Riding on the success of heavily localised products like the Kwid and the Duster, Renault has decided to discontinue all completely knocked down (CKD) and semi-knocked down (SKD) cars in the country. The company has announced that it will be focusing on products that have at least 80% localisation in case of big cars, and 95% localisation in small cars.

We had earlier reported that Renault had silently removed the Fluence sedan from its website, pointing towards its discontinuation. Now, the Koleos SUV too has been eliminated from the company's portfolio on the official website. Both these cars were assembled in India through imported kits, and were thus priced inappropriately, especially in comparison to their immediate competitors. In a price sensitive market like ours, these high prices ensured that both the cars didn't attract much attention from potential customers.

Meanwhile, Renault's best-selling car in India - the Kwid, is claimed to have 98% localisation. This has helped the French automaker to price the car aggressively and thus reap success, even in the highly competitive entry-level hatchback segment. Learning from this experience, Renault will now be focusing on heavily localised products for the Indian market.

The company is reported to be planning to launch three new products in the country, one of which will be a compact SUV. Renault is also continuously expanding its dealer network in India, which has been increased from 205 to 270 outlets during 2016.

Source: ET Auto

The Renault Fluence has reportedly been discontinued in India. Though the company hasn't revealed any official information yet, the sedan has been removed from Renault India's website. A couple of dealers in Delhi too have pointed towards non-availability of the Fluence.

The Fluence was the first car to be launched in India when Renault started its second innings in the country. It was introduced in May 2011, and was given a mid-life facelift in 2014. The facelifted model got a new bumper, chrome fog lamp housing with LED DRLs, a new pair of headlamps, and redesigned alloy wheels. However, the car wasn't really able to stir the segment, despite getting good reviews.

The Fluence was powered by a 1.5-litre, direct injection diesel engine, which developed 108 BHP @ 4000 rpm and 240 Nm of torque @ 1850 rpm. It was mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The car's low sales might have forced the French automaker to concentrate on products that are selling well, like the Kwid and the Duster. Renault has been able to sell just 1 unit of the Fluence in the six month period of March 2016 - August 2016.

The Renault Megane Sedan has been revealed globally. It is the third product in Megane range which is currently in its fourth-generation in Renault's international portfolio. The Megane Sedan will replace the Renault Fluence globally, though it is still not clear whether the French automaker would bring it to the Indian markets.

The new Megane Sedan is based on Renault's CMF C/D platform. The overall design and structure of the sedan is similar to the Megane hatch and Estate models, save for the added trunk jutting out of the back. The front gets C-shaped headlights and slimmer air dams on the bumper. The side profile showcases the added third box at the rear. The Megane sedan offers a boot space of 508-litres.

The Megane sedan will be offered with five engine options: two petrol and three diesel units. The petrol duo develops 115 BHP and 130 BHP, while the diesel mills are rated at 90 BHP, 110 BHP, and 130 BHP. Transmission options on offer depend on the engine choice, and include a five-speed manual, a six-speed manual, a six-speed auto and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

Renault will manufacture the Megane sedan from its production facility in Turkey, and will export it to many global markets, including middle-east, Europe, Australia, and North Africa.

Thanks to BHPian gauravdgr8 for bringing this to our notice.

Until 2014, Renault was known to offer one of the best factory warranties in India on their vehicles - 4 years or 80,000 kms. However, 2015 onwards, Renault too like other manufacturers, now provides a standard warranty of 2 years (or 50,000 kms from the date of delivery).

Customers now have the option to purchase extended warranty for an additional 2 years or 30,000 kms, by paying a certain sum of money. Pricing of this extended warranty varies on the basis of city and vehicle.

Prices for extended warranty in Mumbai are as below:

Duster: Rs. 10,400/10,650 (P/D)
Pulse: Rs. 6,150/6,300 (P/D)
Scala: Rs. 7,450
Fluence: Rs. 19,200
Koleos: Rs. 26,500

On a related note, Honda offers a warranty of up to 7 years / 1,00,000 kms on their cars.

Renault has launched the facelifted Fluence sedan in India at prices starting from Rs. 13.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The refreshed Fluence features a new grille with a large Renault badge, projector headlamps and a new bumper with integrated fog lamps and DRLs. The car rides on restyled 16-inch alloy wheels.

The interior of the refreshed Fluence features a new audio system with Bluetooth, USB and Aux-in connectivity, 3D surround sound technology by Arkamys, a soft touch dashboard, dual zone climate control and a digital instrument cluster. Other equipment includes a smart key with a star / stop button, cruise control, parking sensors, 4 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, rain sensing wipers, dusk sensing headlamps, rear sun blinds, hands free telephone and rear AC vents depending upon the variant.

The Fluence continues to use the 1.5-litre, direct injection diesel engine, which develops 110 PS @ 4000 rpm and 240 Nm of torque @ 1850 rpm, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

The car is available in two variants – E2 and E4, which are priced at Rs. 13.99 lakh and Rs. 15.49 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) respectively.

Additionally, Renault is offering the Renault Complete Care Package with the facelifted Fluence. This package includes 2+2 year or 80,000 km warranty and 4 year road-side assistance.

Renault has launched the facelifted Fluence sedan in India. The car which has been displayed at the 12th Auto Expo, is available in two variants – E2 and E4, which are priced at Rs. 14.22 lakh and Rs. 15.81 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) respectively.

The new Fluence features a new grille with a large Renault badge, restyled headlamps and a new bumper with integrated fog lamps and DRLs. The car rides on 16-inch alloy wheels with a new design.

The interior of the Fluence has been tweaked as well. There is a new audio system and a soft touch dashboard, dual zone climate control, satellite navigation and a digital instrument cluster. Other equipment includes a smart key with a star / stop button, cruise control, parking sensors, 4 airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, rain sensing wipers, dusk sensing headlamps, rear sun blinds and rear AC vents depending upon the variant.

The Fluence continues to use the 1.5-litre, direct injection diesel engine, which develops 110 PS @ 4000 rpm and 240 Nm of torque @ 1850 rpm, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The Renault Fluence is simply unable to move off showroom floors. It's 6 month sales average has been a mere 139 units, including a low point of 102 sales in January 2012. Segment leader, the Toyota Corolla Altis, manages about 7 - 8 times higher deliveries. The Fluence has been a victim of poor strategy, market positioning & understanding of the Indian customer. Remember that, at the time of initial launch, the diesel Fluence didn't get so much as climate control, leather seats or a USB port for your iPod! All the features went to the Fluence Petrol Automatic, at a time when the market had already sworn off petrol-guzzling automatics.

Just a handful of days back, Renault launched the Fluence with an upgraded engine @ Rs. 15 lakh : Thread Link (Upgraded Renault Fluence E4D launched @ 15.20 lakhs).

Now, in an attempt to clear up dead stock at the factory & dealer levels, Renault introduces the Fluence Advantage Edition at a slashed price tag of Rs. 11.99 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). This effectively means that Renault has discounted the Fluence by over 1.5 lakh rupees (as is usually the case with market duds).

The Advantage variant is the same stripped down version, with few features on the inside. However, if you were looking at a rugged workhorse, it might be worth a test-drive.

The company insists that this offer is for a limited period only. We don't buy that; if this variant actually manages to gain some traction in the market, Renault may just as well regularise it.

Related Threads:
- Renault Fluence Official Review
- Fluence Engine Upgrade (Upgraded Renault Fluence E4D launched @ 15.20 lakhs)