Renault Fluence launched

Renault are launching a new car – The Renault Fluence – based on the Mégane underpinnings. But it’s not coming to the UK – or most of Europe, for that matter – it is instead designed to be sold in Turkey, Russia and Romania, and is being built at the Oyak-Renault plant in Bursa, Turkey, where the previous Mégane II saloon was produced. Which makes us wonder why this isn’t being built as a Dacia – Renault’s budget brand – instead.

Renault are aiming to make the Fluence the most attractive car in its class (their words), and say that beneath its ‘Strong, sporty interior’ it features a ‘comfortable cabin with loads of technology’. So there.

The Fluence comes in at the top of the C segment in terms of size – it’s just over 15′ long – and comes pretty well equipped. You get climate control as standard across the range, built in Tom-Tom SatNav (€500 extra), Arkamys sound system with iPod and Blutooth, hands-free entry and ignition card, ABS, ESC and EBA. The interior gets an upmarket feel with chrome trim and leather options.

The Fluence come with a couple of petrol engines – 1.6 16V 110hp, with manual or automatic transmission and a 2.0 16V 140hp, with manual or (CVT) – and a choice of five versions of the 1.5 litre turbo diesel – dCi 85, dCi 90 DPF, dCi 105, dCi 110 DPF3 and the dCi 110 DPF with DCT (from the end of 2010). All the diesel engines manage to emit just 119g/km CO2, and in 2011 Renault will release an all electric version of the Fluence.

The Fluence goes on sale this Autumn in Russia, Turkey and Romania. No word on prices, but as the Fluence isn’t coming to the UK or Western Europe I don’t suppose it’s terribly relevant.

Still, it’d have been nice to know.