Renault Reviews

In France, what the gendarmes want the gendarmes get and thank goodness for that. It has prompted Renault to produce arguably the best front drive sporty coupe currently available  in the handsome Megane RS 265.The gendarmes (police) have rapid response cars to get officers to crime scenes or collisions as quickly as possible and their latest vehicle tender specified 265 horsepower (195Kw) as the minimum for a rapid response vehicle. The Megane RS250 didn't measure up so Renault went to work, upping output to 265hp and implementing a series of other revisions along the way.The earlier RS250 was already an impressive piece of kit but this... this 265 is something else again.POPULARThe 250 has been popular in Australia with 700 units sold in the last two years. It makes Australia the third largest market in the world for the RS250 behind France and Germany. It has some stiff competition in the VW Scirocco R and the soon to be released Ford Focus ST five door hatch.PRICEThe Renault has a significant price advantage over Scirocco starting at $42,640 for the Cup model. Two other versions are available featuring more kit and larger wheels; the Trophy and the Trophy+ with a limited, 100 unit edition Trophy 8.08 celebrating the RS265's recent record for a front drive car around the legendary Nurburgring track in 8.08 seconds.CHANGESSubtle exterior changes mark the 265 over the 250 with dual lines of LED daytime running lights, black-out trim panels, gloss black body hardware and matte black 18-19-inch wheels. More changes are evident inside including a revised and classier looking dash with new carbon look fascia and piano black highlights. The instruments have white face dials and there's a range of new goodies, model dependent.ENGINEThe engine has been tweaked for more power and improved torque. It's a 2.0-litre petrol unit with a twin scroll turbo, variable inlet valve lift and other detail changes. Boost pressure has been upped to 2.5bar but the engine complies with Euro 5 emissions and uses less fuel than the 250 at 8.2-litres/100km.Outputs are 195kW/360Nm, the latter from 3000rpm. Renault claims a conservative sounding 0-100kmh sprint of 6.0-seconds. Feels quicker than that. Some work has been done on the exhaust for better flow and improved note.DYNAMICSThough the 250 had a reputation as one of the best handling front drivers around, the 265 is better again. It uses a mechanical limited slip front differential to apportion drive and a clever independent steering axis front suspension system to avoid torque steer under heavy throttle applications.Renault specifies the base car to the same chassis spec as the previous top line model adding superior rubber into the equation and a new `dial-up' dynamic management system offering Normal, Sport and Off. It acts on various functions including throttle response and power delivery.THE DRIVEWe drove the base model and the 8.08 on a good long fang in country Queensland in possibly the ideal RS265 environment - mountain switchback roads followed by country B roads with wide sweeping corners and short straights. It was eye opening to say the least.Front drive cars just don't handle like this - or they didn't. It makes all wheel drive redundant because not once did either car put a wheel out of place, even under extreme pressure on pitifully uneven and winding roads with rough bitumen.We guess being as intimately involved in F1 as Renault is pays dividends on the street. Surfing the wide torque band is a pleasure, hooking hard into tight corners a buzz. It sits flat and stays controlled all the time but the brakes did fade a tad on one downhill mountain run.VERDICTPity the 0% Renault finance deal doesn't apply on Megane RS265. That would make it even harder to resist than it already is. But why would you resist something as good as this?Renault Megane RS265Price: from $42,640
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km
Service interval: 12 months/10,000km
Safety rating: not tested
Spare: space saver
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged 4cylinder; 195kW/360Nm.
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body: 2-door coupe
Weight: 1374kg
Thirst: 8.2L/100km, 190g/km CO2

Revheads will love this review, but if you don’t fall into that category (poor things!) you may care to skip it…The French police have used the hotshot Renault Megane RS250 hatch as their pursuit vehicle for many years, and loved it. But when calling for tenders for the next group of highway pursuit machines they complained that their previous 250 horsepower Renault Megane didn’t have enough performance. So they demanded more, and the result was the RenaultSport 265 with – you guessed it – 265 horsepower.Keep in mind this is a pursuit car, not a track beast, so it could be involved in long and unpredictable chases of bad guys where maximum braking may be needed at any moment.Having said that, the French police, true to a longtime desire of revheads, insisted the Megane RS265 be tested at one of the most famous of all European road circuits – the green hell that is the Nurburgring long track. There the new machine slashed the previous record for front-wheel-drive production cars by an amazing 11 seconds, to just 8:08 minutes – more about that number in a moment.Needless to say, the French police immediately pushed aside all the other competitors in the performance test and signed up for the Megane RenaultSport 265.Now Australian drivers can sign up for one as well. The local importer finds itself more and more often being regarded as a retailer of high-performance hatches so has put us down to receive not one, but four, variants of the latest Megane RS265. These are the RS265 Cup, RS265 Trophy and RS265 Trophy+.These models will remain on sale indefinitely while the fourth, a special limited edition called the RS265 808 (so named for the 8:08 minute record set at the Nurburgring) is also on sale now. Only 100 will be imported to Australia, we anticipate these 808s being sold out quickly so it might be worth getting onto your Renault dealer as soon as possible.RANGEThe RenaultSport Megane range starts from $42,640 for the RS265 Cup and tops out at the  RS265 Trophy+ priced from $51,640. There's also the RS265 Trophy (from $47,140) and the limited edition Trophy 808 (from $49,990).TECHNOLOGYThe French don’t talk about kilowatts, which is surprising considering that they invented the metric system, but in Australian terms the latest redhot Renault Megane puts out 195 kW of power. Torque is a towering 360 Newton metres thanks to the installation of a turbocharger in this 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder unit. That torque peak is maintained all the way from 3000 revs to 5000. Even better, there’s good pulling power from 1900 rpm upwards.RenaultSport (which is what the ‘RS’ stands for) has long been a master of putting big torque through the front wheels and has developed a mechanical differential and a complex front suspension system for the 265. The Megane RS265 engineers feel this makes more sense than taming wheelspin on one of the front wheels by using the ABS system. Thus avoiding heating up the brake discs by the ABS system dabbing one of them on to cut wheelspin.DRIVINGWe had a tremendous day’s driving out of Brisbane and into the mountains north of the city as part of the media launch of the new Renault RS265. This car has acceleration that sees it jump to 100 km/h in just six seconds. Even better it has linear acceleration that just keeps coming due to the effects of the electronically controlled turbocharger and throttle systems.The driver can dial up everything from modest running to full-on track performance – only at a track please if you do buy one of these machines – including the ability to turn off all of the electronic stability aids. This is not a machine for those who don’t know what they are doing when behind the controls…Brakes are huge and have the power to haul speed down very quickly. The steering is fast and responsive with a pleasingly tight lock-to-lock movements. Ride is firm but not overly so and noise levels don’t rise over much when on Australian coarse-chip road surfaces.VERDICTThe latest hotrod Renault Megane impresses with full-on track performance and fast and responsive steering. Escaping the French road police is no longer an option.Renault Megane RS 265Price: from $42,640
Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km
Service interval: 12 months/10,000km
Safety rating: not tested
Spare: space saver
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged 4cylinder; 195kW/360Nm.
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body: 2-door coupe
Weight: 1374kg
Thirst: 8.2L/100km, 190g/km CO2

There's an easy way to get a grip on the latest Renault Megane RS 265. Think of it as the much-better-looking French equivalent of the Subaru Impreza STi. Without all-wheel drive.The Megane hero hatch has been a familiar sight in Australia over the past couple of years, firstly as the Renault Sport 225 and then the 250, delivering the same sort of turbocharged thrill ride that's familiar to anyone who has jumped into Subaru's charismatic WRX.Now the upgrade to the RS 265 level lifts things to an STI standard, polishing the RS halo with extra power and torque, visual tweaking and extra equipment. It even has the sort of inlet-and-exhaust fireworks that provide the punctuation to time with an STI.The name change on the 265 is the reflection of the horsepower number in the engine room, even though the French are responsible for the rule of kiloWatts in Australia. Adding 15 horsepower - that's 11.2kW - doesn't seem like much, but it is the way the punch has been packaged that makes it special.The car starts on the button as a regular 250, but when you toggle the ESP into Sport model it unleashes the whole package. That means a different exhaust beat, much more response to the throttle, and an almost-total lack of turbo lag, as well as a bigger mid-range surge and the 265 top-end power.The RS range - including the pocket rocket Clio - has been very good for Renault during a massive rebuild in Australia, doing a WRX-style job of bringing newcomers to the brand."We love RS dearly. Renault Sport has been very good to us, and for us," the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide. "We're now the third-largest market in the world for Megane RS and closing on number two, which is Germany. It's an authentic performance car and Australians have come flocking."VALUEThe RS now comes with three levels of trim and equipment - Cup, Trophy, and the new Trophy+ with more focus on luxury. None of the cars qualifies as cheap, but for the money - from $42,640, up slightly from $41,990 for the RS250 - they are well equipped and the finishing is top class. Everything you can see and touch in the cars is classy and substantial, and some of the 2012 changes - the radio interface, for one - have been made in response owner feedback.The standard stuff runs from 18-inch alloys on the Cup chassis package to dual-zone aircon, LED running lights and an RS monitor. The Trophy adds Recaro cloth bucket seats, 19-inch alloys, a tyre pressure monitor and hands-free ignition. The full-loaded Trophy+ gets electric front seats, fixed glass sunroof and a satnav and reversing camera package that lots of people now demand although they will be paying $51,640.Sitting between the Trophy cars, until they're sold, is yet another limited-edition Megane RS. This time it's called the 808 - after the car's 8 minute 8 second lap of the Nurburgring racetrack - and it comes with 19 inch alloys, Recaro leather seats and bi-xenon lamps, special Bridgestone tyres and decals for $49,990. Renault says there are only 100 cars for Australia, half each with special yellow or white paint.TECHNOLOGYMost of the update work on the RS is dancing around the edges, including the engine. It has more turbocharger boost and some inlet changes to liberate the extra power and torque, as well as the special sport driving mode. Renault Sport developed the package to win a French police tender for pursuit cars, which meant matching - ironically - the Subaru WRX.So the Euro5 compliant engine - although testing is done with only the 250 package - brings those 195 kiloWatts and 360 Newton-metres of torque at 3000 revs. Renault says it means a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.0 seconds, with fuel economy of 8.2 litres/100km and emissions of 190grams/kilometre of CO2. "We've got a 5.7 per cent improvement in fuel economy and emissions over the RS250," says Hocevar.Elsewhere, the RS monitor alloys the driver to track their action - and gives access to five throttle maps and a lap timer - and the car gets 'highway mode' turn signals that flash three times in a single touch. I've found this system, which is even in the latest Ford Falcon, is a good indicator of the age of any car since it's now compulsory in Europe. To make things a little nicer inside, there is an air-quality monitor that automatically switches to recirculated air if things get putrid outside.DESIGN The giveaway to the RS265 is a predictable bank of LED daytime running lamps, while the nose also has black masking around the headlamps and a front spoiler that Renault says was inspired by its involvement in Formula One. Inside, there are red seat belts and colour-coded stitching on the leather pieces, as well as a new digital speedometer. The 18-inch alloys are a new design, the bigger satnav screen is welcome - but means you cannot have the RS Monitor on the Trophy+.SAFETYNone of the RS cars has been belted into a wall to produce an NCAP score, but Renault has a very strong corporate focus on safety and it's likely the RS265 would make the five-star standard. The protection package includes eight airbags, ABS and ESP, brake-force distribution and brake assist, automatic headlamps and a limited-slip differential which is fitted for performance but also improves the chance of avoiding a potential collision.DRIVINGThe Megane RS looks terrific, with a combination of class and menace, and it's the same when you drive. The cabin is comfy, well equipped and nicely finished, so it's easy to sit back and relax. The minor switches can be confusing and hard to find, the RS Monitor display is too small for me, and parking and lane-change visibility is crimped by the car's hunkered-down rear end. But that's pretty much the end of my complaints.I expected the latest RS to be over-firm in the suspension but it's actually complaint on all surfaces, not too noisy, and gives good grip and feedback at the wheel. I begin with the engine in the 250 default settings, where it's easy to keep up with traffic, ease along on the freeway, and sprint a bit by pushing beyond 4500 revs. It's already a car that delivers on its RS promises.But then I switch across to unleash the 265 package and the car goes wild. It's not untamed, or nasty, just wicked. I'm now getting instant response to the tiniest tickle on the accelerator, all turbo lag is banished, and the car is eager, eager, eager. This is a French WRX with more style and classier quality than the Japanese car and I really begin to enjoy myself.Corners come and go without the slightest fuss, as the RS has really substantial cornering grip and I can used the limited-slip differential to get onto the power early and hard for some fun running. The six-speed manual - there is no auto - is slick and the RS Monitor hints at the best gear for any situation. Then I flick it back to 250 and things quieten for a stop-start run back to through the city. And no-one has to know that we've both been a little bit naughty on a quiet Tuesday afternoon.VERDICTThe update to the Megane RS brings much more enjoyment that expected from relatively minor changes.

There's probably a psychosis associated with being a van driver. It could well be their working environment. Let’s face it, how would you like sitting in a small moving box for up to 12 hours a day.  Not nice.VANNIESBut new vans out of Europe are making "vannies" lives a bit better with more multi-media connectivity, Bluetooth phones and even.... air conditioning and decent audio. They are becoming more like passenger cars in terms of features, drive feel, ergonomics and (little) luxuries.CUTIERenault's new Kangoo van - a real cutie to look at, benefits from obvious input by those in the know - the drivers. Renault must have lined up a platoon of drivers and pumped them for information about what they need in a vehicle.The result is Kangoo. It's a vannies delight that can make them some money, not cost them much money and keep them happy and safe. Gotta like that.ENGINEKangoo diesel manual, the one we are driving, is powered by a 1.5-litre, single cam turbo diesel four cylinder. It's good for a handy 63kW but more important, 200Nm from a low 1700rpm.What this means is strong acceleration pretty much from a standstill and strong mid range response for highway driving. The amount of kick from this engine surprises especially once you are on the move.LOADEDNo cringe factor at all. This of course translates easy load handling as the engine makes light work of lugging Kangoo's 800 kg payload.We haven’t been able to test it but have had half a tonne in there and it makes light of the load. It is ticking over the claimed 5.2-litres/100km fuel consumption with mixed driving meaning fill ups up around the 800-900km mark.Access to the load space is facilitated through the 180 degree rear barn doors and left side slider. Access to the passenger compartment is by two large doors that open right down to the bottom of the floor.COMFORT FACTORIt's comfortable for longish drives and the driving position is adjustable to suit. Renault has positioned some controls/switches in hard to find positions - to keep you on your toes. There's plenty of storage inside including an overhead shelf that will take up to about 50kg.All it needs is an auto transmission for city couriers - but that's only available with the petrol four...

Renault Koleos Dynamique and Peugeot 4008 Allure go head-to-head in this comparative review.

More than a quarter of a million Toyota HiAce vans have been sold in Australia - but history is no pointer to the future of buyer trends. European manufacturers are taking a swipe at Toyota's lead, at the same time that the giant Japanese maker is seeing HiAce sales being lost to Hyundai's iLoad van model.This year to May, Hyundai sold 243 iLoads against 186 HiAces. But while the Korean now dominates commercial vans, the HiAce bus sold 264 units to give it dominance in the sub-20 seat bus sector.The Europeans are also in the race and though now small in number, there's a wave coming. This year in WA, Fiat sold 10 Scudo vans, Mercedes sold 24 Vitos, Ford found 66 Transit owners, Mitsubishi's Express went to 46 buyers while under the radar, Peugeot won two sales with its Expert, Volkswagen sold 17 Transporters and Renault's Trafic had five sales.Renault MasterRenault Trafic's big brother, the Master, is one of the latest to be upgraded as it takes on the Australian market. Renault has the biggest share of Europe's huge van segment but is almost unknown here. That may change.The Master is designed for big loads to be hauled over long distances - perfect, it seems, for Australia. It comes with payloads of up to 1650kg and in its long wheelbase format (there's also mid and short wheelbases) can fit up to three standard Australian pallets.The cargo area is 12.5cu.m - and even in the mi-wheelbase model, it's a cavernous 10.3cu.m - while the rear barn doors open to 270-degrees for easy loading with a forklift.The Master comes with one sliding door (on the left side), which is 1200mm wide, while a second sliding door is available as an option. For the Australian market, Renault boosted safety by fitting a steel bulkhead and a cargo barrier as standard equipment. This adds to the electronic stability control, traction control, ABS brakes and airbags for the driver and passenger.Pricing starts at $43,990 for the manual mid-wheelbase model and runs through to the long wheelbase with automated transmission for $47,490. The new Master is powered by a 107kW/350Nm 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that drives the front wheels through either a six-speed manual or $2300 optional six-speed automated (clutchless) transmission.Fuel consumption is claimed at 9.0 L/100km for the manual and 8.5L/100km for the automated version. More pertinent is the Master's range of more than 1230km with the semi-auto version. The fuel tank holds 105 litres. For fleet buyers, the new Master has low running costs and a three year or 200,000km warranty.Toyota HiAceSafety also features high for the Toyota HiAce but it can't match the Renault's standard equipment. All HiAce models have two airbags, ABS brakes and brake assist as standard.There are 12 models in the HiAce range, comprising three body styles, two wheelbases, two engines and two transmissions. The bodies are long wheelbase (2570mm), wide-body and high roof "Super-Long'' wheelbase (SLWB) van and the commuter bus (both 3110mm).Drivetrains are a 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol or 2.5-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine. The petrol engine has hardened valves and valve seats to allow for LPG operation while the SLWB diesel models get an air to air intercooler. Both engines can be mated to a five-speed overdrive manual or electronically controlled four-speed overdrive automatic transmission.Toyota last upgraded the HiAce - which was launched in its current form in 2005 - in 2010 with a taller final drive ratio to suit an increase in output of the diesel engine to 100kW/300Nm. It claims fuel economy improvements of 7 per cent, now 8 L/100km for the LWB diesel.The HiAce LWB has 6cu.m of cargo space and the SLWB model has 9.8cu.m of space. Cargo height is 1335mm for LWB and 1635mm for the SLWB van and widths are 1545mm and 1730mm respectively.Hyundai iLoadThe Hyundai iLoad is a refined and well-built worker with two models - van and crew van - and two engines. The crew van adds an extra row of seats, making it a six-seater van that still has a huge cargo area.All models have a four-star crash rating, dual front airbags, ABS brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution while the diesel models can be optioned with electronic stability control and traction control.Hyundai offers two engines - a 129kW/228Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol and the more prefered 125kW/392Nm 2.5-litre turbo-diesel. The petrol comes only with a manual gearbox but the diesel has the option of a five-speed auto.Hyundai claims the petrol gets 10.5 L/100km and the diesel returns 8.5 L/100km with the manual gearbox and 9.6 L/100km with the auto. In standard form the iLoad has handy sliding doors on each side and a lift-up tailgate but there is an option of barn doors for forklift loading.Despite its modest exterior size, the iLoad's space is cavernous. The van will take up to 5.3cu m of cargo and a payload of 1100kg.

It's handy having a light commercial vehicle at your disposal - there's always something to dispatch from here to there and all the better if it's a van - for security and safety.PRICEEven a small one like the Renault Kangoo has plenty of appeal and is extremely affordable at $24,490. Hugely popular in Europe. the diminutive cargo box with a cab is designed for work, has a cute disposition and quite a few competitors as well.TEMPTERSBut Renault offers a few tempters that are hard to ignore like a five year warranty, low interest finance (at 3.9 per cent spotted recently) and occasionally, free service for three years though that one hasn't been around for a while. Jag all three and you are looking at an extreme value van to buy and run that will take a surprisingly hefty 800kg payload.REPUTATIONAnd going on its reputation, you can't kill a Kangoo with a stick. They just keep on going. We snaffled a diesel Kangoo and immediately put it to work carting half a tonne of pavers and some tools from the landscape suppliers.ENGINEIt was like water off a ducks back to the Kangoo which runs a 1.5-litre, single cam, turbo diesel, four cylinder donk good for 63kW/200Nm. More importantly, fuel economy hovers around the 5.5-litres/100km mark with the combined cycle officially rated at 5.2. The diesel comes with a five- speed manual only. If you want an auto it has to be the 1.5-litre petrol. Why would you bother, the diesel is too good to pass-up.PERFORMANCEIt has decent performance, especially once you get into second cog. First is short and designed to get a heavily laden Kangoo cleanly off the mark.GOODIESKangoo weighs 1277kg and has plenty of work truck features. Central locking is a given, the rubber load area floor mat is handy as are tie down lugs in the floor and on the sides. The rear barn doors open 180 degrees and the left hand side slider further aids accessibility. You can option an additional right slider. It gets Bluetooth, cruise control and a/c, power windows, a trip computer and plenty of cabin storage. Not a bad working environment. 

No one knows what to make of the Renault Twizy, but everyone is fascinated by it. The Twizy is geared towards city drivers or commuters travelling short distances to work in small towns.It has a range of between 45 to 50 miles and a top speed of 50mph. But it has a deceptively quick burst of speed that makes it ideal for nipping in and out of traffic. It takes only three and a half hours to fully charge using a standard plug.

Having a good car isn't good enough to be a winner in the small car class. Just ask Renault, whose Megane is earning a trickle of interest amid a torrent of sales. Put that down to lack of knowledge in the brand.Renault is starting off a small base in Australia and is still educating the public that French flair is a no-cost option, not an extra-cost one. In the Megane buyers get a solidly built hatch that rides well and has enough standard gear to be value for money. The downside is a continuously variable transmission in the petrol models that drones worse that a seminar speaker. The diesel's a better engine but is too noisy under load.VALUEThe bottom line is $26,000 buys a base model Megane Dynamique with 16-inch alloys, a six-speed manual gearbox and most of the features you want except satellite navigation. That's about what it costs for a Mazda3 MaxxSport but the Mazda does come with satnav. Spend $2500 more for a Megane with the 1.5-litre turbodiesel and a six-speed auto. The Privilege spec level raises the bar by $4000 for the petrol and $5000 for the diesel.TECHNOLOGYThe dual-clutch automated manual transmission works well with the diesel. There's a moment of hesitation off the line but the torque rolls on early and gives the hatch decent performance around town. It doesn't have the punch of a Ford Focus TDCi but it also uses a litre less diesel every 100km, with Renault claiming fuel use of 4.5 litres/100km.STYLINGThe front end of the Renault is distinctive without straying too far from the accepted small car formula. The bumper sweeps up to the top of the wheel arches where it neatly blends in with the wraparound lights. Rear seat legroom is on the tight side to be packing two adults in the rear for a lengthy trip but the boot's 360 litres of space is easy to load.The interior is just starting to date - and Renault persists in putting the sound system controls on a block behind the steering wheel where they can't be seen or easily used. Putting a cupholder in front of the USB input isn't a "Eureka" moment, either.SAFETYThe Megane was the first small car to earn a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. That was five years ago and shows how well engineered the Renault is. Six airbags are supplemented by stability and traction control and there are seat belt reminders for both front seats.DRIVINGPut the boot in to the Megane and it punches back well above its weight. The transmission is geared for economy but will quickly drop down a couple of cogs if there's enough right-foot pressure.  And the brakes are close to best in class. The 280mm front and 260mm rear discs are consistent and effective at any speeds, though they start to bite earlier in the pedal travel than most Asian cars.Ignoring the diesel clatter, the 1.5-litre turbodiesel is the engine of choice. The 2.0-litre petrol is more than OK but uses too much fuel. That can't be said of the diesel - Carsguide averaged 6.0 litres/100km. That's above the claimed figure but still impressive for a car carrying four in the urban jungle.The seats are comfortable and the vision forward and rear is better than average, meaning the Megane ticks about every box you can ask it to. Better noise isolation is about all I'd want.VERDICTA five-year warranty sweetens an already good deal for the Megane. It isn't going to outsell the Corolla but is a smart alternative for those who don't want to run with the pack.

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.VALUEThe 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.TECHNOLOGYThere 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.DESIGNThe 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.SAFETYRenault 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.DRIVINGLiving 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.VERDICTThe 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.