Renault Fluence review – Hyped and hyped

The French car-maker Renault has taken a bold step to re-visit the Indian market with their Fluence. Obviously Renault realizes the potential and competition here, which is another breather for the company to try its hand in the Indian auto market once again. Renault had made the first attempt with Mahindra Renault Logan, which was a bitter failure in India in spite of the fact that it was technically a good vehicle. But that did not dampen the spirit of the French company and they are stepping back with a bang; it is learnt that the company is all set to roll out five cars in a span of fifteen months and the Renault Fluence is the first car that has made a grand entry.

Looks: Exterior styling and Interiors
One must say that Renault Fluence is impeccably beautiful; the aerodynamic front gives it shark-like looks and the car maker seemed quite cautious while designing the car, it actually shows. You will forgive the past folly (Logan) and it is amazing to see a stupendous improvement that will make you wonder if the car is from the same stable. Never mind, Renault has sure marked a strong come back with Fluence. The half-asleep headlights complements the shark like looks and both the petrol and diesel versions come with the fog lamps as standard. The 10-spoked alloy wheels are also standard of both the petrol and the diesel versions.

Renault Fluence is a fine combination of comfort and luxury, which certainly will be owner's pride and that might well be the catch for this high-end sedan. Open the door with the smart card you will be welcomed by second to none interiors; designed distinctly for both the versions; the petrol getting beige interiors and diesel is adorned in black. The petrol version gets some royal treatment with leathers seats and steering wheel and the diesel car gets a textile laden seats. Else, both the versions are equipped with chrome finish, sun blinds at the rear, alloy wheels, ample storage space, lumbar support for the driver, sufficient leg room and shoulder room suffice for a comfortable drive. The comfort is taken care of in Fluence and even tall people have thigh support and the rear seat cabin is spacious.



Keeping up to the expectations of a hi-end sedan, Renault Fluence maintains a tech savvy image with Bluetooth connection, telescopic tilt steering, cruise control and smart access (Renault's another name for keyless entry) are a few features worth mentioning. Apart from these the safety features include ABS along with EBD, airbags for both driver and passenger, ASR and electronic stability program are the standard features for both the versions. But you would start wondering if the car is designed for Indian drivers; the left hand driver's layout and the placement of controls are quite irky and feels like no no for the Fluence.

Engine, performance and mileage
The two versions of Fluence obviously get two different engines, the petrol variant holds a 2L multipoint injection, which sounds like the wow factor but actually it delivers 137 PS power and a maximum torque of 197 Nm, well it might be the perfect chauffer driven car that fulfils the purpose of the manufacturer and thus performance has taken a backseat. The CVT transmission also does not help the performance factor it in fact drifts the car to inertia.

But the diesel version with 1.5L common rail diesel motor with variable geometry turbocharger enables to pull a power of 105 bhp @4000rpm and torque of 240Nm @ 2000 rpm. The engine is mated to 6 speed manual transmission and this variant has much more to offer to the convenience and comfort of the driver. Idling is noisy and so is top speed range of 160 kmph that isn't any best in the segment. That apart the clutch and the gears feel tight; not a thing to expect from car like Fluence.

In the city though Fluence delivers very well with minimum lag from the engine and transmission especially in the petrol fuelled version but a lag is felt in the diesel.

Talking of the suspension and chassis the two variants have no difference, they are well engineered to offer good handling, especially while sharp turns and at hi-speed.

The ARAI certified petrol version Fluence gives a mileage of around 13-14 kmpl and the diesel one runs around 20-22 km per liter.

Colors, variants and price
The Renault Fluence as already known is available in two versions petrol and diesel in the following colors: glacier white, pearl black, ash beige and blue ecume.

The Fluence is priced as follows:
Renault Fluence petrol version- Rs 12.99 lakh, ex-showroom price
Renault Fluence diesel version- Rs 14.99 lakh, ex-showroom price

Final Word:
Why anyone can buy Fluence: Amazing and envious design and styling, gets so much noticed in parking slots filled with Honda Civics and Corolla Altis. The storage capacity is one of the best in class and so are luxury and several unique features offered in the petrol version are some of the USPs of the Fluence.

Cons: Not so good CVT transmission, poorly placed audio system controls (behind the steering) and the cruise control placed behind the gear make it irritations for driver.

Look at the larger picture and the Fluence may not be really that disappointing sedan too, it may still give a good competition to Honda Civic, Skoda Laura, Toyota Altis and Chevrolet Cruze.