1964 Renault R4 Reviews

Australians have always loved the idea of the ute, an iconic vehicle with outback cred, and indeed one that was invented here by a Ford engineer, but that didn't mean we actually bought them.

March is traditionally a breather month after a usual weak sales start to the year. Given the market downturn so far, it could be a bit tougher than before. That means the new car deals will start coming hot and strong so we’ll publish some of the best that could save you some big bucks.

The all-new fifth-generation Renault Clio will be the brand’s first mainstream model to offer an hybrid drivetrain, but it won’t be offered in Australia.

Renault Australia has joined other local manufacturers such as Kia and SsangYong in offering a seven-year warranty with unlimited kilometre coverage on its Koleos SUV - albeit only until March 31st, 2019.

Carlos Ghosn, the disgraced former leader of Nissan who has been languishing in a Japanese jail since November, has begun his fight back with his new lawyer - a man known as 'The Razor' - going on the attack.Junichiro Hironaka, nicknamed The Razor, because of his cutting inquisitorial style, has told the media that the case against his client over alleged financial misconduct, “should have been dealt with as an internal matter” and should never have become a criminal matter, let alone landed his client in jail.Hironaka said Japan itself was being made to look absurd and out of step with international norms by keeping Ghosn in jail.Ghosn has asked to be bailed so that he can leave jail and prepare his defence - against allegations that he under-reported compensation over eight years, to the tune of $US82 million, among other charges - and even offered to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, but his application was denied by Japanese authorities.The court claimed he needed to stay locked up to avoid evidence tampering.Hiring Hironaka is seen as a switch to a more aggressive approach by Ghosn, who has sacked his previous, more media-shy lawyer, Motonari Otsuru.Hironaka, 73, who has a history of winning high-profile criminal cases, said he did not know why Ghosn picked him, but said he probably wanted an experienced criminal lawyer as his case moves towards what will be a keenly watched trial."He is innocent of all the charges," Hironaka said.The former head of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance, Ghosn was long feted as one of the industry’s best and brightest, but he is now fighting a legal system where, on average, just three of every 100 defendants who pleads not guilty is acquitted.He’s also likely to be in jail - an unlikely place for a white-collar criminal yet to be found guilty of anything to find himself in other countries - for some time yet, as it could take up to a year for the trial to come to court. The trial itself is tipped to stretch through much of 2020.Hironaka told a press briefing it was difficult to predict when Ghosn would be released."I have been called the Razor, but it is not a nickname I particularly like. I would rather be known as gentle Hironaka," he said.

Renault Australia has added a new 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine to its Captur small SUV range for 2019, with new equipment too.

Renault has confirmed key details for its new Clio light hatch ahead of its official unveiling at the Geneva motor show in March, revealing new styling in and out, as well as a new platform to allow autonomous and hybrid capabilities.

Carlos Ghosn has officially left his position as chairman and chief executive officer of Groupe Renault, with Michelin’s Jean-Dominique Senard to fill his shoes as chairman and Thierry Bollore to take the reigns as CEO.

The Renault Koleos is an important vehicle for the French brand, particularly in Australia. As a competitor to the likes of the Nissan X-Trail (which it's based on) and Honda HR-V, it has a tough job.

Everyone loves a sale. It could be Target or Myer or even your health-food store luring you with the promise of special prices for a limited time. In the car world, companies also like to create their own "sale" events.Sometimes it's to give a short-term boost to their results — Toyota customarily targeted the end of the final year for its biggest push. In other cases it's part of an annual branding package or a means to counter their rivals, the way Holden is doing with its "100-hour sale" this weekend. In any case, it's good news for shoppers.Renault is currently running its Diamond Event — a name chosen to reflect the shape of the brand's badge — and it's throwing everything into the mix, from drive-away pricing to free fuel vouchers. "It's the first time we've tried it. We wanted to see how it would go," says Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar.He reckons it's not just a short-term splash to clear 2013 stock and says it's about building more support for the French brand."We wanted to develop an annual branded event as a sale period for Renault. We're hoping to see about a 15 per cent spike in sales," Hocevar says. "A lot of our competitors do it.Mazda does its M Days, Audi has Openhaus, others have different deals. "It's so hard to build visibility for some of our cars, like the Koleos, but we think this will work. There is drive-away pricing and, depending on the model, low interest rates. There are also $500 fuel cards across the board."The sale pricing starts from the baby Clio at $16,990 drive-away and runs up the range with a variety of packages. Hocevar is touting plenty of good news but it's not so good on the Captur.It was expected in the middle of the year but strong European demand means the local on-sale date has slipped by a couple of months. Price: from $16,990 drive-awayEngine: 900cc 3-cyl, 66kW/135NmTransmission: 5-speed manual, FWDThirst: 4.5L/100km  {C}The Clio was a serious contender for last year's Car of the Year award and the latest Diamond pricing also makes it good buying from $17,000 on the road.It's composed and comfy, safe even without rear airbags, and a real looker. As for the Clio RS ...it's a belter. Price: from $25,990Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 126kW/226Nm;Transmission: 6-speed manual, FWD/AWDThirst: 9.5L/100km  This is a hidden gem, with a Nissan X-Trail mechanical package draped in Renault bodywork and riding on cushy French suspension. It is well priced as a suburban SUV and can be surprisingly good in the bush if you go for the upscale mechanical package with four-wheel drive. Price: Low-$20,000 (est)Engine: 900cc 3-cyl, 66kW/135NmTransmission: 5-speed manual, FWDThirst: N/A  It's not here yet, which means no confirmation of price or base engine or fuel economy but the Captur will be worth the wait. It's one of the funkiest of the new breed of mini SUVs and is aimed straight at gen-Y buyers with great colour SECOND-HANDRenault Megane Sport DCI 175 turbodieselThe first Megane to reach Australia in the early 2000s was nothing special. It had questionable looks and quality and came from a brand that was getting a renewed kick in Australia thanks to the global tie-up with Nissan, which meant low start-up costs here.But things changed massively, and positively, with the arrival of the mid‒decade update and its headline models, the RS and Cabriolet. The latter Meganes are the right choice for second-hand shoppers, with solid quality, pretty good performance and a shape that was dubbed the "J-Lo butt" after Jennifer Lopez's hindquarters. It is a car that still runs pretty strongly and has good packaging. It is backed by new-style Renault management that gives good support to dealers and owners.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover