2011 Renault Fluence Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Renault Megane and Fluence as a used buy

By 2020 it's predicted that 1 in 10 cars will be electric vehicles. At the moment there's only a smattering of electric vehicles or EVs as they are called in Australia and not all of them are for sale to the public yet.There's the tiny Mitsubishi i-MIEV, the Lotus-based Tesla sports car and Nissan's hatchback LEAF, 16 of which are being trialled by the Victorian Government.Joining them soon will be the Renault Fluence ZE, an electric, zero emissions version of the French car maker's mid-sized sedan. The big difference between Fluence and other EVs is that it's entire battery can be swapped for a fully charged one greatly extending its range.Range or more specifically lack of it is one of the major drawbacks of EVs that can normally travel only 100km or so before they need to be recharged.Also, being new technology, until now EVs have been prohibitively expensive. Due to to arrive in showrooms towards the end of next year, we travelled to Portugal this week where we were able to drive the Renault Fluence ZE.VALUERenault has not set a price yet but has indicated it will be under $40,000 and that it will be generously equipped. To that figure, however, must be added the cost of the battery which will be supplied separately under a lease arrangement by Better Place based in Melbourne.With branches in the Israel, Denmark and the United States, the company has been formed to provide the necessary infrastructure that will make electric vehicles possible.It's not talking prices either, but overseas customers are paying $110 a month which includes the power itself but there could be an additional charge for the home charging station. The power by the way is all `green' power.TECHNOLOGYAt 4.75m the ZE is 180kg heavier and 13cm longer than the standard model. The extra length accommodates the battery which sits vertically behind the rear seat. The electric motor generates 70kW of power and 226Nm of torque.There's no gears or gearbox as such, just forward and reverse and it has a top speed of 135km/h. Full torque is available from zero revs and it can accelerate to 100km/h in 13.0 seconds (petrol model does it in 10.1).With a capacity of 22kW/h the car has a range of 185km on a single charge, but this varies a lot depending on conditions and the way you drive. Apart from a smallish boot, it's in all other respects just a normal car.DRIVINGNot bad. It's certainly no golf buggy. It feels and performs like a real car, not some pretend one and could easily replace that gas guzzler in the driveway. It's much quieter of course and throttle response was slow at times but generally okay, providing you're not expecting a V8. It can even be punted hard through corners without coming unstuck.We particularly like the braking effect provided by the engine going downhill. But we suspect the hard, low roll resistance Goodyears could be harsh on our roads. A sophisticated GPS-based management system keeps track of power usage and let's you know when and where to find a charge or battery swap station if needed.RECHARGINGRenault and Better Place believe 90 per cent of customers will charge the car when they get home at night. This takes from 6 and 8 hours but for longer journeys the idea is to call into one of the Quick Drop stations that will be established where a depleted battery can be replaced with a fully charged one, a process which takes about five minutes.Both the power supplied this way and at home is provided free as part of the lease deal. If you spend $80 or more a week on petrol Better Place claims it will save you money.VERDICTYou better get used to the idea. It's the way of the future and as the technology gets better so will the cars (and their range). The price of oil is only going to go up, not to mention the environmental consequences of continuing to pump CO2 into the atmosphere.The very fact we've been driving this car suggests the change is closer than you think. It's simply a matter of making the decision to switch.

A lot of numbers are thrown around in talk about electric cars. But there are only three that really matter: range, recharge time and price.And with the Renault Fluence ZE plug-in that will start arriving next year, we only know two of those three, with the final price depending on a battery lease program for which we don't yet have details.Renault is racing to be first to market with an all-electric sedan, and is partnering in Australia with Better Place, who will provide the battery and 'distance subscription' and also roll-out battery swap stations and fast-charge points around the country.You can think of the strategy as being similar to buying a mobile phone and subscribing to a pre-paid plan - except that you are also leasing the phone battery from Telstra.The program will start with "select customers" in Canberra in the second quarter of 2012, with cars arriving at Renault dealers towards the end of the year.VALUERenault says the Fluence EV will arrive in a single high-specced version priced under $40,000. But that doesn't include the cost of leasing the battery.Nor do we yet know if the cost will include charges for swapping batteries over, or how long the lease terms will be.The French brand wants to make a mark with the car, so the price will be as strategic as they can bear. At the moment Mitsubishi is offering the tiny i-Miev for $48,000, so an unscientific calculation for the total cost of the Fluence would be: somewhere under $40,000 + $8,000 wriggle room + possible extra amount because the Fluence is larger. Not much help at this stage, we know.What buyers will have to weigh up when the Better Place prices are revealed next year is how quickly the total cost pays for itself compared to their weekly bowser bill. Better Place spokesperson Alison Terrey says any driver paying an average of $80/pw at the bowser will be better off with a Fluence EV. So if that's your bowser bill for a compact small/medium sedan with a touch of le style Francaise - le electrique could be the answer. As long as you don't live far from town.The internal-combustion engine (ICE) Fluence sedan is $29,990 for the top-spec Privilege, with CVT transmission, 'smart card' key, dual-zone climate-control airconditioning, Bluetooth with music streaming, satnav, premium audio with multimedia connection, electric sunroof, leather upholstery, passenger seat height adjustment with lumbar support, rear parking sensors and 17-in alloy wheels.So the electric could get pretty much all of that - except for the smart card, which has been replaced by a normal key because the transponder system location has been cannibalised by the battery. However the nav system will include locations of charge spots and battery swap stations.TECHNOLOGYLet's look at those other two crucial numbers first.Range is claimed to be 185km with careful driving, but without having to be a green zealot about it. Zealotry will apparently get you to 200km. Our Aussie approach gave less than 100km on the test drive.Recharge time will be six to eight hours with the special 16amp fast charger Better Place will fit at your home - and in public places - but that blows out to10-12 hours if you plug into a normal 10amp household socket. Alternatively, a complete battery exchange will take less than four minutes, once the swap stations are built.Renault claims a 0-100km/h time of 13 seconds while the top speed is limited to 135km/h.With a continuously-variable transmission driving the front wheels, the effort comes from a high-revving 70kW/226Nm electric motor powered by the 22kWh lithium-ion battery pack, mounted behind the rear seats - which has meant a strengthened structure to cope with the 280kg weight.Although Renault and Nissan are partners, the motor is not the one from Nissan's electric Leaf, but a coil-rotor one that Renault says gives better range.The drivetrain has to haul 184kg more than the ICE car, but several strategies are used to keep the drain on the battery pack low, including low rolling-resistance tyres on the 16-in wheels and an 'eco' mode that stops the airconditioning. You can precool/heat the car - and check charge and battery life - through a smartphone app.DESIGNThe ICE Fluence on sale in Australia is a very roomy small sedan, but not roomy enough to cater for both the massive battery pack and usable boot space. So the electric version has grown about 13cm - but that still drops the car's 530-litre capacity to 317 litres, leaving you about enough room for a single large suitcase. So if you're having a weekend away with the family, you might be buying clothes at the other end.Apart from the bluff butt's even longer rear overhang, the clean styling is much the same as the non-electric - and just as unlikely to either raise your pulse or offend you - with the main cues being larger air intakes to boost cooling, a charging socket behind both the front wheels, black rear diffuser and the blue-tinted light surrounds and badges.Inside is a well-built cabin with quality materials and switches, but with the instrument cluster's tacho has been replaced by a power meter that lets you know much charge - and distance - you have left in the battery pack.SAFETYThe Fluence is yet to be crashed independently, but Renault has done internal testing to demonstrated the safety levels - including piercing the battery with a large nail.Safety equipment includes six airbags, stability control, cruise control with speed limiter and anti-skid brakes with brake assist for help in panic stops and brakeforce distribution to counter uneven loading.DRIVINGDelivering all its torque right from the start, the electric motor is reasonably snappy, and the whisper of noise when you set off builds quickly to a Jetson-esque whine as you demand more from the system. Unfortunately it also demands more drain, and will savage the claimed range.Lifting your foot off the pedal helps by recapturing energy -- although it doesn't capture from braking like some other system - and also deccelerates so strongly that you can often use the effect in place of brakes.Over smoother surfaces, the ride is as composed as a much larger car, and well-balanced -- helped by the fairly even distribution of weight, with a bit of bias towards the rear.But the suspension and tyres transmit rough patches to the steering wheel and into the cabin, and you notice it more because there's little noise from the motor.Steering is very light at city speeds - which makes for easy parking - but some faster driving through hills showed that it firms up as the speedo rises, although it still lacks feel.But the hill run also showed that the Fluence changes direction deftly, and sits flat even when pushed through corners at speeds well beyond your everyday commute.VERDICTIt's aimed mainly at fleets, of course, and at families who want to drive without emissions. And it works well as a tractable clean sedan - if a little short on family luggage space. But any verdict on how well it will suit a private household will depend on how the final price fits that household's budget.It will come down to how much you're prepared to pay to reduce emissions. So you might not buy one, but there'll come a time when you'll wish the driver blowing smoke in front of you had.

The brand has re-launched more times than it perhaps cares to recall, but the Renault crew keep chipping away at the Australian new car market, with a new five-year warranty and some attractive finance deals to spark interest in the French brand.One of the key weapons for the breed is the new Megane range, a sleeker, svelte beast to replace the angular big-bottomed model. The sedan part of the Megane has been slotted into a sub-range - called Fluence - and it's built by the company's Korean arm.VALUEThe Fluence Privilege is the top-spec sedan, starting from $29,990, and gets an electric glass sunroof, continuously-variable auto, electrically-adjustable folding heated exterior mirrors, 17in alloy wheels (with a similarly-sized steel spare) and the very chic and pocket-friendly Renault smart card key.There's also black leather trim, a leather-wrapped reach/rake adjustable steering wheel and gear shift, height adjustment and lumbar support for the driver's seat, dual zone climate control air conditioning with rear vents, satellite navigation, Bluetooth link for phone and music, power windows and 60/40 splitfold rear seats.TECHNOLOGYAt first the auto-locking and unlocking system can catch a rookie Renault driver unaware - if you've locked the car with the lock button on the key-card, then you have to unlock it the same way. But if you rely entirely on the hands-free unlocking, then the car automatically locks itself as you walk away.The tech-heads will like the Bluetooth connectivity for phone and music player, but with the back-up of a USB port and a 3.5mm auxiliary jack - enough plugs for several devices, but perhaps not enough storage in the centre console for all of them.DESIGNAs Renault models go there have certainly been more controversial in the looks department, as well prettier production cars, but the new Fluence is less likely to offend the eye. The four-door sedan won't stir emotions to the same extent either way, but it's not an uninteresting sedan.The cabin has good room - at least in the front half - and Renault says there's more storage space than before, including a cooled glovebox. There could be a little more in the centre console, which possesses miniscule cup holders, but by contrast the boot is large at 530 litres (more than a Holden Commodore) although the lid is held by old gooseneck hinges which intrude on the space a little.SAFETYThe Renault has - as you'd expect from one of the first brand's to ever score a five-star crash test rating - no shortage of safety features for its $30,000 pricing. There's stability control, anti-lock brakes, dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags, lap-sash seatbelts with load-limiters (plus pre-tensioners for the front seats), automatic lights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers.DRIVINGAs not much of a fan of CVT I was pleasantly surprised at the Fluence's drivetrain - there was less of the "rev-flare" than I expected and the powerplant provided more forward impetus than its numbers suggest. The seating front and rear is comfortable - although the cloth sports seats of the sports-hatch RS250 Cup feel better-cushioned - but adults in the rear will want to be closer to jockey-size than basketballer, as headroom (like it is in the hatch sibling) isn't great.The smooth and quiet drive in the Fluence is only let down by jittery ride quality over smaller road imperfections - something easily found on Australian roads.Some Renault folks blamed the top-spec wheel-tyre package with low profile rubber but I'm not sure that's entirely to blame. The payoff is decent body control in corners, but the light power steering, which is fine for inner-city wheel twirling, is dead in the bends.The quality of the interior materials has improved and - unlike previous Renault experiences of old - everything seemed to work. The brand's fondness for the remote control stalk for sound system behind the steering wheel is admirable, but it's certainly something that will require considerable time behind the wheel for familiarity.The sound system button on the dash are on the small side and having to use a remote control for the satnav is a bit complex - the satnav screen is easy enough to see but it needs a bigger cowling to limit the reflection on the windscreen at night and sunlight issues during the day.The big-rump remains, which is great for cavernous bootspace but the high bootlid makes rear sensors a must-have - thankfully they are standard. The sedan's gets analogue instruments instead of the hatch's digital readout - the latter is easier to read - and the hatch also gets the auto-filter recirculation system that's not on the sedan.VERDICTThe price is keen and the features list is also competitive, which means Renault has given itself every chance - with good warranty and finance offers as well - of making a greater impact on the Australian market than it has thus far. Sales so far this year suggest the Australian buying public are taking a shine to the new-look Renault range - including the Fluence sedan - and it's easy to see why.

Fluence? It's an odd sort of name and one that seems to be missing an `in' or perhaps an `af' at the beginning. But let's not sell Renault's stylish new Fluence short because it happens to be one of the better offerings from the French car maker. Reintroduced to Australia in 2001, it's fair to say that Renault has failed to make a major impact in the last 10 years.But, of late, it seems to have pulled out all the stops in what it describes as the "revitalisation" of the brand. With driveaway deals and offers of free scheduled servicing it could well be a last roll of the dice.For those not up to speed Fluence is the sedan version of the well regarded Megane hatch with its rouned bustle shaped back. The two cars share the same engines and many of the same underpinnings.But rather than the current Megane, Fluence is in fact based on Samsung's SM3, which in turn is based on the previous generation Megane. The Samsung branded car made its first appearance at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show.PRICE AND FEATURESPriced from a driveaway $22,900 you can have either the Fluence or Megane hatch for the same price. Despite being described as small, Fluence is actually quite a large car, bigger and with a longer wheelbase than the Holden's Cruze. Our test vehicle, the $29,990 Privilege, is powered by a 2.0-litre engine paired with CVT style continuously variable auto.The car comes with six airbags, electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution. As well as leather and climate air, a sunroof and satellite navigation are both standard with this model. Bluetooth is also included as well as AUX and USB connections for music players which can be controlled from the steering column.There's also cruise control with speed limiter, automatic lights and wipers, as well as fog lights and rear parking sensors. Fluence is offered with a five-year/unlimited kilometre factory warranty -- the longest of any European brand. You also get five-years of 24/7 roadside assistance.The design of the audio/airconditioning modules is ordinary at best. Fluence is yet to be crash tested but is likely to score a full five stars for safety like other models before it.TECHNOLOGYThe four cylinder petrol engine, shared with Nissan's Dualis, produces 103kW of power and 195Nm of torque, and will run on standard unleaded, although 95 is recommended. With a 60-litre tank, fuel economy with the CVT is rated at 7.7 litres/100km but we were getting about 9.2 litres. The CVT is designed to optomise power and economy, with no discernible gear changes.DRIVINGLike the previous Megane sedan, this one is a good size, drives well and has a good-sized boot with a full-sized spare. But rear headroom is compromised by the stadium-style elevated seating position.Inside, more thought needs to go into the instrument layout, like the location of the cruise/speed limiter switch marooned between the front seats. We'd also suggest ditching the remote control that goes with the built-in TomTom satnav system.VERDICTOverall Fluence is a more convincing offering but we were left wondering whether it has that "je ne sais quoi" that will attract people buy it? Time will tell . . .