Renault said first-quarter sales fell 2.7% to 10.256 billion euros ($13.948 billion) from a restated 10.541 billion euros ($14.336 billion) a year earlier, as a decline in European sales led to a 3.8% fall in the group's worldwide car sales.
Cheuvreux analysts had been expecting total first-quarter sales of 10.293 billion euros while Exane BNP Paribas had forecast 10.600 billion euros.
Renault said that European car sales fell 8.5%, citing the impact of its product cycle, with low-cost unit Dacia raising sales of its Logan models by 26.9%.
Outside Europe, car sales rose 9.1%.