Renault Academy opens in Oz

It might not be quite as exciting as the videogame-fuelled Nissan GT Academy, but the opening of Australia's first Renault Academy represents a long-term commitment from French automotive giant Down Under.

Situated at Renault Australia's Mulgrave HQ in Victoria, the Renault Academy will train more than 120 technicians each year in a dedicated, state-of-the-art technical facility designed to improve the quality of specialist servicing for Renault owners.

The new facility, not unlike Toyota's training facility at Port Melbourne, is fitted out with all the best equipment including a slew of lifts, (two 3.3-tonne scissor lifts, a 4.4-tonne scissor lift plus a 4.0-tonne two-post lift) and eight work bays with exhaust extraction system.

There's even a dedicated Renault ZE battery repair room, hinting that Renault Australia is likely to offer hybrid and/or electric vehicles in the near future, and on top of an engine and transmission repair room there's also two class rooms.

The Renault Academy was opened by the senior vice-president of the Asia-Pacific region, Gilles Normand, who talked up Renault's commitment to building sales in Australia.

"We need to ensure we have the technical ability to support our growth, and of course our customers," he said.

"[This is] one of the most advanced technical training resources for Renault in Asia Pacific," Normand added.

Renault sales have boomed in the first half of 2015, with registrations rising almost 30 per cent from 3346 in 2014 to 4287 so far this year, representing a rise of just over 28 per cent.

Things like a five-year warranty and an expanded commercial (van) vehicle range has helped the brand make big strides, and with a ute expected to arrive here in the mid-term to rival the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, the company is clearly ramping up for more expansion.

Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar was pretty chuffed with the new addition, saying: “We’re very proud to open our new facility, which represents the next phase in what is an exciting time for Renault Australia.

"This increases our capacity for training and ensures we will be able to keep up with future demand for specialist skills from our ever-expanding dealer network, which now exceeds 50 outlets.

“Our new facility represents an exciting opportunity for us as it will give us the ability to enhance development of accessories for the local market, and further develop our already successful technical training program.

"As we grow our network we are continually looking for ways to maximise our network’s knowledge and expertise: this is the perfect example of that.”