Renault Latitude Luxe 2011 Review

There was something familiar about the new Renault Latitude that I couldn't put my finger on.

After some digging, I realised it's a Renault version of the Nissan Maxima - with a proper six speed automatic in the 2.5-litre petrol V6. There's also a 2.0-litre turbo diesel four also with a six speed auto which isn't available as a Nissan.

It comes in two grades, Latitude at $36,990 and Latitude Luxe at $42,490 and you can have the petrol V6 or turbo diesel for the same money - pretty good eh?

But there was something else familiar and it's the look and feel of the Latitude which is uncannily similar to Hyundai's new i45 and Kia's Optima. That's because Latitude comes out of Renault's plant in Busan, Korea.

We are fans of the i45 and Optima and the same applies to the Latitude which has a European flavour but at a Korean price.

TECHNOLOGY

We drove the top of the range V6 Luxe and it was good but we'd put our money down on the diesel because it has a lot more torque and uses substantially less fuel.

The V6 is good for 133kW/235Nm while the diesel cranks out 127kW/380Nm. The V6 offers smooth running and acceptable economy but at 1600kg, the relatively low torque output struggles at times.

It's capably dealt with by the slick shifting six speed auto but the turbodiesel would be a lot better. The petrol gets a Euro 4 emissions rating while the turbodiesel is Euro5 and good for a creditable 6.5-litres/100km.

DRIVING

It's big for a medium size car offering generous rear seat legroom and a large boot complete with full size spare. It also has generous equipment with premium audio, satnav, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, heated front seats, multi-media connection box, smart card entry and ignition and dual zone climate control on the base car.

The Luxe gets more including a clever air ioniser and deodoriser. We like the auto on/off parking brake and the five star crash rating. We like the comfortable and controlled ride from the strut/multi-link suspension and we like the styling inside and out.

It's different but distinctly European in looks and feel.

VERDICT

Renault is having a real crack at the local market with Latitude, Fluence and Megane all offering competitive pricing and generous spec' when compared to their competition - apples with apples. Definitely worth a look.

RENAULT LATITUDE

Price: from $36,990, $42,490 as tested
Warranty: 5 years/unlimited
Resale: New model
Service interval: 15,000km/12months
Crash rating: 5 stars
Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel four, 127kW/380Nm; 2.5-litre petrol V6, 133kW/235Nm
Body: Four-door sedan
Weight: 1600kg (petrol), 1620kg (diesel)
Transmission: 6-speed auto, front-wheel drive
Thirst: 9.7L/100km (91RON petrol) 230g/km, 6.5L/100km (diesel) CO2 170g/km