Introduction:
Renault has launched the facelifted version of their premium sedan, the Fluence. It was first showcased to the Indian audience at the recently held Delhi Auto Expo. It is priced at Rs 13.99 lakh for the E2 variant and Rs 15.49 lakh for the E4 variant(ex-showroom, Delhi). The previous generation vehicle never really took-off for reasons unknown, but Renault are hoping to change it with this model. After all we can see how their Duster took the Indian market by storm, which proves that Renault know the Indian market quite well!
Engine and Transmission:
On the mechanical front Renault have not made any significant changes when compared to the previous generation vehicle. Powering the Fluence is a 1.5litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine. It delivers 110PS of power at 4000rpm and 240Nm of torque at 1850rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. We have seen this motor in a lot of Renault vehicles ,although in different states of tune. The main USP of this motor is it’s driveablility. There is absolutely no turbo-lag so there will no issues faced while overtaking. The engine is also very fuel efficient delivering a mileage of 20.4kmpl.
Exteriors:
The biggest change in the Fluence facelift has to be the all-new exterior styling. The front is where majority of the exterior changes have taken place. It gets a significantly bigger Renault bolted on to a brand new chrome grille. There is also an all-new bumper with integrated LED’s. The side profile is the same as the outgoing model except for the new 16 inch alloy wheels. The exterior of the previous generation car was quite toned-down when compared to the facelift. This current generation car looks way better!
Interiors and Equipment:
Moving on to the interior, the facelifted Fluence features a soft touch dashboard and a bunch of other exciting new features like a new Arkamys music system (with Bluetooth connectivity), illuminated glovebox. Apart from this the Fluence also comes with dual-zone climate control, rear AC vents, rain sensing wipers, digital speedometer, cruise control, parking sensors, follow-me-home headlamps, electrically operated mirrors, ABS, EBD, ESP, 4 Airbags and smart key with start-stop button feature. The design of the interior is classy and moreover it is very well put together, almost as good as it’s german competitors.
Conclusion:
The Renault Fluence in my opinion is one of the most under-rated cars on sale in the Indian market. The previous generation car was quite good, but the facelift takes the car into another level. The car looks way better now and is surely going to be one of it’s strong selling points, along with of course the fuel efficient diesel motor which power it and So Renault have really taken a good product and made it way better, just hope it turns out to be successful this time around. If you are looking for a car in the 15lakh rupee range then do check out the Renault Fluence, it will surprise you!
