Renault Introducing New Fluence Sedan Line; Diesels All Less Than 119 gCO2/km, All-Electric Model in 2011
31 August 2009
| The Renault Fluence. Click to enlarge. |
Renault will extend its vehicle line-up this autumn with a new sedan, the Fluence. The Fluence is the successor to the sedan version of the old Mégane. (Renault introduced the New Renault Mégane Hatch and New Renault Mégane Coupé at the Paris Motor Show in 2008, marking the beginning of the renewal of its C-segment lineup.)
From launch, and depending on market, Renault Fluence will be available with a range of engines. All diesel models in the Fluence range have a CO2 emissions rating of 119g/km and qualify for the Renault eco² signature. Renault says it will introduce an all-electric version of the Fluence in 2011.
Two gasoline engines will each be available in two versions:
- 1.6 16V 110hp, with automatic transmission or manual gearbox; and
- 2.0 16V 140hp, with continuously variable transmission (CVT) or manual gearbox.
On the diesel side, Renault will offer a choice of five variants of the 1.5 dCi diesel block:
- dCi 85;
- dCi 90 DPF3;
- dCi 105;
- dCi 110 DPF3; and
- dCi 110 DPF with the new dual clutch transmission (DCT)4 (available at the end of 2010).
Renault Fluence, which goes on sale in Turkey from November, will have three main markets: Turkey, Russia and Romania.
Turkey. Launched in late 2003, the Mégane II four-door sold more than 140,000 units in Turkey in six years, making it the most popular car in its class. It represented more than 20% of sales in its segment and emerged as one of the country’s top three sellers overall.
The medium-compact segment continues to expand and accounted for more than 40% of 2008 car sales in Turkey (up from 36% in 2005). Of these, four-door sedans are the dominant choice and account for 70% of sales.
Russia. Launched in 2004, the Mégane II four-door posted 60,000 sales in Russia to become the brand’s third most popular model, after Logan and Symbol. Medium-compact segment sales grew sharply from 2006 to 2008, up from 19% of the market to 25%, while four-door sedans dominated sales.
In Russia, the Renault group gained a one-point market share&madsh;up to 4.7%—in the first half of 2009, even though the overall market was down by 48.6%. Despite the impact of the current economic crisis, Russia remains a key market for Renault.
Romania. More than 35,000 four-door Mégane IIs have been sold since its launch in September 2003. In 2007, it was the fourth-most popular car in Romania, with sales of more than 10,000 units. The medium-compact segment represents 30% of the national market, and four-door sedans account for half those sales
Until 2007, the Mégane II four-door was the best-selling car in its segment. By 2009, despite being six years old, it remained the fourth most popular car in Romania and was second in Renault’s domestic sales chart.
The new Fluence is 4.62 metres (181.9 inches) long and sits halfway between the C segment, for compact family cars, and the segment immediately above.
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