Renault's debut car after they ended their tie with Mahindra is the new Fluence. The French company has exhaustively tested this car, in an effort to tick all the necessary boxes, for the Fluence to be a success.
The sleek roof, sculpted bonnet with a large Renault lozenge sunken into it, shapely wheel arches, a prominent beltline that sharply rises up and striking headlamps all add up to make the Fluence quite a looker. The 16-inch alloys with 205 section tyres nicely fill up the wheel arches to give the Fluence a strong stance and balance to its generous proportions.
Renault's strategy is to bring in two engine choices, a 1.5 diesel and a 2-litre petrol, with the latter being loaded with kit such as a six-speed CVT, twin-zone air-conditioning, cruise control, automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, keyless start-stop, an on-board computer, leather seats, electrically folding mirrors, and Bluetooth connectivity.
On the safety side, Renault has equipped the Fluence 2-litre petrol with four airbags and anti-whiplash headrests. In comparison, the diesel is scantily equipped with a different interior trim, with options such as a digitally controlled air-con, rear vents and leather seats conspicuously missing. The interior quality, however, is something they haven't compromised on with impressive plastics and materials in place.
The Fluence gets excellent interior legroom thanks to it being substantially bigger than many other cars, with the front seats getting lots of travel and the rotary adjuster letting you find an ideal sitting position. But, while the legroom at the rear is good, the sloping roof limits headroom at the back and the seating is quite low. The boot space is tremendous with a cavernous 530-litre capacity. Additionally, the back seats can be split 60:40 for extra flexibility.
The 2-litre petrol is very impressive with its 135bhp engine giving you a smooth, refined and free-revving experience. Tech bits on this motor include variable valve timing and a double cooling circuit to reduce friction and fuel consumption.
The CVT works perfectly fine in city traffic conditions, and there are no jolts that you usually relate to a regular CVT. Out on the highway, however, it's a different story. The rubberband effect provides a lethargic drive that leaves you waiting in the wings while the Renault picks up speed. 100kph from standstill takes a leisurely 13 seconds. But the saving grace is the smoothness of the mill that doesn't jar you with any vibrations or harshness.
The Fluence's 1.5-litre diesel, essentially the same K9K motor, comes with a variable geometry turbo (VGT) that bumps up power to 105bhp. If the official industry figure of 21.8kpl is to be believed, the Fluence diesel should be a very economical buy. 0-100kph comes up in a modest 14 seconds and the engine is at its best in the mid-range while it makes use of the 24.5kgm of torque available. Power delivery is quite uneven and city driving can be a chore because of the heavy clutch and the six-speed gearbox.
The steering is delightfully balanced and the car has a magical blend of ride and handling, and while the Fluence isn't exactly sporty, the suspension has been tuned for ride comfort that is easily the best in its class.
Even at high speeds, the Renault maintains its stability on undulating surfaces and the long wheelbase has a big role to play in this.
After spending time with the car, it is easy to see why Renault feels so confident about the cars ability and the only perplexing aspect is why Renault has decided to price the petrol CVT higher than the diesel, considering the demand for automatic petrols in India is still marginal. The top-end petrol CVT will set you back by around 13.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and the base diesel will be for around 12 lakh. Renault's targeting close to 3,000 cars a year and the diesel should account for a bulk of overall sales.
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