First revealed as a concept car at the 2004 Louis Vuitton Car Elegance Classic in England, the Renault Fluence Concept is finally going to become reality. That’s a long time, right? Renault has announced that it will add the Renault Fluence to its range in autumn 2009. Sellings will start in Turkey, Russia and Romania from this November. Positioned to replace the current Megane sedan, the Renault Fluence gets many features making it standing out as the most attractive car of its class, both in terms of sporting exterior styling and performance. The Renault Fluence will be available with a wide range of thrifty engines. Initially, there are two petrols and five diesel variants. The top of the line in the petrol segment will be a 2.0-litre variant capable of producing 140hp, coupled with a manual or a CVT transmission. The other one is a 1.6-litre 16V engine with 81kW (110hp). It is mated to either a manual or an automatic transmission.
As for the diesel variants, the top version will be a 110hp model with a dual clutch transmission. The lowest of them has 63kW (85hp) under its belt, followed by a 66kW (90hp) with a diesel particle filter, then a 77kW (105hp) and a 81kW (110hp) with a DPF. All of them are based on the 1.5dCi engine and rated at 119g/km in terms of C02 emissions.
The Fluence has more passenger space than its nearest rivals, a 4.62 metres long, 1.81m wide and 1.48m high. It has a wheelbase of 2.7m. The rear seat has a 60/40 split capability while the interior provides some 23 litres of stowage space.
Safety is taken seriously. The Fluence features a comfortable cabin and a barrage of useful technological aids. ABS, six airbags, electronic stability control and emergency brake assist among others are included.
After debuted in March at the Geneva Motor Show, Renault released more details on the new Megane Estate wagon. The car will go on sale in Europe by the end of June, with a wide range of standard and optional equipment. In terms of engines, the Estate comes with a full range of engine choices, fourteen, including both petrol and diesel powerplants, meant to give customers a choice between power and efficency. The petrol engine line-up comprises five powertrains, including the new TCe 130 engine which is available from launch. Economy is the focus of this 1.4L unit, and Renault claims that it "boasts the torque of a 2L engine and the power of a 1.8, yet its CO2 emissions are less than those of a 1.6."
The Megane Estate can also be ordered with 100hp (75kW) and 110hp (82kW) 1.6L petrol engines that drive through manual gearboxes, while a 2.0L petrol engine mated to an automatic transmission is also available.
The diesels are available in a number of different guises - the 1.5 litre dCi engine comes in a choice of three power outputs, with or without a particulate filter (dCi 86, dCi 106 and dCi 110 FAP). All the diesel engines feature relatively low levels of carbon emissions (just 118g/km for the dCi 86 and 120g/km for the dCi 106) and should prove popular with those watching their carbon footprints.
The diesel engine range is topped by the 2.0 dCi which is available in a choice of power outputs, ranging from 140hp (104kW) to 160hp (120kW).
The vehicle has some interesting exterior styling, especially when viewed from the side. Renault says the car has "a plunging roofline," but we disagree. The roofline does drop from the front, which gives the driver 890mm of headroom. But the drop is much more gentle than the car maker implies. Easy access is thus given to all of the vehicle's seats and its hatch.
The Megane Estate distinguishes itself from the standard Megane hatch with its greater carrying capacity, extended wheelbase and longer rear overhang. Trunk space measures in at 524L but fold down the rear seats and this expands by an additional 119L.
Renault unveils a new prototype electric vehicle ---- the new Kangoo be bop ZE at its shareholder meeting in Paris. Based around the standard be bop, but with zero emissions (hence the ZE) capabilities, the car is to be used as a test vehicle to show off what its EV platform can do. Looking a lot like it shares some of its internals with the recently revealed Nissan EV-02 prototype - Renault and Nissan are joined at the corporate hip, after all - the Kangoo be bop ZE features some fairly impressive stats.
Its range of 100km (62mi) from a lithium-ion battery back and 60hp (44kW) power output mean it will be limited to test-drives in the city, but that's where EVs are meant to shine anyway - cutting street-level pollution and noise, reducing petroleum dependence for 90% of travel needs and making the business of daily life just a little bit cheaper.
Part of the car's efficiency can be laid at the feet of its aerodynamics. Smoother out, sealed up and lowered by 20mm, the ZE offers a much smaller profile to the wind.
As a hint at the ZE's underlying system being geared up for production, much of Renault's press release discusses the durability and robustness of the powertrain, especially the battery. Built as part of the Nissan-NEC joint venture, the lithium-ion battery pack is designed to deliver 80-100% of original capacity for at least six years. That's not exactly a lifetime-of-the-car duration, but it's a significant chunk of time before replacement will be necessary.
Once the production Renault EVs come along in 18 months time, the company hopes to up the 15kWh and 62mi range of the ZE's battery pack up to 100mi (160km) - an increase of about 66%, meaning the production car will likely feature a 25kWh battery as well.
When it does come time to replace those batteries, Renault is looking to the future by making its batteries recyclable, further building the car's green credentials.
French automaker Renault has officially confirmed through its deputy vice president of small vehicle models, Yves-Eric Morel, that the company is readying a new cabriolet model----Twingo CC,which could be unveiled as early as the Frankfurt Auto Show in September with sales starting sometime during the first half of 2010. Unlike the conventional Fiat 500 and MINI droptops, the French automaker's cabrio be much more than just a Twingo without a rooftop as Renault's goal is to create a 'niche' model that will stand out from the crowd. First shown off as a concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault's Twingo CC (coupe-cabrio) was expected to make it to production in 2008. Delays have hit the little car's development, but Renault is adamant it will be launched by the end of next year.
"We are working on a small convertible for 2010," Renault's deputy vice president of the small-car segment Yves-Eric Morel revealed to Automotive News. "It's going to be a niche vehicle, and like any niche vehicle, the objective will be to do something different, that gives a boost to the brand's image." This means that the car will have its own unique styling and won’t simply be a standard convertible version of the Twingo minicar.
Recent spy shots reveal a car that very closely resembles the original 2007 concept in both proportion and in the few details that are visible underneath the camouflage. That's not hard to imagine, considering the concept itself looked almost production-ready.
Based around the Twingo hatchback, the new convertible will likely get a retractable hard top roof (a cheaper manual roof is still possible), a two-seat layout and power from a 1.2L engine expected to develop 120hp (89kW). Down the road, an RS variant with a slightly tuned-up version of the same engine could also be in the plans. Prime competitors will be the Peugeot 207 CC, Opel/Vauxhall Tigra TwinTop and upcoming Fiat 500C.
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