Segmentation is turning out to be very much the in-thing these days - if you want to move up or down in terms of portfolio, bringin about a new sub-brand is the surest and quickest way to go, it seems.

French automaker Renault is the latest to look at the option. According to French publication Les Echos, the company is mulling the introduction of a high-end brand, Initial Paris, to help expand its market offerings.

The newspaper, which cited Renault's COO Carlos Tavares in its report, said that the automaker is looking to make a decision on the expansion - as well as a possible move to resurrect its Alpine sports range - by the end of the year. Ah well, the more, the merrier.