Details surrounding the trademark application are hazy. Auto Evolution reports it was filed in a German office last fall and that the name is not registered as being tied to an automobile, meaning Renault is not planning on introducing a car – or a trim level – dubbed Tennessee.
Renault could be preparing to build at least one car in sister company Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee, factory, though it is too early to tell which model(s) are being considered. Executives have hinted that the upcoming Alpine sports car stands a good chance of being sold in the United States but it will only be built in the historic Dieppe, France, factory. Besides, it’s unlikely that Renault-Nissan would invest in Smyrna for such a low volume model.
The company has not commented on the trademark application. If it really does signal a return to the U.S., the first Renault-badged cars are not expected to arrive here until the end of the decade at the very earliest.
A Renault in disguise
In a way, Renault will return to the United States next fall when smart launches the 2016 fortwo. The fortwo rides on the same platform as the third-generation Renault Twingo (pictured), it is powered by a Renault-sourced turbocharged three-cylinder engine and the two pint-sized econoboxes share a number of bits and pieces on the inside.
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