union guys really have to look at the bigger picture, and not just fight for higher pay lah, manufacturing rights of some vehicles lah etc. Yes, the company can have all the cars manufactured in a particular factory, and yes they can give you higher pay somemore, but once the company suffered a huge loss because of that, or even forced to be sold to some other big corporations and they would like to lay off thousands of workers to lessen the burden, then how?? Another strike to stop the company being sold and demand the salary to be paid at the same level?? Come on lah, they really think the company is a money-making machine that can “automatically” generate millions and millions of dollars every month ah??

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  • Typical french.
    CGT is very socialist movement.
    “Mesdames, messieurs, saviez vous que le monde a changé?”

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  • namawee on Aug 19, 2010 at 10:14 am

    it’s a handsome looking car. Nowadays a lot of manufacturers of cars, electronic appliances and even musical instruments have moved out to another country because of labour cost. many move to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea and China.

    Well, the company needs to survive and keep their cost down…. i don’t blame them.

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  • Jaybond on Aug 19, 2010 at 4:40 pm

    The current Renault Laguna’s stumbling block is mainly on the exterior. To be successful in European market, the car should score well in all areas – looks, performance , handling & economy.

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