Category: Renault

Renault will feature the ESP on the he New Twingo as an option from next month. The safety device will cost around £230.

ESP is the latest addition to a range of active safety devices fitted as standard on Twingo such as ABS and emergency brake assist. However the option won’t be available with the entry-level engine, the 60bhp 1.2-litre petrol unit.

The aim of ESP (Electronic Stability Program) is to maintain a car on the trajectory intended by the driver in spite of a loss of grip of one or more wheels.  Tyres can lose grip as a result of an emergency manoeuvre, excessive cornering speed, a  slippery surface, snow or even a poorly maintained road surface. This makes it hard, if not impossible, to keep control of the car. By sensing the warning signs of these phenomena, ESP helps the driver to manage the situation.
Seven sensors record data which allows the ESP processor to brake one or more wheels, while also regulating engine torque, to ensure the car stays on the intended cornering line. The system works in close conjunction with the ABS.

Renault has officially unveiled its first SUV/crossover at the Geneva Motor Show under the form of the Koleos model, seen as a concept car at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.

Renault will have taken a long time to launch its first crossover being one of the last carmaker to do it. The eagerly-awaited SUV is the result of a collaboration between Renault, Nissan and Samsung. The Korean subsidiary has been selling the Koleos under the QMX name on its domestic market since last december.

The Koleos shares its underpinnings with the Nissan X-Trail, which is a reference in term of mud ability. One does hope that the Koleos will offer same capabilities although Renault has confirmed the Koleos will road-biased.

The Koleos is the company’s serious attempt to take a share of the crossover market. There is a fierce struggle on the growing segment for a share of the pie and with its appealing package, the Renault Koleos might meet a strong demand.

Renault has unveiled the Megane Coupé concept car that previews the next-generation Megane due to be on sale next year.

The car you see here will mark the come back of the carmaker on the design scene. The Laguna III has been heavily criticised for its conservatism. The next Megane will feature a bold design without alienating conservative drivers like the current generation does.

At 4500mm, the concept car is longer than the current Megane. The production version won’t, of course, keep the gullwing doors or the 21in wheels. Under the bonnet, the Megane Coupé is rather conventional: no hybrid engine, but a 200bhp turbocharged 4 cylinder petrol engine.

Renault’s budget brand Dacia has launched an assault on the small car market by unveiling the Sandero model which is intended to take on established rivals such as the Ford Fiesta and the Renault Clio.

The Sandero shares its inner structure, powertrains and suspension layout, with the Logan, but has a unique exterior and close interior styling. At 4020mm long and 1750mm wide, the Sandero is slightly bigger than a Clio but much shorter than a Logan. Dacia claims it is a ‘generous and clever’ brand and the Sandero proves it. At 320 litres, the boot capacity is larger than that of the Clio and close to that of the Megane. The Sandero promises to be more practical than the Logan by offering a folding rear bench seat with a 60/40 split according to version. With the bench seat folded, the total carrying capacity extends to 1,200 litres.

The Sandero will be available with a wide range of petrol and diesel engines simlar to the Logan’s although the topping 110bhp 1.6-litre petrol unit won’t be featured on the former. The entry level will be powered by a 75bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit, followed by the 90bhp 1.6-litre unit. Along with the petrol engines, there will be two hard working diesel, a 1.5-litre dCi available in two power outputs, 70bhp and 85bhp.

Like the Logan, the Sandero will offer three- year/ 100,000km warranty in the majority of its European markets. No word on pricing yet from Dacia but with the Logan starting at £5,800, expect the Sandero to be aggressively priced. The new Dacia shouldn’t find too much difficulty upsetting the segment’s established order.

Carlos Ghosn has revealed that Samsung will become the spearhead of Renault in Asia as the company’s models will switch to Renault platforms.

Until now Samsung models are derived from Nissan cars, but Renault-Nissan CEO has revealed in an interview with Automotive News that he wants the Asian subsidiary to use Renault platforms for the next-generation models. He told the newspaper he wanted Samsung to become “hub of Renault in Asia”.

Like the recent QM5 SUV, the future models will be close to Renault cars in term of styling and the company will offer slightly redesigned Megane II and Laguna III on the Korean market. The carmaker has no plan to follow Hyundai and Ssangyong on the executive saloon segment although the company is considering producing a Korean version of the next-gen Espace due to appear at the end of the decade.

Mahindra & Mahindra has to double its efforts to catch up with Tata that will announce next week the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover. The Indian carmaker is considering building a plant in the US.

M&M has lost one battle, but is already readying for another, in the US this time where it wants to build a factory. Located near Chicago, the future facility would produce the company’s models such as the Scorpio, the Bolero and the Ingenio, but also the Logan according to the rumours. The carmaker is currently looking for partners and entered into talks with a few American companies.

For Renault, the new factory would enable him to enter the American market by the back door. Only Mahindra&Mahindra’s brand image would suffer if the Logan fails. On the other hand, the Logan’s success enable the French carmaker to come back in the US as long as it doesn’t plan to sell a reincarnation of the LeCar.

Renault has decided to spice up its tame saloon, the Laguna III, by unveiling a GT version which features a unique four-wheel steering system.

As the GT badge implies, the Laguna III adopts a slightly more aggressive design with a larger front grille, lateral air-intakes, headlamps with black masks and a GT logo on the B-pillar. On the inside, there is the usual package including the aluminium pedals and a sportier gearshift lever knob. The upholstery combines black leather and light grey alcantara on which the GT logo is embossed.

The Laguna III GT will be available with a 205bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 180bhp 2.0-litre dCi diesel unit. The car sits on 225/45 18-inch Bridgestone Potenza tires roomy enough to feature 320mm diameter discs at the front and 300mm discs at the rear.

The GT appears to be rather a cost cutting sporty version of the normal versions, but the French carmaker equipped the car with a unique four-wheel steering system taken from Nissan. Indeed, the Japanese company sold a four-wheel steering models which didn’t convince buyers to pay the extra money as the system was adding to much weight for a limited benefit. Called Active Drive chassis, the system has been enhanced by using a computer which monitors steering inputs, vehicle speed and traction every 10 milliseconds and adjusts the angle of the rear wheels to suit.

The French carmaker might relaunch the Alpine brand and it is rumoured that the company might unveil a small roadster to spearhead a revival of the French marque.

In an interview with AM-Online, Renault’s product executive vice president, plan, product planning and programs Patrick Pelata said that “we[Renault] are working on a sports car project and you will see this within the next few years. We still have the Alpine name which we would like to use again and ideally we would like to have an affordable sports car on a RWD platform that is great fun to drive.”

He described the affordabel sports car as future rival for the Mazda MX-5. “Think Mazda MX-5 or even Smart Roadster and you are on the right lines,” he explained to AM-Online. This roadster would be the first model of an ambitious plan to launch several models under the Alpine badge.

The planned roadster would likely get its own platform as there is no rear-wheel drive platform in the current lineup. Unless Renault decides to reuse the Twingo 2 CC base to curt cost. The future Twingo 2 CC will likely be powered by the 99bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine and will be sold at the competitive price of around £10,000.

Renault recently displayed a few Alpine models at his restaurant in Paris.