September 2010 44 Pages Draft.pdf - Renault Owners Club Forum

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m o d E R NDuring Louis Renault’s reign,Renault had a significantpresence in the luxury carmarket and the marque was aserious competitor to the greats – Rolls,Hispano, Mercedes, Bugatti and others,with major coachbuilders being prepared todemonstrate their artistic flair on Renaultchassis. Post-WW2, it has been rather adifferent story, but, by reviewing theFrégate, the Rambler, the Sixteen, theThirty, the Twenty-Five and the Safrane, itis clear that Renault has really not beenabsent from the top end of the market sincethe early Fifties. Whether the company’son-going presence in that sector has beenfinancially viable or not, is quite anothermatter, which it is not proposed to addresshere.Renault’s turn-of-the-century challengerin the luxury car market, the Vel Satis,was launched at the March 2001 GenevaMotor Show and it was the talk of thetown. Vel Satis majored on life aboard –outstandingly comfortable seating,swathes of headroom and a quality offinish to drain the colour from the faces ofthe German opposition. But the luxobargemarket is bedeviled byconservatism and even Vel Satis’s daringcould not shake that ideology.To start with, let us laud the good thingsabout Vel Satis. Taking as read that itsshape is an acquired taste, it is the insideof the car which is outstanding, for noother car in its class offers such grace andambiance, such airiness, such spaciousA brief look back atRenault’s Vel satisdimensions and such a commanding viewof the road. To truly appreciate theseluxurious features, it is imperative thatone is chauffeured around in the relaxingrear compartment. A cynic might say thatVel Satis is a supreme example ofministerial transport and certainly manyexamples are currently in use ingovernment circles in France.But the Vel Satis’s very internalspaciousness dictated the car’s externalshape, the CX of which approximated to abarn door (or to a ‘Norman wardrobe, ’ asour Gallic friends say) and this, coupledwith the additional weight, which luxuryentails, ensured that the engines had towork hard and that the fuel consumption,even of the diesel versions, consequentlysuffered in comparison to competitors,powered by more modern engines andenclosed in more aerodynamicallyefficient silhouettes. The Vel Satis rangeoffered petrol engines of between 170 and245bhp and diesel counterparts with from150 to 180bhp.The most coveted versions are the 2-litredCi 150bhp Privilege and 2-litre dCi175bhp Initiale (automatic) and those toavoid (for various reasons) are the 2-litreTurbo 170bhp (petrol), the 3.5-litre V-6Automatic (petrol) and the 3-litre V6 dCi180bhp. There has also been a history oftemperamental electronics, quirkyelectrics, unexplained engine failures(such power units were usually replacedunder warranty and without furtherexplanation) and a generally patchy buildquality. Repair costs can be stratosphericand, in the coming years, these willprobably exceed the residual value of thecars, a growing problem with the range’sstablemate, Avantime.The range was commercialised inSeptember 2001 and the shape had itsonly facelift in April 2005 (changes tofront grille, bonnet and lights, plus amakeover of the rear light clusters). Therange sold slowly in the UK and, indeed,the revised model never reached ourshores. No further orders for thisSandouville-built range were acceptedafter 08 September 2009 and it wasofficially deleted from Renault’s homesales range at the end of the same year.World-wide sales over its eight year lifeamounted to 62,201 units (noauthenticated sales figures are availablefor the UK market alone), whereasMercedes sells around 200,000 units of itscompeting E-Class - every year. . . . .Does Vel Satis’ disappearance mean thatRenault will desert this market segment?Yes and no. Renault will launch aSamsung SM5-based Renault Latitude in30 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N ER E N O T E S M A G A Z I N E
m o d E R Nthe near future and further details will bemade available, as and when the newrange is released. Latitude is likely to besold only into targeted markets – Africa,China, Russia and throughout the PersianGulf – but it is unlikely to be sold inWestern Europe, where the luxury carmarket is either stagnant or declining,which makes it an unattractive andunprofitable sector for most carmanufacturers in these difficult times. It isprobable that the top versions of Lagunaand Fluence will keep the Renault flagflying in such contracting marketsegments.Hector Mackenzie-WintleAnd Looking Forwards?Latitude. In addition to its balancedproportions, generous exteriordimensions, large boot and front-endlooks which mirror the powerful enginesin the new range, the newcomer boastselegant styling.Based on an architecture that is widelyacclaimed for its strength and efficiency,Renault's new saloon rounds off thebrand's international high-end range andwill appeal to customers who are lookingfor status, quality and comfort in all of itsforms.Renault Latitude will get its first publicairing at the Moscow Motor Show at theend of August, while European motoristswill be able to gettheir first closeupview of the carat the 2010 ParisMotor Show inOctober.In addition to itsgenerous exteriordimensions(length: 4.89m /width: 1.83m /height: 1.49m),Latitude boastselegant looks. The contours of the grilleare flanked by distinctive bi-xenonadaptive directional headlights, whilechrome detailing give the car anunmistakable impression of dynamismand status. Its rear design incorporatesample boot space, and the new car caneffectively claim one of the biggest bootsin its class. The rear lighting signatureemploys LED technology and harmonisesperfectly with the chrome rear strip whichbears the new model's name.Based on the samearchitecture as NewSM5, which wasrecently launched inKorea, Latitudeprofits extensivelyfrom Renault'sengineeringexpertise.Occupants benefitfrom a comfortable,quiet ride, as wellas a precise chassisand a choice ofpowerplants that aresure to give it adecisive edge overits rivals. Forenhanced qualityand reliability,Renault Latitudecomes with anumber of featuresdeveloped andassembled to theAlliance's higheststandards andwhich benefitdirectly from theexcellent resultsobtained by Lagunaon these two fronts.The complete equipment list, which willbe revealed at a later date, places theemphasis on innovation and travellingcomfort, including a dual-mode air ioniserwith double fragrance diffuser, triple-zoneclimate control, a massaging driver's seat,Bose Premium audio and Renault handsfreecard.A decision on the possible UK launch ofLatitude has not been made yet. However,potential international customers will beable to discover more about the car atwww. renault-latitude. com.Alasdair Worsley $#/ /,-6)#+# )6!,),+3#+1',+))6 +&' '1#" 2'1 )# $,/ )) #&'!)#05!##"0 #.2'/#*#+10 R E N o T E s m A G A Z I N E315
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Page 5 and 6: A d V E RT I s m E N TCars for Sale
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Page 15 and 16: C L A s s I C - A N N I V E R s A R
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Page 43 and 44: L I f E s T Y L E R E N A U LTParts

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