French automaker Renault Group is expanding its production footprint in Türkiye, as it announced on Thursday its new SUV model Boreal will be manufactured at the plant in northwestern Bursa province.
The new vehicle will be the second SUV produced at the facility after the low-cost Duster and is scheduled to enter production in 2026. The plant is a joint venture between Renault and Oyak, Türkiye’s military pension fund.
The C-segment SUV is part of a 400-million-euro ($467.1 million) investment announced in December 2023, aimed at transforming Türkiye into an export hub for Europe and other countries as part of the Renault International Game Plan 2024-2027 to strengthen the company's international presence.
The Bursa site will build Boreal for 54 other markets, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Mediterranean countries, the group said. The Curitiba site in Brazil will produce the vehicle for 17 Latin American countries.
In Türkiye, the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin, the model "strengthens an already dynamic lineup in regions where more than one in every two vehicles sold is an SUV," the statement read.
"With its latest-generation combustion engine, dual-clutch EDC transmission, 24 driving assistance systems and an optimal connected experience, Boreal stands out as a conquest vehicle, built to last," it added.
Oyak General Manager Süleyman Savaş Erdem said elevating Türkiye's role in the global automotive market was among their key goals.
"With this approach, the 400 million euro investment we announced at the end of 2023 under the 'Renault International Game Plan 2027' was our first step toward the vision of making Oyak Renault Automobile Factories one of the major automotive production centers in the world, with four new models to be manufactured in Türkiye," Erdem said.
The first phase of this investment, the Renault Duster, is among the country's key models with a localization rate exceeding 40%, he noted.
"Now, under this investment plan, the Renault Boreal, which will be produced in Türkiye and exported to more than 50 countries worldwide, is expected to make a significant contribution to both the automotive industry and the Turkish economy."
Relying on five strategic hubs – in Latin America, North Africa, Türkiye, India and South Korea – Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive said the group was investing 3 billion euros ($3.51 billion) to launch eight new vehicles outside Europe.
Five of these are positioned in the segments the company says are generating the most value: C and D. Between now and 2027, Renault is aiming to double unit revenue per vehicle sold outside Europe compared with 2019.
Its sales outside Europe grew by 16.4% in the first half of 2025, driven by Kardian and Koleos models.
Established in 1971, the Oyak Renault plant in Bursa is one of the group's largest production centres, with an annual capacity of 390,000 cars. It is currently also manufacturing Clio 5 and Clio 5 full hybrid E-Tech.
Renault Group Türkiye CEO Lionel Jaillet said Boreal stands out as a highly innovative and advanced model that perfectly meets the expectations of Turkish customers with its spacious and airy interior, bold exterior design, E-Tech hybrid engine option, OpenR Link infotainment system and Google integration.
"And there's more to come, because by 2027, a total of four new models will be produced at the Oyak Renault factory in Bursa. Preparations are still underway for the remaining two models. Türkiye is positioned as one of Renault's five major global hubs and forms a cornerstone of this strategic vision," Jaillet said.
