Don't let anyone tell you that Renault can't do a concept car. The French manufacturer pulled the sheets back on its all-electric Dezir at this year's Paris Motor Show, and the concept is as sexy as it is absurd. Designers took a stab in an all-new direction with a pair of reverse-hinged butterfly doors that are the epitome of awesome. Likewise, the ultra-wide stance and aluminum sideblades are our kind of flashy. As you might expect, this concept makes use of a fittingly-futuristic powertrain. Renault says that under all of that curvy sheet metal there's a full EV drivetrain on hand.
Surprisingly enough, there isn't supercar-rivaling power on hand, though. The company puts the Dezir final horsepower figure at around 150 ponies and 166 pound-feet of torque – not exactly e-tron rivaling numbers. Even so, the concept is said to be able to dart to around 60 mph in just shy of five seconds.
Let the flood gates open wide and the deposits pour in, Renault is officially accepting pre-orders for it 2011 battery-powered Fluence Z.E. Yep, it's another momentous day for the Renault-Nissan Alliance and it just so happens that the automaker choose the grounds of the Paris Motor Show to announce that its electric sedan is ready to roll. Well, almost. Buyers in France, Israel and Denmark will get first crack at piloting their own Fluences by the middle of next year, but first they'll need to place a pre-order ASAP.
Customers who wish to take ownership of the Fluence Z.E. are asked to register at Renault's website and put down a €100 deposit ($137 U.S. at the current exchange rate). Priced at €21,300 ($29,279 U.S.), the Fluence Z.E. might seem like a raging value, but let's not forget that Renault has decided to lease the battery pack separate of the vehicle. Add in another €79 ($109 U.S.) in monthly battery lease fees and what was once a killer deal no longer seems like quite as much of a bargain. However, the Fluence's sticker price still does far less damage to the checkbook than its European competitors like the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV, so we'd expect the electrified Fluence won't have any trouble finding eager buyers.
Earlier this year, the 2011 Renault Latitude was unveiled at the Moscow International Auto Show. The European version has now made its debut in front of the crowd at the Paris Motor Show. The Latitude is considered a business-class saloon and Renault is positioning it to become the automaker's flagship vehicle.
The styling of the Renault Latitude somehow evokes images of the Chyrsler Sebring, new Volkswagen Jetta and any Lexus vehicle – yet it's done in a stylish manner. When it launches in Russia, the Latitude will be available with either a 139-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a CVT or a 2.5-liter V6 mated to a six-speed automatic that's good for 177 hp. The four-cylinder unit is rated at 34 miles per gallon while the V6 gets just under 30 mpg. As the car expands into other markets, it will feature an expanding lineup of engine and gearbox choices.
Inside, the Renault Latitude is all about comfort. The power-adjustable driver's seat features a massaging function with five pneumatic rollers and four different settings. In order to keep everyone else happy, the Latitude has a climate control system with triple-zone adjustability.
The 2011 Renault Latitude hit dealer showrooms in September 2010, in Morocco and Algeria. It then starts popping up in Russia and the Ukraine before being made available throughout Africa. The European model will follow after that.
Believe it or not, Renault says the car you see above, known – seriously, we're not making this stuff up – as the Twizy, is a production vehicle. We hesitate to call it a car, or a motorcycle, or a scooter... it's really sort of a four-wheeled covered scooter, and it's powered by an electric drivetrain.
There will apparently be two different versions of the Twizy available, one sporting nine horsepower that can hit a top speed of 28 miles per hour and one with 20 horses that can hit 47 mph. A three-and-a-half-hour charge will result in 60 miles of range from the onboard lithium ion battery pack.
Renault is currently taking pre-orders on the Twizy, along with two other electric vehicles, and it will have the vehicle on the market in Europe by the end of 2011. Pricing is expected to be similar to the Piaggio MP3, and the rental charges for the battery pack will be covered in the Twizy's payment.
According to an unnamed source, the Renault board of directors has called an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, April 6th, to discuss plans to enter into an agreement with German automaker Daimler. As was the case when Renault teamed up with Japanese automaker Nissan, there will reportedly be an exchange of stock, but not nearly at the same level as Renault's 44-percent stake in Nissan.
If the board chooses to move forward – and all indications are that it will – an announcement could be made as early as Wednesday detailing the partnership. It's widely thought that Daimler is keenly interested in Renault's small car expertise for its less-than-wildly-successful Smart car division, and it seems increasingly likely that the two automakers could jointly develop new city car platforms. Might a more family-friendly ForFour be in the offing as rumored?
Renault has earned its place as the pan-European king of the hot hatch. But with new contenders like the MINI JCW and Alfa GTA vying for the throne, Renault knew it would have to up its game to hold on to the title. Fortunately, it brought out a slick new Megane to replace the old pillbox version, leaving Renaultsport enthusiasts frothing at their wine-and-cheese-stuffed mouths for a performance version. Renault finally obliged at the Geneva Motor Show with the highly-anticipated new Megane RS.
Packing a 250-horsepower 2.0-liter 16-valve turbo four, it's the most powerful version yet... 20 horses more than the last ultimate R26.R. Buyers can choose right off the bat between the Sport and Cup chassis (the latter with a limited slip differential) and fully defeatable stability control. Styling cues are borrowed from the Trophy racer concept that debuted at last year's Paris Motor Show, complete with front grille splitter and center-exit exhaust, all of which makes for the most aggression seen out of France since Napoleon.
In the run up to next month's Geneva Motor Show, Renault has launched a teaser site counting down the days until the reveal of the Renault Megane RS. We captured the image above from the darkened animation and after a few Photoshop tweaks, we were able to tease out some of the design details of Renault's new hot hatch.
The front fascia pulls a few cues from the Megane Coupe Trophy concept from the Paris Motor Show, including the sculpted lip that bisects the air dam, the contoured hood, bulbous fenders and headlamps, which appear to be toned-down for the production version.
The Renault Megane RS will initially be available in three-door form, with a five-door model following later. Power is likely to be supplied by the Renault Megane R.26's turbocharged 2.0-liter, putting out around 250 hp and returning a 0-60 time of around six seconds when equipped with a manual transmission. Brembo brakes, a limited-slip differential and a revised power steering system are all rumored to be included, and sales should begin in Europe sometime this fall.
[Source: Renault]
For 2011, Renault is launching an all-new version of its Megane coupe-convertible. Like the last generation model and most of its European market competitors, the Megane gets a folding hardtop, but somewhat like its competitor the Volkswagen Eos, this one lets the sun shine in even when closed. The Megane gets an all-glass roof, which, while letting you see the world, will probably do nothing to help the car's center of gravity. On the other hand, the black finish does help to visually hide the roof when it is raised, a stylistic windfall that partially alleviates the peculiar proportions of such hardtop convertibles. That said, this doesn't really appear to be a high-performance proposition, so we're guessing that more potential customers won't care about the extra weight up top anyhow.
To its credit, Renault has managed to retain a surprisingly large trunk on the Megane with 14.7 cubic feet top up and even 7.45 cubic feet available with the top down. The Megane has seven powertrain configurations available with six gas and diesel engines combined with manual, dual clutch and continuously variable transmissions.
The new Megane coupe-convertible goes on sale in Europe this spring.
[Source: Renault]
PRESS RELEASE
February 5, 2010
NEW MÉGANE COUPÉ-CABRIOLET, THE ELEGANCE OF A COUPÉ, AND THE ENJOYMENT OF OPEN-TOP MOTORING
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet rounds off the renewal of the New Mégane family in style with introduction of the line-up's sixth body type. The newcomer's striking looks combine the elegance of a coupé with the promise of the thrills that go hand-in-hand with driving a cabriolet.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet builds on the strengths that forged the success of its predecessor – including a large, folding glass roof and a raft of user-friendly equipment – yet it goes further still by offering customers:
• unruffled open-top motoring thanks to the forward position of the windscreen and a fixed glass wind deflector situated behind the rear head restraints,
• outstanding handling performance thanks to a stiffer chassis and a new electric power steering system,
• a broad choice of engines, including one which can be ordered with the all-new automatic EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission.
• careful attention to quality, including high-gloss black and satin-effect chrome exterior features.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is manufactured alongside Scénic and Grand Scénic at Renault's Douai plant in France. It consequently benefits from the experience gained since the beginning of the Mégane programme, including the assembly of the former-generation Mégane Coupé- Cabriolet.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is an open invitation to enjoy an alternative way to go motoring, and is an elegant illustration of Renault's new brand signature, 'Drive the Change'.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet goes on sale this spring.
ARRESTING LOOKS FROM EVERY ANGLE
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet completes the renewal of the New Mégane family in style with a car whose intrinsic appeal is sure to turn heads. Its looks exude a distinguished elegance that is underpinned by the large glass roof which tells you that this is unmistakably a cabriolet, even in its coupé configuration. This high-gloss finish black glass roof contrasts with the satin-effect chrome windscreen frame, while the sweep of the waistline adds an unmistakably high-end feel that more than does justice to its cabriolet persona. The dark red taillights feature a linear lighting pattern and LED brake lights to provide a distinctive rear lighting signature.
The interior layout carries over the same prevailing elegance and refinement, thanks not only to the quality of the materials employed and to the high standard of finish, but also to the three choices of trim, which range from dark charcoal and light beige to the charcoal and red two-tone finish with leather seats.
Although the floating dashboard is identical to that of New Mégane Hatchback, the seats offer additional lateral support, while the 'butterfly wing' door trim panel is specific to New Mégane Coupé- Cabriolet and adds to the newcomer's inherent elegance.
CHIC AND PRACTICAL
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet's occupants benefit from the thrills of unruffled open-top motoring in all conditions. The standard folding glass hard roof boasts a transparent glazed area of 0.47 sq. metres (a segment best) to ensure a brightly lit cabin and a sensation of space and freedom. It also guarantees outstanding acoustic and thermal comfort, as well as the reassurance of greater protection from vandalism. The fully-automatic, electro-hydraulic opening mechanism of the two-part roof enables the driver to lower the top in just 21 seconds at the press of a button.
With the top down, the driver and passengers alike enjoy a real sense of freedom. Entry and exit is made easier by the more forward position of the windscreen header-rail which has been advanced by 6cm compared with Mégane II Coupé-Cabriolet.
To make sure that all occupants are able to benefit from the pleasure of riding al fresco without the drawbacks, New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is equipped with a fixed glass wind deflector (unique in the segment) positioned behind the back seat headrests. This arrangement enables four people to enjoy draft-free driving at speeds of up to 90kph and, when used in conjunction with the removable mesh deflector screen located behind the front seats, allows two occupants to travel free from buffeting whatever the speed.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet's length of 4,485mm ensures that the driver and the three passengers benefit from a standard of comfort expected of a family car.
The driver is treated to a carefully thought-through environment and conveniently positioned controls which carry over solutions previously employed for New Mégane Hatchback and New Mégane Coupé:
- controls clustered either around the steering wheel or on the centre console,
- height- and fore/aft-adjustable driver's seat (through 70mm and 240mm respectively),
- position memory for front seats, after being tipped forward,
- reach and height-adjustable steering wheel (through 45mm and five degrees respectively).
In addition to New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet's carefully-honed lines, special attention has gone into ensuring that it
is a practical package, too, and that includes the boot: - automatic closing for simple, secure locking
- large capacity (417 litres with the roof up, and 211 litres with the roof down)
- easy to access, with a segment-best sill height (590mm from the ground) and aperture (258mm) with the roof down, enabling three cabin cases to be carried side by side.
A RAFT OF PRACTICAL, USER-FRIENDLY HIGH-TECH FEATURES
Like all the models that make up the New Mégane family, New Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is available with a long list of high-tech features, most of which are more readily associated with the next segment up: - hands-free starting, and hands-free locking as the card-holder walks away from the car,
- electric parking brake
- automatic dual-zone three-mode (soft-auto-fast) climate control
- directional bi-Xenon headlamps,
- combined digital/analogue instrument display
- new, colour-coded cruise control/speed limiter interface
- 3D sound by Arkamys® audio with Plug&Music connectivity (USB, mini-jack plug)
- Carminat T omT om® navigation, the market's most competitively priced built-in sat-nav system
- customized settings and activation/deactivation of certain functions (daytime running lights, volume of audible parking proximity warning).
A PERFECTLY SMOOTH RIDE
New Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet delivers the same high standard of driving precision as Mégane Hatchback and Mégane Coupé to provide an enjoyable, responsive ride: - The MacPherson-type front suspension is attached to a so-called 'horned' subframe, an arrangement that ensures a level of lateral rigidity that is three-times superior to that of the former-generation Megan Coupé-Cabriolet.
- The rear suspension's torsion beam features a lighter, closed-profile beam that delivers enhanced torsional stiffness.
- The new electric power steering system is more responsive and refined, and gives even more accurate feedback of information from the road.
The torsional rigidity of the bodyshell has been uprated by 80 per cent compared with Mégane II Coupé-Cabriolet in order to match the increased stiffness of the suspension and for even greater handling precision, whether the roof is up or down.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is available with a choice of seven efficient and eco-friendly petrol and diesel powertrain configurations.
Petrol engines: - The 1.6 16V 110hp engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
- The TCe 130 (Turbo Control efficiency) driving through a six-speed manual gearbox.
- The 2.0 16V 140hp engine available with the new continuously variable transmission (CVT) for even greater driving comfort thanks to smooth, step-less gearshifts.
The diesel engine range comprises the following Euro5-homologated powerplants: - The dCi 110 DPF, mated either to the brand new six-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) dual-clutch automatic transmission (see below) or to a manual six-speed gearbox.
- The dCi 130 DPF which drives through a six-speed manual gearbox.
- The dCi 160 DPF also with a six-speed manual gearbox.
EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) dual-clutch automatic transmission
The six-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) dual-clutch automatic transmission fits perfectly with Renault's bid to combine ride comfort, driving pleasure and respect for the environment. Based on DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) technology, it stands out as a genuine clean-break solution compared with conventional automatic transmissions thanks to: - CO2 emissions and fuel consumption comparable to those of a vehicle equipped with a manual gearbox,
- fast, smooth, automatic gearshifts,
- instant response to the driver's demands.
THE PLEASURE OF OPEN-TOP MOTORING IN TOTAL SAFETY
When it comes to safety, New Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet reaps the benefits of the brand's extensive expertise in this field. Like all the models that make up the New Mégane range, it has been engineered to boast exemplary passive and active safety performance.
An extensive range of equipment is available to help drivers anticipate risk situations: • front seatbelt warning lights, - tyre pressure monitoring system,
- directional bi-Xenon headlamps with cornering dipped beams,
- automatic headlamp activation,
- automatic windscreen wiper activation
- cruise control with speed limiter.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet comes with a comprehensive range of driving aids, too: - ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution,
- Emergency brake assist,
- ESC with understeer control.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet's chief passive safety features are: - programmed structural deformation designed to protect the cabin – and therefore occupants – in the case of a rollover, thanks to reinforcement of the windscreen pillars, body sides, sills and floor,
- automatic pyrotechnic deployment of the rollover hoops should dedicated sensors detect that a rollover is imminent,
- seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters,
- adaptive frontal airbags,
- dual-volume head/thorax/pelvis lateral airbags,
- anti-submarining airbags incorporated in the front seat cushions,
- side impact sensors,
- anti-whiplash head restraints,
- Isofix child seat anchorage for rear seats.
The public will get its first chance to see New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet when it is unveiled at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show (March 4-14, 2010). It will also be displayed at L'Atelier Renault on the Champs-Elysées (N°53) in Paris, France.
