SAO PAULO, Brazil —Renault has launched its Fluence sedan for the Brazil market, replacing the nearly four-year-old Megane. The Fluence was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show and is already on sale in Europe. Renault is looking to attract customers from the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic that dominate the segment here.
The new Renault started production in South Korea, then in Turkey and is now also being assembled in Cordoba, Argentina.
Although based on the Megane G3 platform, the new model is slightly longer (181.9 vs. 177.9 inches), wider (69.9 vs. 71.2 inches without mirrors) and taller (57.5 vs. 57.9 inches). Wheelbase has been increased from 105.7 to 106.3 inches.
Power comes from an all-aluminum Nissan 16-valve, four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine. The flex-fuel engine makes 141 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque, an improvement over the Renault 2.0-liter engine that makes 136 hp and 139 lb-ft when it runs on ethanol. The entry-level Dynamique with manual six-speed transmission gets from zero to 60 mph in less than 9.7 seconds, with a top speed of 125 mph. An Xtronic continuously variable transmission is optional, getting the Fluence to 60 mph in less than 9.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 122 mph.
The good news for Brazilian customers is the ability of the Nissan engine to run also on ethanol-free gasoline of the neighboring countries, unlike most domestic cars, which are calibrated to run on E20 minimum. In fact, all Renault models are "international" in this aspect.
The Fluence starts at the equivalent of $34,600 in Brazil, with the top-level Privilege version — which has GPS, sunroof, traction control, cruise control and other perks — retailing at $44,000. Sales start in February, and Renault is targeting 20,000 sales each year.
Renault is keeping its Megane Grand Tour station wagon in production with 1.6-liter engine only, repositioning it at an inviting price of $27,450.
Inside Line says: For some reason, the Megane did not appeal to Brazilian customers the way the company expected. This time Renault looks to have done a far better job. — Bob Sharp, Correspondent
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