Team-BHP - Renault Fluence : Test Drive & Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat (Post 2363502)

Very presumptious advertising campaign.

Various pictures of concept cars and a statement asking you to book a Fluence.

No pic of the car, no details of where one can go to test the car, view it. How does a layman even know what the car looks like?

People never buy a house like this, i doubt they'll do this for the second largest purchase that they make

Exactly. I was reading the paper and kept turning pages to see the full page ad with all the details of the car and there was nothing. No details at all. Just those concepts which tell you nothing.

Ofcourse being a T-BHPian, I immediately logged on to T-BHP and got the full details and an excellent review but imagine the plight of an average buyer who is not net savvy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitrous Power (Post 2363052)

Passenger airbag On / Off switch. Located on the driver side of the dashboard!

Why can't they provide Auto Passenger Airbag On/Off with inbuilt sensors (like in Toyota Corolla/Camry in US) in the passenger seat where the sensors automatically turn on/off the passenger airbag based on passenger weight. (For child Safety). This switch looks so down market and does not go with 15+L price tag of the car.

The airbag On/Off switch is on the driver's side so that the driver can turn off the airbag if its a co-passenger he/she hates :uncontrol

Thought of making it a mother-in-law joke, but not sure whether the forum will disbar me or something :D

Superb Review. Detailed and well defined through pictures.

Guess, they've missed the bus on this one. With the Cruze Dsl firing away on all cylinders, its going to be hard to tout the Fluence as an alternative, more so considering the high prices, poorer features as also the presence of the 1.5 dCi engine, which gets blown away by the superior Cruze engine.

Consumers in India now want a well rounded package with class leading interiors, "exotic" features, good engines, service backup as also the look factor, which sadly the Fluence DSL doesnt have.

Why, oh why Renault? The Fluence was a desirable car from the start. We can tell from the number of discussions in the Fluence thread. How is it even possible to make a desirable car so undesirable. It's almost like they cannot mess up more than they have.
India likes beige interiors!
India likes diesel!
India likes bells and whistles!
They go and give 1 out of 3. Why, oh why, Renault?
The car looks beautiful, gorgeous in fact. If we could have had the petrol featured and petrol interior car at 12.99 l with a diesel heart, done deal! Surefire success. Sigh!
Also, I'm not really a great fan of the digital speedometer they have given. I think the speedometer on the Euro spec one looks much classier!
Oh why, oh why Renault!

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoRules (Post 2363604)

My instinct - Ad campaigns maybe to tell the common man who Renault are. I think they need to build up the brand now as they are starting from scratch. They might follow it up with ad campaigns showing the Fluence.

And one more doubt - Is it only me or are the interiors of the diesel model (lower dash) also in beige because Stratos said its all-black.

Petrol's Interiors - note the Climate control, AT, beige steering wheel etc

Diesel's interiors - lower part is beige isnt it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikrantj (Post 2363837)

I am shocked as to when this car is compared along with Cruze / Laura / Civic /Altis . The engines specs are even lower than Linea (who has a 1.3L MJD and 1.4L TJet) , and the price is a joke. I mean 14L for petrol and 13L for a diesel.
Renault should not bother to launch it at all sure shot FLOP.

Dude seriously, Linea? Tell me one paramater where the Fluence's engine specs are lower than the Linea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stratos (Post 2363862)

The lower part you are talking about is grey and not beige. Camera flash makes it look lighter.

Ah. Got it.

Excellent review, rated paanch sitaara.

But you Renault get no stars from me. Like most members mentioned here, its a failure from the word GO. IMO, Sonata (embera / transform) would look like superstars vis a vis the sales they would be able to generate. Forget omission of certain ameneties, those RCA input points are a slap on the face. This to me is "frenchiness" gone too far.

More so, what makes them think that puny 1.5 litre engine would have any takers? I guess their research showed them "Toyota doing great with 1.4, we give 1.5, we give 100 cc more, we better. Tres Bien".

Wake up Renault. :Frustrati

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikrantj (Post 2363912)

Linea delivers an equivalent spec with a lower engine size

Car Fuel type Engine size power torque
Fluence Petrol 2.0L 135@6000 190@3700
Linea Petrol 1.4L 114@5000 207@2200
Fluence Diesel 1.5L 104@4000 240@2000
Linea Diesel 1.3L 93@4000 209@2000

1.4 Turbo-Jet is turbocharged, hence more power from smaller engine.

Engine specs of Fluence are higher than Linea (power, torque). You said "Lower than Linea". That's what I wanted to clarify.

A good review. The car looks beautiful from the outside, but what after that....
The glaring flaws in the interior of the car i.e the mistakes in terms of positioning of the hand-brake, Start-Stop,etc... cumulatively titled 'ackward ergonomics' doesn't help to develop a good impression of the car maker, Question arise in the mind: Whether this car maker has been making cars for some time or a newbie!!?.Especially considering that the positioning of these above are elementary and no one would expect car makers to be mistaken about it.

There is another ackward aspect about this car, and it has to do with pricing with relation to the singular trims on offer for petrol and diesel versions.
What absurd logic in relation to the launch of high trim for petrol version of Fluence and the low trim for diesel version of Fluence?, something that needs to be asked to Renault.Isnt it clear as day light, that here unlike in Europe, the price of diesel is lower than that of petrol.Moreover, people nowadays, are in favour of buying diesel cars rather than petrol.Therefore, why step-brother treatment to the diesel Fluence in comparison to petrol Fluence?

Notwithstanding the fact that this auto-company is taking its first step into our auto-market. A pertinent question comes into my mind after going through the review and above opinion of mine together :-

What sort of 'First impression' this auto-company intends to make on the Indian car buyers? Especially, ones who intend to buy car in this segment.

Are they not aware, that on the Indian buyers psyche 'First impressions' about any new product go a long way in making or breaking the success of that product or do they in thier mistaken belief consider our Indian car market as immature--though nothing could be more absurd than that-- that these flaws, mistakes shall remain concealed from the prying eyes of the Indian car buyer?

Cumulatively, it seems that the ship will sink without trace, the moment it begins its journey!!; Consequently, i too share the same opinion many have given here that this product will fail, and dent the prospects of Renault.Although, there is an additional reason from my side. I believe, they should have begun from the small car segment and thus should have brought the Renault Clio.