Renault Latitude diesel 2012 review

Things changed when the Renault Latitude landed in Australia last year.

For the first time, the French maker had a car that didn't sit alongside 'quirky' in every sentence, or hang its future on a hatchback tail borrowed from J-Lo. The Latitude looks and drives like a run-of-the-mill mid-sized family sedan, not something oddball from France, and Renault Australia also managed to end its earlier battles against high-priced hopefuls with a bottom line from $36,990. 

The Carsguide crew has spent more than 2000 kilometres with a Latitude to compile a local report card, with solid Bs in most areas but a "Must do better" bottom line because of the classy competition in faces in Australia.

VALUE

The basic Latitude has everything you need for family motoring, and a few surprising bonuses. The leather seats and side blinds are great for child-friendly motoring and a satnav system with built-in speed zone alerts, thanks to TomTom programming, works for everyone. The pricing plan works because the Latitude, despite its Renault badge, is a global hybrid. It picks up a mechanical package from Nissan and is built by Samsung in Korea.

But, to put it into perspective, the Latitude has the same bottom line as the classy and well equipped Kia Optima Platinum and costs more than a basic Honda Accord Euro. In a mid-sized class that's loaded with contenders, and class, the Latitude is still struggling to win friends and only 208 cars were delivered through the first 11 months of 2011, compared with 17,637 for the Toyota Camry.

TECHNOLOGY

There is nothing special about the Latitude, although the long-termer comes with the solid diesel engine and six-speed automatic that gives it great economy and long legs for touring. The chassis picks up Maxima bits and that shows with good handling and ride comfort that's good, but not as great as we remember from cars such as the Laguna.

DESIGN

The Latitude is very conservative by Renault standards, and doesn't really sit all that way in a family of cars that is dominated by chic little Megane models. But there is nothing wrong with the shape or space, or the boot, or the dashboard layout and controls.

SAFETY

Renault was one of the world's first carmakers to commit to five-star ANCAP safety and, without including a big crash in the test program, there is nothing to fault. The car sits well on the road, the brakes are strong, and you know it has an ESP safety net for bad weather or some sort of silliness by someone else.

DRIVING

Living with the Latitude is easy, and enjoyable. It's no sports car, but it gets along nicely, works well for a family, and will puddle to the mall or handle a long country run. The diesel engine has plenty of shove, even with bicycles on the back end and fun stuff filling the boot, and is averaging around 8.2 litres/ 100km despite spending most of its time in the city and 'burbs. The car is quiet, the aircon works well, and the headlamps are good, but the seats are a major disappointment. They lack support and cushioning, which means the Latitude starts down the list for any trip over two hours. 

The biggest shortcoming in the Latitude is nothing to do with the car, but its position and its opposition. It just doesn't have enough zing or attitude - whether that's the bland styling or the lack of 'Renaultness' - in a class where there is lots of class. Our current favourites include the Ford Mondeo, the new Camry and - for value - the Skoda Octavia. So the Renault is doing the job, and still has some time left to impress, but it's not the first choice for a mid-sized winner.

VERDICT

The Latitude is good, but not great. In a class with standouts like the Ford Mondeo, and even the new Toyota Camry, it's going to be a slow burn - at best - in Australia.