Renault’s flagship sedan in the subcontinent, the Fluence, has all the hallmarks that a big French car should have. It looks great, has a marvelously soft ride quality and it’s built quite solidly as well. Also, the Renault Fluence presents itself as a refreshing alternative to a lot of customers who were looking to buy a car in this segment.
The biggest thing that the Fluence has going for it is style. The car looks refreshingly different from its European, American or Asian counterparts. Its design is curvaceous and flows from panel to panel seamlessly. The front grille may look rather thin-lipped by itself but overall, it blends into the rest of the car’s design very well indeed. Also, this sedan is built quite solidly and everything feels comparable to its German brethren.
The Renault Fluence petrol draws its power from a 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder engine that delivers 135.5 bhp. But should a customer wish to purchase this petrol version of the car, they will be forced to go with a 6 speed automatic gearbox. This particular transmission has been the Achilles heel of the Fluence. Although the engine is adequately powered; while driving, it feels as though the gearbox is holding the car back from what it can achieve. However, customers can also buy a Renault Fluence diesel which comes with a 1.5 litre, 4 cylinder engine that generates 108 bhp. The diesel engines are connected to a 6 speed manual transmission.
Once you’re inside the car, you can immediately tell that this big sedan is a product of France. The passenger cabin is done up very well and while some of the retro-themed parts may raise an eyebrow, all in all the interior ambience is very pleasant. The car also has lots of storage space from little cubbyholes all over the passenger cabin to a capacious boot. On the whole, the Fluence does score quite high on the cool chart and that also should do its bit in attracting customers.
More typically French characteristics begin to show once you start the car up and take it for a drive. The ride quality is smooth; and make no bones about it, we really do mean incredibly smooth! No matter whether the car is being driven slowly or quickly, the suspension soaks up every single irregularity like a giant sponge. The Renault Fluence price bracket goes from around Rs. 16.5 lakhs to a little below Rs. 19 lakhs for the diesels and the petrol powered version will set one back by Rs. 18-19 lakhs depending upon the variant and city in which the car is purchased. The Fluence is a very capable car with a lot of strong points and, as we stated before, it has poised itself as a really good alternative to the cars available previously in its segment.
