IndianAutosBlog.com reader Fawaz Khan photographed a woefully conditioned Renault Duster on the ECR (East Coast Road) connecting Chennai and Pondicherry. We’ll excuse Renault for not giving such an important model a wash as long as they test it in places where our readers can easily snap pictures of them.
The Duster is preparing to come out before Diwali though its official website may bluff a June 2012 launch. A top Renault India official said the fifth car to their lineup, a sedan (redesigned Sunny) is another 2012 arrival, on the heels of the Duster’s introduction.
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According to Autocar, Renault is in the process of finalizing a luxury sedan to rival the likes of the VW Passat. The French automaker believes that Passat has a very stronghold in the luxury sedan market and wants a piece of the pie as soon as 2016.
The sedan’s specifications have not been finalized yet but when it is finalized, the mysterious model will sit above the Laguna in the automaker’s lineup.
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As you’ve read in our previous post, Renault India is gearing up to launch two vehicles in 2012, the Duster followed by the Sunny-based sedan. Renault India has shown an updated teaser image of the C-Segment sedan redesigned by the workforce at the Renault Mumbai design studio.
We hear the Indian designers have neatly infused the Sunny with revised front and rear fascias to make it look sporty. Renault may use the Formula 1 race (26-28 Oct) as an occasion to launch one of two new products (Duster, sedan). Last year Renault showcased the Pulse during the Formula 1 race and used the Auto Expo as a stage to introduce the car in the market.
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A member from the Renault India management told IndianAutosBlog.com at the Renault Fluence E4 D (110PS) media drive that two cars are planned as 2012 releases. The first model is the Duster SUV before Diwali (IAB was the first to bust the June-launch myth) followed by the redesigned Sunny sporting the silver diamond.
Renault officials said they remain realistic and were not after the big manufacturers in India. They have been introducing products in the important segments and increasing dealer count.
The design team in the Renault Mumbai studio has worked on the Nissan Sunny to modify the front and rear fascias. The transformation is expected to be along the lines of the Vento-Rapid twins.
Renault launched the new Fluence E4 D at a price of Rs. 15,20,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) in New Delhi yesterday. The new
variant gets a an upgraded version of the fully local manufactured K9K diesel engine which now produces 110 PS of power and 240 NM of torque.
These specifications are not a quantum leap over the existing car, but mind you, its not the power that has changed much, it’s the way it is delivered. Indian Autos Blog will be driving the new Fluence E4 D day after tomorrow to find out how much better it is.
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At the launch of the Renault Fluence E4 D in Delhi yesterday, the top management of Renault India fielded questions on the Fluence’s future and Renault India’s immediate plans.
With the updated K9K diesel engine coming in, what happens to the older engine?
The previous engine continues with the new one because both are very different to each other in terms of drivability. As you can see in the chart below, the previous engine was very robust and the power delivery was limited to a shorter range whereas the new engine delivers power in a more linear way and the torque kicks in at a lower rpm and even goes higher than before.
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Update – We’ve corrected the price.
Renault has just launched a more powerful version of the Renault Fluence diesel for India in New Delhi at Rs. 15.20 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).
No, we are not talking about the larger 2-liter diesel engine from the Koleos, that’s not the engine or launch in question.
The Renault Fluence was the first car in the Indian automotive segment whose petrol variant was more expensive than the diesel one chiefly because the petrol was more loaded in terms of gadgets whereas the diesel was pretty much basic. The strategy, however sound it was, did not work. The Corolla, Cruze and the Laura kept dominating that segment.
Then Renault launched the Fluence diesel in E4 which means now it had all the bells and whistles in the diesel version as well. However Renault is not stopping there.
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IndianAutosBlog.com reader Fawaz Khan photographed a woefully conditioned Renault Duster on the ECR (East Coast Road) connecting Chennai and Pondicherry. We’ll excuse Renault for not giving such an important model a wash as long as they test it in places where our readers can easily snap pictures of them.
