Renault’s production Zoe Z.E. EV and Kangoo EV will be produced in France (although at two different plants), but the EV version of the Renault Fluence will be produced in Bursa, Turkey in the first half of 2011.

That’s over a whole year to go, but since the Fluence is a relatively affordable Megane sedan, an affordable relatively large C-segment (Civic FD sized) electric sedan is a welcome addition in the product offerings of any country. A Malaysian debut seems quite far off in the distance at this moment though, as the Renault Fluence EV will first be launched in Israel and Denmark, and then continue to make its way to other countries.

Fluence EV buyers will get three battery charge options – your regular charge which will take hours, a rapid charge that requires an external charger, and the Quick Drop battery exchange program. With Quick Drop, you basically cycle between multiple batteries with your EV ownership. Drive it into a Quick Drop garage and the system swaps your EV’s depleted battery with a new fully charged battery in about 3 minutes. It’s a very cool solution but of course Quick Drop will probably only be offered in countries that has Quick Drop centers in place.

There has been no talk of an ASEAN debut so far. Perhaps Tan Chong can try for an electric Fluence to be assembled here in Malaysia for local consumption and export. If they price it at RM150,00.99 or something they qualify for a new manufacturing license, zero local ownership requirement, etc etc various other incentives under the new NAP review. Look after the jump for a gallery of the Fluence EV.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault-Nissan has announced that it will work with an Indian company called Bajaj Auto to produce the world’s cheapest car, even cheaper than the Tata Nano. An agreement was signed and the partnership is set to introduce the new low-cost vehicle in 2012.

Under the agreement, Bajaj will handle the design, engineering as well as the manufacturing while Renault-Nissan will focus on marketing, branding and the sale of parts. CEO Carlos Ghosn revealed that the cost of the car will be lower any car made in India today, pointing to a price tag that would be cheaper than the Rs 1 lakh carried by the Nano.

With India to become the primary market and exports to emerging markets to be made later, the new vehicle is expected to feature a mileage that is better than 20 kilometers per liter. The car will be built in India and will target India’s emerging middle class. Both companies actually announced a partnership last year but apparently there were some disagreements, which have now been resolved. Pictured above is the Bajaj Lite concept that was shown in 2008.

Source

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault is reviving the Gordini brand and also revealed that it will launch the Twingo Gordini Renault Sport that is based on the Renault Twingo Renault Sport 133 on 25th November in Paris. The automaker will also roll out a Clio Gordini RS a couple of months later. So what is this ‘Gordini’ brand in the first place?

To answer that question we will have to go back to 1964 when Amedee Gordini developed a rally car based on the Renault 8. The R8 Gordini finished 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the 1964 Tour of Corsica rally and two years later, the Gordini Cup one-make race series was established.

Renault now plans to add Gordini variants into the Renault Sport range. The Gordini Renault Sport cars will be treated to an elegant finish, making it slightly more premium than the standard Renault Sport. The automaker did not reveal further details but judging from the classic Gordini, Renault may offer a light blue body finish with white racing stripes.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault has given its new Renault Fluence the tagline “Travel Upgraded”. When you talk about cars designed for emerging economies, thanks to the Dacia Logan all that one can think of is an excessively plain B-segment hatch, or a B-segment sedan that looks more like a hatch with a boot glued on.

C-segment vehicles are usually “world cars” that are the same across the whole market so you might see a big price jump between a low cost car and the next size up. It’s not often that you see a manufacturer come out with a C-segment car (and a big one at that) and say this baby is designed to be easy on your pocket yet offer an upgraded level of comfort at the same time.

The cost-down modifications are apparent – A is the Megane’s original funky meter cluster while B is the Fluence’s more ‘regular’ design

The new Renault Fluence is essentially a Megane sedan, but Renault has designed it to be suitable for markets like Turkey, Russia, Romania and the Mediterranean Basin. It will also be sold in Australia, the Middle-East and Europe.

The Renault Fluence most likely shares most if not all its underpinings with the Nissan Sylphy we have here in Malaysia. It measures 4,620mm long, 1,479mm tall and 1,809mm wide. It has a wheelbase of 2,700mm. That’s actually larger than the Civic’s 4,540mm by 1,435mm by 1,755mm dimensions.

Renault Fluence Sport

A “sports” model with a bodykit and large wheels will come later but there won’t be any powerful engine inside – a maximum 140 horses is all you’re going to get with this car for now. The engine choices top out at a 140 horsepower 2.0 liter engine mated to either a 6-speed manual or a CVT (you’ll probably find this is the same combo in the Sylphy) but the majority of customers will probably opt for the smaller 110hp 1.6 liter petrol or one of the five Renault eco2 diesel engines ranging from a dCi 85 up to a dCi 110 with diesel particulate filter.

Most people shy away from Continental makes because of spareparts worries but would you buy the Fluence in Malaysia with better peace of mind because of potential (I’m not 100% sure) parts commonality with the Sylphy?

Look after the jump for a big photo gallery of the Fluence.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

The latest generation Megane has been given the Renault Sport touch. Under the hood is a 250 horsepower twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0 liter inline-4 motor that puts out 340Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, with 80% of that available from as low as 1,900rpm. That puts it well over the power figures that the Mk6 Golf GTI manages to make.

The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, and provides for a 0 to 100km/h acceleration time of about 6.1 seconds. The 2.0 liter turbo engine is claimed to be 25% new compared to the Megane F1 Team R26 engine. It has new intake ports, reinforced pistons and conrods, new air-air and water-oil intercoolers, sodium-cooled valves, and new piston ring carriers.

The Megane RS is one of the few C-segment hot hatches that actually gives the buyer the option of two chassis configurations – the Sport chassis which is more of an everyday hot hatch kinda thing, and the Cup chassis which is more track-focused, perhaps like the Civic Type R. The Cup option even has an optional mechanical LSD provided by GKN Driveline, which is seen as something that’s getting abit rare lately with cheaper performance cars. The pure LSD is slowly being replaced by e-LSDs.

There’s also a cool tool called the Renault Sport Monitor, which is basically an on-board telemetry system. It provides various readings (controllable via the steering wheel) such as turbo boost pressure, oil temp, brake status, real-time engine performance data, a G-meter, a stopwatch with memory functions and various counter features such as 0 to 100km/h acceleration times and 400m times.

Look after the jump for a full gallery and video of the car.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Does the car above look familiar to you? If you were online on this blog sometime last night you would have read about the new Renault Fluence. Yes, the Renault-Samsung SM3 was launched before the Fluence and the two cars are essentially one and the same.

Looking at the details released regarding the SM3 we discover more about the two cars. The platform that underpins the cars is the Megane’s Renault-Nissan C-platform, which is one segment higher than the stretched B-platforms that underpin the Latio and the Sylphy here in Malaysia.

It makes me wonder, considering the SM3 was originally a rebadge of our Sentra, will this model end up being a replacement for Nissan’s C-segment contender here in Malaysia once the Sylphy reaches its End-Of-Life? For awhile there was also a rumour that the Penske Automotive Group’s soon to be newly acquired Saturn brand would be selling this car in the US as a new model and that the Penske team were in Korea in July to do evaluations.

If you read the Fluence story you’ll also know that this car is set to be turned into an electric vehicle in 2011 and will be offered in certain countries like Israel in collaboration with Project Better Place. Basically, Project Better Place hopes to turn electricity into an easily accessible power source on the go via charging stations and automated battery-swap stations.

Look after the jump for more pix of the SM3, but what’ll interest you more is a video demonstration of Project Better Place’s battery swap station. It’s really pretty cool.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

There won’t be a Megane III sedan, instead we have the new Renault Fluence which will be built at the Megane II sedan’s assembly line in Turkey. It’s a relatively large car, somewhat like a small Euro D-segment slightly smaller than the size of an Avensis. It’s shorter than the Avensis but it’s got a 2,702mm wheelbase, just 2mm longer than the Toyota. Renault themselves say it’s size is somewhere between a large C-segment car (like the FD Civic) and a D-segment car.

The Fluence is all about space. It has 530 liters of boot space and Renault claims it has more passenger space than any major rival. Interior stats include 1,480mm of elbow room at the front, and 1,475mm at the rear. The driver’s seat can be adjusted 240mm fore/aft and 35mm +/- in height, and the steering wheel has both rake and reach adjustment. The cabin features 23 liters of storage, including a 9 liter refrigerated glovebox and a 2.2 liter centre console cubby. The 530 liter boot has a low sill and a 1,020mm wide entry for easier loading.

It’s got decent specifications too. All models including entry level ones will get rear aircond vents, and dual zone control for the front is an option. Renault has also made available a hands-free entry and ignition system using a card. As the card-holder walks away from the car, the doors will lock automatically. You’ve got up to 6 airbags, ABS, and stability control.

In the engine bay, for now diesel and petrol engines are available. All the diesel models qualify for Renault’s eco2 branding, which means CO2 emissions of 119g/km. In 2011, Renault will be introducing an all-electric Fluence, which technology most likely adapted from the Nissan Leaf EV.

The petrol engines include a 140hp 2.0 mated to either a manual or a CVT. This is likely the same engine and transmission combination available in the Sylphy. There is also a 110hp 1.6 liter engine. The eco2 Diesel engines all use the same 1.5 dCi block but with different stages of tune – 85, 90 DPF, 105, 110 DPF and another 110 DPF mated to a new twin-clutch transmission.

I think you can guess that the Fluence is obviously a car designed for emerging economies. The Renault Fluence’s main markets will be Turkey, Russia, and Romania. Too many manufacturers are producing cars that are focused on being as small and cheap as possible and when they can afford something better there is no economical larger sedan to turn to. This is bound to happen as the economies of these developing countries mature. The Fluence can be one of their choices, and Renault has put effort to ensure running costs are low.

Renault claims the Fluence’s diesel engine service interval is once every 30,000km! For light to moderate usage of about 300km per week, that would mean once every 2 years! The only exception is the dCi 85 which requires changes every 20,000km or every year. Renault has also added an additional 800 QC checks over their standard procedures to ensure the Fluence will be able to sustain the ‘demanding’ road conditions of the countries where it will be marketed.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Mercedes-Benz’s platform partner for its next smart car set for a 2013 debut will be Renault. “It’s a key component in plans to grow the Smart brand. We’re looking to diverge into other potentially lucrative market segments, and not only in Europe but on a worldwide basis, including North America,” said a Mercedes-Benz official to ANE.

Renault will be supplying smart a platform for a new four-seater smart (effectively a replacement for the smart forfour) and the word is that it will be a modified version of the Clio II platform that underpins the Renault Twingo, though I would have thought the Renault-Nissan B platform (Clio III, Latio, Logan, etc) would be more suitable in size for a smart forfour replacement.

The smart forfour was a hatchback based on the Mitsubishi Colt and was produced at Mitsubishi’s Dutch NedCar plant. Who knows, we could also see an electric version using technology from the Nissan Leaf.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault will be unveiling a new all-electric car at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show scheduled for September this year. The concept has been developed to go into production in less than 3 years, so we could see it on the road as early as 2011. This new electric car will have a 5-door hatchback body, and will join other Renault EV concepts based on existing models – the Megane EV and the Kangoo EV.

The new electric 5-door hatchback production-destined concept car is said to be built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance B platform, which also underpins cars such as the Renault Clio and the Nissan March. A smaller car such as this would make more sense for now as battery technology isn’t all that mature yet and decent EV range is easier to be achieved with a lighter (and smaller) body.

Renault will also be exhibiting a new system they’ve devised called the Quick Drop system. You essentially cycle between multiple batteries with your electric car ownership. Drive it into a garage, and the system swaps your car’s depleted battery and puts in a new fully charged one in just 3 minutes.

No further details but we can probably assume the system then proceeds to charge the depleted battery to swap back into the car the next night. Initial implementations will most likely be in public areas (due to high cost of implementing a Quick Drop station?), with Quick Drop points functioning the same as petrol stations.

Full details on all of Renault’s forays into the electric vehicle arena to be revealed closer to the Frankfurt show date.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

We’ve already checked out the RS 200 before two months ago when it made its Geneva debut but here comes the full details. The Clio RS 197 is now the Clio RS 200 and is available in two forms – the Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup and the Clio Renaultsport 200.

The 2.0 liter 16 valve F4R RS engine now puts out 200 horses and 215Nm of torque, up 3 horses from the previous 197 number. Peak torque is also achieved at a lower rpm of 5,400rpm, which is lower by 100rpm. Pre-3,000rpm torque is now 20% higher. The first 3 gears of the manual gearbox have been shortened for better acceleration, which means 0 to 100km/h takes only 6.9 seconds, on to a top speed of 227km/h.

The front end takes after a similiar look to the new Megane, and like the Clios before it, it does without any kind of spoiler, instead relying on a fully functional rear diffuser to help with the aerodynamics. The diffuser reduces lift at 130km/h by as much as 40kg.

The front wings are 30.5mm wider than a standard Clio to accomodate the wider tracks, which are extended by 48mm at the front and 50mm at the rear. Wheelbase is up by 10mm to the new 2,585mm number.

The suspension dampers on the new RS 200 are actually about 15% softer than the RS 197. These dampers are of a hydraulic double-effect type, which uses an additional level of valving to help dissipate energy better. The front antirollbar is now 21mm in diameter which is 1mm thicker.

As for the “Cup” spec level, the dampers are 15% stiffer than the RS 197 Cup. These dampers can also be specified on the non-Cup RS 200. The steering ratio for the Cup is also 7.5% quicker, also standard on the Cup and optional on the regular RS 200. A weight of 1,204kg give it one of the best power to weight ratios in its class – approximately 166 horses per tonne of weight.

Look after the jump for more pix of the new RS 200.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault currently has various diesel engines ranging from 1.5 liters to 2.2 liters including the M9R 2.0L diesel, which comes from the same family as the MR petrol engines found locally in the Nissan Grand Livina and Nissan Sylphy.

These talks between manufacturers happen all the time and could range from a simple supplier and customer relationship to a technical collaboration, and this happens even more often these days due to the pressure on manufacturers to reduce costs, increase sales and improve profits.

Proton says an equity sale is not being considered in these talks.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Apart from unveiling the Renault Megane RenaultSport 250 in Geneva, the French auto maker also revealed the Renault Clio RenaultSport 200 which also belongs in the performance segment. Offered in two forms, the Clio RenaultSport 200 and the Clio RenaultSport 200 Cup, both models receive power from a naturally aspirated 200HP at 7,100 revs 2.0 liter 16-valve engine, that is also capable of 215Nm of torque at 5,400 revs.

Design wise, the Clio RenaultSport 200 is treated to an aerodynamic splitter, large air intakes, wider front and rear wings, twin exhaust tailpipes which are more visible now and a new rear diffuser, as well as RenaultSport badging on the tailgate, on the side protective moldings’ satin-finish chrome inserts, as well as on the intake manifold. Buyers can also opt for the centre section of the front bumper, front splitter, exterior mirror housings and rear diffuser to be finished in either Gloss Black or Anthracite. The above mentioned aerodynamic upgrades account for an improvement in drag coefficient of 0.02.

On the inside, the driver is surrounded by aluminium pedal covers and footrest, perforated leather steering wheel with visible stitching and yellow centre-point marker, yellow rev-counter that includes an audible and visible Formula 1-style gearshift indicator, body-hugging RenaultSport seats, as well as Renaultsport badging on the rev-counter background, door sills and front seats. With three trim options available including Silver Grey, Yellow and Dark Anthracite, buyers can also opt for Recaro seats which are equipped with lateral airbags, plus a rigid and glass-fiber / polyamide-injected shell.

Improvements were also made to the suspension with wider front and rear tracks (by 48 mm and 50 mm respectively), extended wheelbase (by 10 mm), independent steering axis layout on the front suspension that minimizes weight and provides resistance to torque steer and a stiffened programmed deflection torsion beam which is fine tuned to offer immediate turn-in. Other upgrades include; Brembo front brake callipers, double-effect damper technology, front anti-roll bar with larger diameters (by 1 mm) as well as alloy wheels that are 1 kilogram lighter and wrapped with Continental Sport Contact 3 tires (215/45 R17).

Overall, the Clio RenaultSport 200 is able to sprint to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, all the way to a top speed of 226 km/h. The Clio RenaultSport 200 Cup model features a ride height that is 7 mm lower, stiffer damper calibration and a revised steering system. Overall, the stiffer 200 Cup is also lighter by 36 kilograms. Renault also revealed that buyers of the RenaultSport 200 can also opt for the stiffer suspension with an extra charge.

Other fitments available in the Clio RenaultSport 200 include; Carminat TomTom navigation system (optional for GBR 500), hands-free card, two stereo upgrades including the Sound Pack and the Bluetooth Sound Pack, electric sunroof, cruise control with speed limiter, automatic climate control and automatic lights and wipers. Sales will initiate in the U.K by May this year. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

French auto maker Renault has revealed the third generation 5-seater Scenic and 7-seater Grand Scenic models at the Geneva Motor Show.

With an exterior which has hints of the Renault Megane, the new Scenic range features an interior with a minimalist dashboard, improved knee-clearance (235 mm for Scenic and 275 mm Grand Scenic), improved luggage space (522 liters for Scenic and 702 liters for Grand Scenic), the ability to fold-flat third-row seats in the Grand Scenic and to remove second-row seating and more.

Other features include; a reversing camera for easier parking, upper-range 3D Sound by Arkamys audio system, a suspension system that includes a MacPherson-type front suspension linked to a horned subframe and closed-section rear torsion beam, electric power steering and so on. Potential buyers can also choose between two navigation systems.

Power plant options include three petrol units such as the 110HP 1.6 liter 16-valve engine, a 130HP TCe 130 (Turbo Control Efficiency) and a 140HP 2.0 liter power plant. Diesel wise, there is the dCi 130, a dCi 150 FAP as well as a dCi 160 FAP. There are three transmission options including a CVT, a 6 speed automatic and a 6 speed manual gearbox.

In terms of safety, the Scenic and Grand Scenic comes with key features such as ABS, standard emergency brake assist, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with CSV understeer control and new-generation headrests. Continue reading to view an image gallery of the Renault Grand Scenic.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Its finally here! French auto maker; Renault has released the much anticipated Megane Renaultsport 250 at the Geneva Motor Show. Featuring a body design that is very much influenced by the Renault Trophy Car, it is powered by a 2.0 liter turbocharged 16-valve engine that produces 250HP and 340Nm torque. The power plant with a twin-scroll turbocharger is mated to a 6 speed manual transmission.

On the outside, it features a front splitter, LED day time running lights, widened sills, a diffuser as well as 18 inch sport wheels among others. The interior breathes sportiness with an analog tachometer that includes audible and visual shift indicators.

Suspension wise, there are two options including; a standard sport chassis which provides daily-driver responsiveness as well as a Cup suspension option that includes a limited-slip differential. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault has unveiled the mid-life cycle update for the Renault Clio III, and has also revealed preliminary details on a new variant called the Clio GT. The Clio GT will slot in between the plain vanilla Clio and the powerful Clio 197.

From the initial press release it appears that the GT will be a Clio dressed up with a new aggressive front end styling incorporating a black grille, extended side sills, suspension settings unique to the GT, and a twin tailpipe design with a lip spoiler on the rear. It will be available with a new exclusive colour called Malta Blue. On the interior it will receive drilled aluminium pedal covers and extra side support for the front seats.

Other than that, the Clio GT doesn’t seem to have an engine with a power output in between the standard Clio (highest output – 138hp with the 2.0 VVT engine) and the 197, but this may be a fact that’s hidden until its Geneva unveiling. Ideally a boosted up version of the H4Jt with 160+ horses could be fitted in and make a suitable “warm hatch” engine.

The basic Clio facelift gets a few cosmetic changes as well as a new TomTom Carminat integrated GPS navigation system on the side. Check out more photos of the facelifted new Clio GT after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Dacia has expanded its eco2 brand name with a few new vehicles – the Sandero and Logan 1.4 LPG, the Logan MCV 1.6 LPG, the Sandero 1.6 E85 bioethanol, and a new engine variant for the Sandero and Logan that users a 1.2 liter 16 valve 75 horsepower engine with emissions of 139g/km.

To qualify as an eco2 vehicle, a Dacia vehicle has to meet the same standard’s as Renault’s own eco2 brand. The vehicle must have CO2 emissions of less or equal to 140g/km, or must be biofuel compatible. The car must also be produced in one of two ISO 14001-certified plants, which are either the Somaca factory in Morocco or the Pitesti factory in Romania. The car must also be 95% end-of-life recoverable by weight, and at least 5% which they contain must be sourced from recycling.

Their argument for bioethanol can be seen in the image above, which not only takes into account vehicle CO2 output but the total CO2 output of the whole process of getting the fuel from its source into your car’s fuel tank. Plus the source of the bioethanol actually consumes CO2, which further improves the fuel’s “carbon footprint“.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault UK has packaged some of its optional creature comforts into a cheaper-priced pack, allowing potential owners who want them to get them for a half price compared to if they were to select the options individually.

The Clio Renaultsport 197 Lux adds leather upholstery, automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, cornering lights, extra tinted rear windows, a 60W MP3 CD player, Renaultsport carpet mats, satin chrome finish on the aircond vents, door mirrors and front wing grilles, and brushed aluminium alloys.

At £16,995, the Lux version costs £1,000 more than the standard version, but all the extra accessories are worth £2,000. If you want more, there is still the electrically folding door mirrors (£100), an electrically operated panoramic sunroof (£600), xenon headlamps (£550), Speedline wheels in either white or black (£100) or a “Cup” chassis (£400).

The Clio Renaultsport 197 is also available in Malaysia for RM210,182.00.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault is once again displaying the versatility of the Logan platform with this new concept, the Renault Sand’Up Concept. The Sand’Up Concept is based on the Renault Sandero Stepway, a budget compact “crossover” that is based on the Logan’s platform.

Renault calls it a fusion of both a “coupe” and a pick-up, though it’s only a pickup in the sense of very light duty such as ferrying your mountain bike to the park – don’t expect to do much heavy duty work with this thing! It also shares the Sandero Stepway’s higher ride height so some very light offroading should be achievable.

I can’t help but think that Proton has attempted this before a couple of years ago with the Proton Arena. It was also a very light pick-up modified from a car chassis, and if I recall correctly it had various styles, some of which made it look somewhat like a coupe.

Look after the jump for a hi-res gallery and a video. Be sure to check out the video as it explains so much more about the concept (how it converts from a 2 seater to a 4 seater, how the pickup bed works, etc) than text and photos could ever achieve.

PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Sand’Up Concept
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

VIDEO: Renault Sand’Up Concept

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

While TC Euro Cars is still selling the old Kangoo here in Malaysia, the rest of the world has seen the launch of the bigger and better second generation Renault Kangoo built on the Renault Scenic chassis. Renault is obviously eager to kill two birds with one stone with the Kangoo, aiming it at both the commercial and lifestyle crowd, and this is the latest body variant of the Kangoo to appeal to the latter market segment – the 3-door Renault Kangoo be bop. Continue reading more on the be bop after the jump.

The electric Renault concept car you saw earlier as part of this blog’s Paris Motorshow coverage was based on this car. Don’t be fooled by the funky roof apparatus it has – this is a production car! The Kangoo be bop has ended up being some form of economical landaulet – which is sort of a convertible that opens up only at the rear, leaving the front of the cabin still sheltered by a roof. Another recent example of such a vehicle was the Maybach Landaulet Concept.

The Kangoo be bop also receives a “crossKangoo” treatment, with a ride height that is 20mm higher than the standard Kangoo and protective side moulding and other two-toned bodykit elements which give it a soft-roader kind of look. The convertible top in question is a sliding panel at the rear which also slides forward at an angle to create a wind-deflecting effect. The rear passenger area also has its conventional bench replaced with two raised (90mm higher) individual chairs with a 240mm space between the two chairs. These chairs are adjustable to vary boot space from 174 liters all the way to 1462 liters if they are removed completely.

Although based on the same Scenic-based chassis as the second generation Kangoo, the Kangoo be bop’s wheelbase has been shortened by 380mm, which also helps give it a reduced turning circle. It rides on MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam with coil springs and an anti-roll bar at teh rear.

A few engines will be available at launch – one petrol 1.6 liter unit producing 105 horsepower at 5,750rpm and a peak torque of 148Nm at 3,750rpm, and two diesel units – the 1.5 liter dCi engine producing 85 horsepower at 3,750rpm and 200Nm of torque at 1,900rpm, and a more powerful 105 horsepower 1.5 liter dCi engine producing its peak horsepower at 4,000rpm and a peak torque of 240Nm at 2,000rpm. These are mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The more powerful diesel engine features a VGT turbo and a twin mass flywheel damper to reduce engine boom at low revs.

Look after the jump for more photos of the be bop.

PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Kangoo be bop
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

The Renault Megane Coupe comes hot after the 5-door Megane hatchback was unveiled to the public in September this year. It is the second of the Megane’s supposed 6 different bodystyles, so now we have 2 down and 4 to go!

The 5-door’s styling looks quite sedate compared to the aggressive snake-head-like design of the Coupe, with the fangs represented by two bits of trim that runs on the front extending downwards from the headlamps. The Coupe (essentially a rebodied 2-door version of the 5-door hatch) is 12mm lower than the hatchback for a sportier stance. The Coupe has less boot space than the hatch at 377 liters compared to 405 liters.

The oil burner range consists of the dCi range of engines, with the tamest being the dCi 85 and the most powerful being the dCi 160 for manual and the dCi 150 with an automatic transmission. The petrol range goes from a bare necessity 110hp 1.6 liter up to a TCe 180 engine. A TCe 130 1.4 liter turbocharged engine will be added in Spring 2009 featuring 130hp and 190Nm of torque, the equivalents of a 1.8 and a 2.0L engine respectively.

It seems that despite being larger, both the Megane and Megane Coupe are about an average of 8kg lighter than its predecessors. However most of the platform components, principal mechanical assemblies, parts and technical solutions have been carried over from the previous generation Megane II.

Look after the jump for a gallery of images and 4 videos.

PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Megane Coupe
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

VIDEO: Renault Megane Coupe – 1

VIDEO: Renault Megane Coupe – 2

VIDEO: Renault Megane Coupe – TV Commercial

VIDEO: Renault Megane Coupe – NFS:U Trailer

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

The Renault Megane Coupe will be making an appearance a few weeks before its official launch in the virtual world – the Need for Speed Undercover game, and in the real life at the Top Gear’s MPH Show the end of this month. Renault and Electronic Arts has released some images of what appears to be the Megane in the Need for Speed Undercover game world. While its obvious the photos are a computer rendering, they look really good. The game seems to have quite a decent rendering engine.

Look after the jump for two more shots.


Click for larger image

Click for larger image

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

There is also an additional model added to the initial range of 4 vehicles – the 5th is the Clio 1.6 hatchback. All are CBU imports.

The cheapest of the lot is the Clio III 1.6, but it’s only cheap compared to the other Renaults offered. This little B-segment hatch is powered by a 110hp 151Nm 1.6L petrol engine. Its price tag of RM145,037.00 without insurance seems seriously steep compared to other imported European B-segment cars such as the Volkswagen CrossPolo and the Fiat Bravo GT. In fact, it’s even more expensive than the Polo GTI!

A more powerful version of the Clio is offered in the form of the 3-door Clio RS 197. This one will cost you RM210,182.00 OTR without insurance, which is almost a RM15K drop from the previously indicated price of RM224,675.50. The RS 197’s 2.0 liter engine produces 197bhp at 7,250rpm and 217Nm of torque at 5,550rpm, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

Two versions of the Megane are available – a coupe-cabriolet that allows you to enjoy an open top driving experience and the R26 Sport hot hatch.

The Megane Coupe-Cabriolet has had a small price drop of RM233,541.50 to the new price of RM229,931.00. It is powered by a regular 2.0 liter engine producing 135hp at 5,500rpm and 191Nm of torque at lower than usual 3,750rpm. This engine is mated to a Tiptronic 4-speed automatic transmission. An earlier pricelist also indicated the Megane CC had only 4 airbags, but at time of launch this has been upped to 6. Although the Megane III has just been launched, this Megane CC still remains fresh as there is no convertible version of the Megane III yet, but I’m not sure for how long.

The Megane R26 Sport is now about RM20k cheaper at RM229,988.00. This one is a scorcher, producing 230 horsepower at 5,500rpm and 310Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, mated to a 6-speed manual. These figures top the Golf GTI’s performance figures of 200 PS and 280Nm of torque, but you will have to do the shift-work yourself.

The final choice is a practical one – the Renault Grand Espace MPV with 7 seats. It has a turbocharged engine which means loads of torque to haul the vehicle around even when its fully loaded, which should provide a relaxed drive. You get 170 horsepower at 5,000rpm and 270Nm of torque at 3,250rpm while only paying road tax for a 2.0 liter engine. The Grand Espace costs RM289,967.00, down from RM294,938.75.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault’s Z.E. Concept is your standard run of the mill concept electric vehicle that’s based on a production model with jazzed up styling so that it looks worthy to be called a concept. Instead of a petrol or diesel engine, the Renault Kangoo be bop that is the base for this concept is instead powered by a 94 horsepower electric motor with a peak torque of 226Nm, backed by lithium ion batteries. The press release does not state how this is charged so we can only assume it is a plug-in EV. All of this is pretty heavy though – the concept clocks in at 1,520kg unladen.

Perhaps more important than the run of the mill motor itself is how Renault plans to stretch the miles with a limited battery source.To help conserve battery power for the electric motor use, Renault has employed a few techniques to reduce power consumption by auxiliaries such as the lighting, heating and climate control.

Firstly, the Z.E. Concept’s bodywork functions like a Thermos flask. The body comprises of two insulating panels with a sandwich of air. This limits variations in temperature between the exterior and the interior. The internal temperature regulation system is powered by a solar panel on the roof.

As for heating, Renault plays on the psychological effect of generally feeling warmth if the face and hands are warm. So the heater system channels warmth to these key zones through means such as a heated steering wheel.

Aerodynamics have been improved by using low-energy cameras to replace wing mirrors and a special alloy wheel design that is low on drag. The headlamps use LEDs to reduce power consumption.

PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Z.E. Concept
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

In efforts to make it easier for more people to enter the world of rally motorsports, Renault Sport Technologies have created a new variant of the Clio R3 Maxi called the Renault Clio Renaultsport R3 Access.

In countries with relatively weaker currencies such as ours, motorsports can be even more prohibitive to the grassroots, with only the rich with tons of disposable income being able to participate in races and the rest of us having to contend with trafficlight sprints and rempiting on long straights in the middle of the night.

The R3 Access Clio aims to open up “access” to motorsports to a wider range of people with a pre-tax price of €32,600 (RM158,000) and a calculated average competing cost of €17 (RM82) per km. If one wants to upgrade to R3 Maxi specs later they can easily do so via a “Premium kit” which will upgrade the chassis, brakes and engine up to R3 Maxi specifications.

The Access model features a Clio Renaultspot bodyshell strengthened with a welded roll cage featuring more than 40 meters of tubing. The 2.0 liter high revving engine derived from the Clio Renaultsport 197 produces 200 horsepower at 7,500rpm and 214Nm of torque at 5,250rpm. It goes on to a redline point of 7,800rpm at which you will shift to the next cog of the Sadev 6 speed dog-teeth gearbox with a ZF LSD.

The wheels are identical to the Maxi spec version featuring 17 inch Speedline alloys wrapped with Michelin rubber. The car rides on Bilstein dampers at all four wheels and has the 4-pot Brembo brakes standard on the Clio Renaultsport 197.

Look after the jump for a few more hi-res photos.

PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Clio Renaultsport R3 Access
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

The Renault Megane Trophy that competes in the World Series gets updated for the 2009 model year. It may look like a Megane but it is actually built on a multi-tubular steel chassis with a semi-stressed engine and gearbox.

The styling for 2009 has been updated to match the look of the new Megane Coupe. Only the front and rear light units as well as the windscreen are from the road car.

Renault-Nissan’s venerable 3.5 liter V6 engine is mounted in a mid-rear position driving the rear wheels, mated to a sequential six-speed semi-automatic gearbox with steering-mounted paddle shifts. It produces 360hp and 390Nm of torque, with rebuild intervals of 5,500km.

Brakes are 356mm vented steel discs with 6 pistons at the front and 330mm vented steel discs with 4 pistons at the rear. Wheels are 18 inch one-piece aluminium alloys wrapped with Michelin tyres. The car rides on double wishbone suspensions on both the front and rear, with an anti-roll bar at the front.

Existing Megane Trophy owners will be able to upgrade to this new engine and look thanks to a kit that will go on sale by end-2008. Modifications required to adapt the existing chassis to the new bodywork will be performed by Renault at its Alpine factory.

Look after the jump for more photos.

PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Megane Trophy
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Russian car manufacturer AvtoVAZ will pay a sum of 220 million Euros to Renault (who owns 25% of AvtoVAZ) to license its Logan car platform to use as underpinings for the next generation Lada car range. 100 million is for licensing rights for the platform and the remainder 120 million are for the use of 2 of Renault’s engines.

Lada is Russia’s number one selling car marque with total sales of 428,000 cars from January to August 2008. Its market lead is currently being challenged by competitors such as Hyundai, Chevrolet and Ford who are coming in with cars that are more modern, so this is a way for Lada to step it up in terms of updating their cars to modern standards.

The first Lada based on the Logan platform could go on sale as early as 2011. Shown in the picture above is a Lada Priora, an example of a current Lada model sold in Russia.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance’s new TCe 130 engine is said to combine the best parts of both the European and Japanese halves of the partnership – Nissan’s petrol engine expertise and Renault’s turbocharging and combustion experience.

The new TCe 130 engine is a 1,397cc engine derived from the HR family of engines, which currently consist of the HR15DE and the HR16DE. The HR16DE is no stranger as it is found in both the Nissan Latio and Nissan Grand Livina found in our local market. In Renault nomenclature it is called the H4Jt (Nissan HR14DET?) and joins its Renault-derived TCe 100 1.2 liter turbocharged D4F engine as part of a family of new downsized and force inducted engines for better fuel economy and lower emissions.

The 1.4 liter engine has an aluminium sump and a quick-spooling turbocharger. Its head has been redesigned to feature ports that create a swirling effect in the airflow which mixes the air-fuel mixture more evenly, improving combustion and as a result, torque at low revs. The head also has a continuously variable camshaft angle for the intake. The use of a low-noise timing chain increases durability.

The Euro 5 compliant engine produces 130 horsepower at 5,500rpm and 190Nm of torque at 2,250rpm. It will be used in C-segment Renault cars such as the new Renault Megane III and upcoming MPVs based on the new Megane III platform. No news yet on which Nissans will use this engine.

Look after the jump for photos, a torque graph and a video of the new engine.

Video: Renault-Nissan TCe 130 1.4 liter turbo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

The new Renault Megane 5-door hatchback has been unveiled prior to its public debut at Paris 2008, and is one of the 6 different body styles that are set to be launched by 2010. The 5-door hatch will go on sale in November this year. What are the other five… here’s a guess: 3-door hatch, sedan, touring, MPV, coupe-convertible?

Renault’s new C-segment contender has short front and rear overhangs and a wheelbase of 2640mm, longer than the previous generation Megane hatch’s 2625mm wheelbase. The other bodystyles will likely have different wheelbase lengths as the Megane Sedan had a longer 2,686mm wheelbase, so for this generation it could stretch to beyond 2,700mm like the Civic and Lancer GT.

On the exterior you will immediately notice a more traditional hatchback shape rather than the previous Megane’s butt that stuck out oddly. The interior looks rather traditional and maybe even a little dated at first sight but there are some unique features such as the meter panel which uses a dual dial arrangement with the trip computer placed on the right, and the speedometer dial shown on an LCD featuring digital/graphics readings for speed, integrated fuel level, temperature and door opening displays. The RPM meter remains traditional and placed on the left.

The cruise control settings puts the digital speedometer dial LCD display to good use, displaying the selected cruise speed at the top of the speedometer. The speedometer will have a ring of lights that take the form of an arc around the central display. This lights up red as the speed increases. A maximum speed can also be set this way, and the selected top speed will flash if exceeded.

A choice of either a dCi turbodiesel, normally aspirated or TCe turbocharged gasoline engine is available for the buyer of the new Renault. The dCi engines consist of the 85, 90, 105, 110 and 130 states of tune. The dCi 130 produces 130hp at 3,750rpm and 300Nm of torque at 1,750rpm which are lower peak points than the previous dCi 130 model (4,000rpm and 2,000rpm). As you can probably guess, the number indicates how much horsepower the engine produces. A dCi 160 with a manual gearbox and a dCi 150 mated to an automatic will soon be added later.

The two normally aspirated petrol engines are the 1.6 liter 16 valve 100 and 110hp engines and the 2.0 liter 16 valve 140hp engine. A CVT gearbox will be available with the 140hp engine soon. The top of the line is the TCe turbocharged 2.0 liter engine producing 180 horsepower. Something new and interesting to be added later is a new TCe 130 engine developed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, which is a 1.4 liter turbocharged inline-4 engine that can produce 130 horsepower and 190Nm of torque. I eagerly await for this engine to get cheap enough to replace the likes of the MR18DE – it would just be perfect in the Nissan Grand Livina 1.8.

The hatchback has a maximum boot volume of 405 liters (372 with spare wheel). This boot space can be extended via the 60:40 split rear bench.

Look after the jump for more hi-res photos of the new Megane hatch.

PHOTO GALLERY: 5-door Renault Megane III
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.

Renault has given the Renault/Dacia Sandero an offroader styling treatment and the result is this – the Renault Sandero Stepway. Its essentially the same vehicle as the Sandero but with a higher ground clearance and a different take on styling which gives the hatchback and off-roader look. Think of this as a budget Volkswagen CrossPolo.

Under the hood is the 112 horsepower 1.6 liter Hi-Flex engine that supports bio-ethanol as fuel, one of Renault’s popular bio-ethanol engines in Brazil.

One more rear shot after the jump.

Related Posts:
Renault Sandero: 5-door Renault Logan


Click for hi-res photo

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 18:32:16 +0800.