Archive for Renault

Renault will be exhibiting this concept coupe variant of the third generation Renault Laguna at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, which represents a near-production variant of the Laguna Coupe which will join it’s sedan and estate brothers in production in the second half of 2008.

The Laguna Coupe Concept will also be a technological exhibit for a new four-wheel steering system called Active Drive. More details on Active Drive should be available once the motor show begins.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Renault Laguna Coupe Concept

Renault is thinking about making a Renaultsport version of the new Renault Laguna III, making it the first Laguna to have a sporty tuned up performance version. There are currently two Renault models that have Renaultsport variants – the Clio and the Megane which are B-segment and C-segment cars respectively.

“We are thinking about it but we have not decided yet. The chassis with four-wheel steering could be used as the base for the car. The question is which engine would we use, and do we have enough customers who would want the car. We will see with the launch of the standard Laguna and the Coupe at the end of next year. But I would like it,” says Patrice Ratti, programmer director for Renault’s larger cars.

The upcoming yet to be launched coupe version of the Renault Laguna III will also get a new system called Active Drive that will give the car four-wheel steering capabilities. It will first debut on the coupe when it is launched in late 2008, but will eventually be available on the Laguna III sedan and estate later.

Indonesia could gain yet another production plant, as Renault intends to set up an assembly line there for a van model that was unnamed in the report by Reuters, but examples of vans that include the Toyota Avanza and Nissan Grand Livina leads me to believe this is a MPV type of model, something quite popular in Indonesia.

I wonder why Indonesia and not Malaysia, as it’s local partner Edaran Tan Chong Motor here has a plant (Tan Chong Motor Assemblers in Segambut) and is already assembling one Renault model – the Renault Kangoo, which you could say is somewhat like a van too. Renault’s Indonesian plant is expected to have an annual capacity of between 150,000 to 200,000 units.

Of course, the plans for the plant are there, the intention is strong, but everything is not confirmed yet, as Renault has just asked the Indonesian government for alist of investment incentives, of which if are satisfactory, an agreement will be signed in September this year.

Source

If you think the Renault/Dacia Logan (shown above) was a budget car, wait til you see what Renault has in mind next. The guys at Renault are planning an even cheaper car that will cost around US$3,000. This ultra-budget car will be designed and developed in India, at a new “technocenter” soon to be established that will hire 1,000 engineers.

Apparently, development costs in India are very low. India has been in the Carlon Ghosn spotlight for awhile now. Earlier this year he said there is a fundamental difference in attitude to cost savings between western companies and Indian companies, and by this he means the Indian one is better.

This new budget car will be aimed at developing markets, and not intended for the European market. Let’s just hope it ends up looking better than the Logan.

We’ve seen the car going around the streets of KL, and later saw the reason the car was here – the teaser video that Renault filmed here in Malaysia. Now Renault has revealed full images of the third generation Renault Laguna, along with some details on the car.

Being a mostly European-market car, the new Laguna’s flagship 2.0 dCi turbodiesel engine comes in two different tune levels – 130hp, 150hp and 175hp. A smaller diesel engine is also available – Renault’s 1.5 dCi engine puts out 110 horsepower, and uses only 5.1 liters per 100km on average. All of these turbodiesel offerings use a variable geometry turbocharger. As for petrol offerings, the Renault Laguna also has variant powered by a 145 horsepower 16 valve twin cam engine jointly developed by Renault and Nissan (likely the MR20DE). The top of the line petrol variant is a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine putting out 170 horsepower, likely a light pressure turbo. This engine is mated to a 6-speed auto transmission.

The 4.69 meters long Renault Laguna sedan has a fastback stance to it, while the stationwagon version is more than just a Laguna with an additional D-pillar – it’s rear is of a different design with different tail lamps. Chassis dynamics has improved, with front and rear suspension stiffness improved over the previous model by 20 and 50%, respectively, plus higher performance anti-roll bars. Steering is also of a closer ratio. The new Renault Laguna III is also 15kg lighter than the previous Laguna across the model range.

The new Renault Laguna III also boasts new generation double side airbags – thorax and pelvis airbags to be exact. All airbags are double-chamber and double-pressure airbags. Passenger protection for side collisions are also enhanced with a device based on two sensors located in the front door and the centre pillar, a specific algorithm adjusts the release time according to the violence of the impact. The Laguna II was the first ever car to achieve a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating, so the new Laguna III should easily follow in it’s predecessor’s footsteps.

More photos after the jump.

Related Renault Laguna III Posts:
Renault puts up new Renault Laguna teaser site and video
Unidentified car on test (Renault Laguna)
2007 Renault Laguna Artist’s Impression
Upcoming Renault Laguna Spy Video

Click here to read the rest of Renault reveals full images of Renault Laguna III

More teaser images of the new 3rd generation Renault Laguna III are available now. The shots are mostly of the interior, however two photos of both the front and rear light clusters are also available. In case you haven’t seen the teaser image shot in Malaysia, have a look at the related posts links. 35 days to go until the launch of the new Laguna! Look for the images after the jump.

Related Laguna III Posts:
Unidentified car on test (Renault Laguna)
2007 Renault Laguna Artist’s Impression
Upcoming Renault Laguna Spy Video
Renault puts up new Renault Laguna teaser site

Click here to read the rest of More Renault Laguna III Teaser Images

It’s now confirmed that the sedan that we all saw running around Segambut and speculated to be the new Renault Laguna, is in fact the new Renault Laguna! Renault has put up a teaser site with photos and a video of the new Laguna under disguise and being tested. The video on the site was recorded in Malaysia. The countdown timer on the site says the new Renault Laguna will be launched in 40 days.

Check out Renault’s Laguna teaser site here, or head on after the jump for teaser photos as well as the video from the site, which I have hosted to make streaming faster. The video tells a (fictional) tale of a spy photographer who came all the way here to shoot the new Laguna.

Thanks to Chips Yap for the pointer.

Related Laguna Spyshot Posts:
Unidentified car on test (Renault Laguna)
2007 Renault Laguna Artist’s Impression
Upcoming Renault Laguna Spy Video

Click here to read the rest of Renault puts up new Renault Laguna teaser site

I think we can all agree now that the previously posted unidentified car on test is in fact a new Renault Laguna being tested around Tan Chong’s plant in Segambut. Look at the rear lamp cluster and you’ll see why. This spy video of the Renault Laguna was shot in Southern Europe. This will be the third generation Renault Laguna, codenamed X91 internally. There will be various engine options both petrol and diesel, and one of them will likely be Nissan’s VQ35DE that seems to be finding it’s way into high powered versions of all Renault and Nissan cars. Video after the jump.

Related Posts:
Unidentified car on test

Click here to read the rest of 3rd Generation Renault Laguna Spy Video

There’s a new variant in Renault’s new Clio range, the new Clio Dynamique S 138, like it’s namesake featuring a 138hp 2.0 liter DOHC engine with variable valve timing, with a maximum torque of 194Nm at 3,750rpm giving the big engine small hot hatch a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 204km/h.

Other enhancements over the standard Clio range include 16 inch alloy wheels, a sporty front lip, extra tinting on the rear windows, and a ‘style pack consisting of sports headlamps, dedicated cornering lights, front foglamps and satin chrome door handles.

The new Clio Dynamique S 138 is positioned below the even more powerful top of the range Clio Renaultsport 197. Now the question is, can this engine be stuffed into a Proton Savvy?

These are artist impressions of the upcoming 2007 Renault Laguna. Nissan’s large car platform is currently the FF-L platform. The new Renault Laguna will likely share this platform with the Nissan Altima/Nissan Primera. Rumours are that there will be both lift-back sedan and coupe versions, and even possible an estate version. Two more impressions after the jump!

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Renault Laguna Artist’s Impression