Renault Fluence Z.E. Priced £17,850 OTR after £5,000 Plug-In Car Grant

Following the announcements on UK pricing for the Kangoo Van Z.E. and Twizy, Renault today confirmed prices for its third pure-electric model, the Fluence Z.E. ahead of its launch in the market in 2012.

The four-door, five seat Fluence Z.E. saloon will carry an on-the-road price of £22,850, which drops to £17,850 (US$28,500) after the £5,000 UK Plug-In Car Grant has been deducted.

Buyers will also have to lease the batteries with pricing set at £75 (US$120) per month based on 6,000 miles/3 years. The French firm said additional mileage and contract length details will be available closer to vehicle’s launch.

Renault said the Fluence Z.E. is the most affordable electric car in Britain (not counting quadricycles like its own Twizy or the G-Wiz) undercutting its rivals by a “sizeable margin”. As an example, the French firm gave the Mitsubishi i-Miev electric mini that costs £6,140 more than the Fluence Z.E. at £23,990 (US$38,302).

The zero-emissions French sedan is powered by an electric motor that develops 70kW (95-horses) of power and 226Nm (167 lb-ft) of instant torque on tap, with its lithium-ion battery offering a driving range of up to 115 miles or 185 kilometers.

The launch model will be offered in a single trim level called Prime Time. Standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, ecoMeter and Carminat TomTom Live smart satellite navigation, and charging sockets on both front wings.

The French marque has already began accepting pre-reservations for its pure electric saloon via www.renault-ze.com with a £20 reserve.

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Monstrous Paramount Marauder Armored Vehicle

In just a few hours from now, Top Gear will air the first episode of season 17 on BBC. During the past two weeks, we got a taste of what Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond have in store for us this year through two teaser clips.
In one of those trailers, we saw a large off-road-like vehicle playing the role of a monster truck on a white Alfa Romeo 156 and an older generation Renault Megane sedan.
It turns out that the vehicle is a mine protected armored truck called Marauder from South African company Paramount Group and the driver behind the steering wheel is Richard Hammond. We were contacted by Paramount Group who told us that the Marauder will be featured in tonight's first episode of Top Gear Season 17.
We’ll have more on this tomorrow with bonus pictures and videos after the program airs on TV, but for the time being, check out the Marauder’s specifications and a gallery of the vehicle below.

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Renault Koleos SUV Refreshed for the Model Year 2012

It’s only three years old, but it’s apparently time for the Renault Koleos compact SUV to receive its first facelift. The changes include an exterior makeover and new interior trim, plus noticeable CO2 and fuel consumption savings in the case of the crossover model’s range of diesel powerplants.

The first thing you’ll notice on the updated model is the brand new fascia, evidently inspired by the newly launched Latitude sedan, which like the Koleos, is the product of Renault Samsung Motors in Busan, South Korea.

The styling changes up front include new headlights, a larger single frame grille with chrome accents plus a redesigned bumper, fenders and hood. Other exterior tweaks include the new exterior mirrors that now incorporate LED indicators, fresh alloy wheel designs and the introduction of the pictured “Cayenne Orange” finish.

Inside, the Koleos benefits from a new selection of upholsteries and trims and the introduction of a restyled speedometer housing and display.

Depending on market, the latest Koleos is available with the 150HP or 175HP version of the firm’s M9R diesel engine, or with the 170HP (TR25) petrol engine.

For the new model year, updates to the range of diesel engines and transmissions have resulted in lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions with the two-wheel drive version powered by the dCi 150 engine now rated at 148g/km and the dCi 175 unit at166g/km.

The Koleos is also available with a Nissan-developed all-wheel drive system.

The French firm’s crossover is offered in 40 countries on five continents and is produced at the Renault Samsung Motors plant in Busan, South Korea.

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VIDEO: Renault Megane RS Run at the ‘Ring'

Last week, Renault upped the ante for front-wheel drive models by setting a new lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife with its more powerful Mégane Renaultsport Trophy.
The 265-horsepower strong special edition posted a lap time of 8 minutes and 7.97 seconds in the hands of Renault test driver Laurent Hurgon, smashing the previous record for a front-wheel drive model held by the older generation Mégane RS R26.R by nine seconds. Buckle up, sit tight and enjoy the record run in the video after the break.
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VIDEO: New Renault Samsung`s SM7

Start naming Korean autοmakers. Ready? Gο! Okay, there's Hyundai, οf course. And its sister cοmpany Kia. Daewoo's been taken οver entirely by GM. That's it, right? Almοst. Dο not fοrget Renault Samsung. The French automaker prοduces its own line οf vehicles in South Korea in partnership with electrοnics giant Samsung.

The lineup includes the QM5 (alsο known as the Renault Kοleοs), the small SM3 and SM3 CE, the slightly larger SM5 and this, the new SM7. The new top-οf-the-line Samsung was previewed in concept fοrm earlier this year, and is nοw ready for its production rοll-οut.

The mοdel it replaces offered 2.3-liter and 3.5-liter versiοns οf Nissan's ubiquitous VQ engine, and the new mοdel is likely tο follow a similar path. The sedan is based οn the Nissan Maxima, and may very well be expοrted outside οf its Korean market as a prοper Renault. Seek οut the images in the high-res gallery belοw and the video after the jump fοr a closer lοok.

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Renault Wind Roadster and Lexus CT 200h Hybrid

Selling a car through advertising isn’t as easy as you might think. What good is it showing your product nimbly taking on Alpine twists and turns when your competitors are doing the same thing? Here are two ads that don’t really break the mould, but try something a little different.
First up is this one for the open-top Renault Wind. I’m a big fan of this car; I think it’s a funky and decidedly French take on the compact convertible. Still, there’s something disturbingly I Am Legend about this particular ad from the firm Publicis Conseil. The eerily vacant streets, the shuttered windows and the presence of a dog sitting on a street corner all at up to the expectation that Will Smith should be running through the scene pursued by monsters.
Next is the spot for the Lexus CT 200h hybrid hatch by firm Saatchi & Saatchi. A little boy sits in the back seat while his mother asks him the sounds various modes of transport make. It’s very cute, especially if you have children. You can check out both these ads right here and then leave a comment in the section below if you wish.
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Renault's French Dealers Offering 45 Percent Discounts on Clio

The Renault brand’s sales are down 35 percent since May 1 in France and this has forced local dealers to offer hefty discounts to customers on certain models, a French radio station reported. According to the BFM radio station quoted byReuters, dealers are offering discounts as high as 45 percent on some versions of the Clio supermini. For instance, certain dealers are selling the Clio for €7,990 ($11,400), even though the factory sticker is €14,100 ($20,120).
Renault admitted that the French car market remained on a downward trend, but refused to comment the report according to which its sales were down 35 percent. "We cannot communicate on May data before early June...The market for May in France seems down," a Renault spokesman said. He added that decreasing sales were partly due to the end of a car scrappage scheme.
France's successful car incentive program was terminated in December 2010, but drivers who bought cars as part of the program could register them until the end of March.
Renault was one of the hardest hit carmakers in Europe in April recording a 13 percent drop in sales compared to last year with 105,799 units. In the same month, car sales in France declined by 11 percent, according to ACEA, the European automakers association.
Europe's car market shrank for the third consecutive year, falling to 13.8 million vehicles in 2010 from 16 million in 2007, the last year in which it recorded a sales growth.
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New Renault Latitude Sedan

Renault has lifted the covers off a new flagship sedan named Latitude that will in effect replace the discontinued (and rather controversial) Vel Satis.

Described by the French carmaker as "its latest international status-enhancing family saloon" [sic..], the Latitude will get its first public outing at the Moscow Motor Show at the end of August, while Europeans will get their first view of the car at this Fall's 2010 Paris Motor Show.

For those of you that keep a close eye on global automotive news, the new Latitude won't come as a surprise as it's based on the Renault Group's 2010 Samsung SM5 sedan that recently went on sale in South Korea. And by "based", we mean re-badged and VW- re-grilled... [see pictures of the SM5 below]

Built on a modified version of the Laguna's platform, Renault's new flagship model features a conventional four-door sedan body instead of a five-door fastback form like it's 25, Safrane (not the Samsung-based Safrane) and Vel-Satis predecessors

The Latitude measures 4.890mm in length, 1.830mm in width and 1.490mm in height, meaning it's 195mm longer, 19mm wider and 45mm taller than the Laguna hatch.

Renault has not yet released details on the engine range, but motorists should expect the usual mix of petrol and diesel engines.

The French automaker said that the Latitude will be offered with a variety of features that place the emphasis "on innovation and travelling comfort", including a dual-mode air ionizer with double fragrance diffuser, triple-zone climate control, a massaging driver's seat, Bose Premium audio, the Renault hands-free card and more.

According to the company, the Latitude is due to go on sale this autumn in Asia, Africa, Russia, Turkey, Gulf, Australia and Mexico, with Europe to follow shortly after.

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Renault Clio Gordini RS

The Renault Alpine plant in Dieppe produced the 1,000th Clio Gordini RS model this month, less than a year after its introduction. Built since May 2010, the Clio Gordini RS is sold in 18 countries, most of them in Europe.

Renault revived the Gordini name at the end of 2009, when it presented the Twingo Gordini RS. Other members of the Gordini family include the Twingo Gordini and more recently, the Wind Gordini, which premiered at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

Although in the past Gordini was linked with motor sports and performance versions of Renault's road cars, currently the name is only used to designate styled-up and better equipped models, with no technical changes at all. Compared to the base Renault sport Clio, the Gordini version brings only exterior and interior styling tweaks.

Half of Renault's Twingo RS and Clio RS models sold in Europe are wearing the Gordini nameplate and its renowned white stripes. According to Renault, the Twingo RS is the second best sold car of the A sport segment, with a market share of 25 percent in Europe's biggest five markets in 2010, while the Clio RS owns 16 percent of the B sport segment.

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Renault Alpine Sports Coupe

An affordable, rear-wheel drive sports coupe from Renault bearing the historic Alpine moniker has been in the cards for years but the French carmaker has yet to launch a modern day successor to the last model to carry the Alpine name, the A610 from the mid 1990s.

After production of the A610 ended, Renault used the Alpine factory in Dieppe to manufacture the street-legal RenaultSport Spider, a lightweight two-seater model with a rear mid-engine layout built from 1995 to 1997, which was the French firm’s last bespoke sports car.
Over the years, we have seen many independent designers creating concept studies for a new Alpine coupe, the most recent being the one you see pictured above, which is the work of David Cardoso.
Here is what David told Carscoop about his design: “I made a modern interpretation of the Renault Alpine A110. Like the original Alpine, this concept has a rear engine and a stretched silhouette. The rear is inspired by the Dezir Concept while the front has influences of the Nepta Concept. Could be a direct competitor (or ally since Nissan is in the Renault group) for the Nissan 370Z.”
Check out the high-resolution pictures below and voice your thoughts about the design in the comments section below.
 

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Renault Unveils the Kangoo Maxi Z.E.

French car manufacturer Renault will use the Geneva Show to unveil the Kangoo Maxi Z.E., the newest member of its EV family that will go on sale in autumn 2011. Available in two or five-seat configurations, the Kangoo Maxi Z.E. has a maximum carrying capacity of 4.6 cubic meters (162.4 cubic feet), thanks to the 40 cm longer wheelbase (1.3 ft) than the Kangoo Z.E., while the load length is 2.9 meters (9.5 ft).
The five-seat version comes with a 60/40-split folding rear bench, which disappears into the floor to release a completely flat deck and free up almost 3.4 cubic meters (120 cubic feet) of carrying space.
The van is powered by a 60-horsepower electric motor, which has an instant peak torque of 226 Nm (166 lb-ft) and is "fuelled" by a 22kWh lithium-ion battery located under the floor. Charging time varies between 6 and 8 hours, with each full charge costing EUR1.5 ($2.05) and the average driving range being around 170 km (105 miles).
As with its other electric models, Renault will offer clients the possibility of either buying or leasing the car, with an additional monthly subscription to be paid for the battery (from EUR72/$99). Renault's calculations indicate the annual maintenance cost for the Kangoo Maxi Z.E. will be similar to the conventional model if the distance traveled is less than 15,000 km (9,320 miles), and become more competitive as the mileage grows.
Pre-tax pricing in Europe starts from €21,200 ($29,100), with prices in France after a €5,000 state subsidy beginning from €16,200 ($22,250), which is very close to the price of a diesel-engined Kangoo Maxi.


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