Renault Fluence - The Toyota Corolla Altis Rival That Never Took Off

The D-Segment sedan was not at all boring in previous years as it is now. Cars like Skoda Laura, Chevy Cruze, old-gen Hyundai Elantra and the discontinued Toyota Corolla Altis were very popular in the market. One such silent upgrade from all of this was the Renault Fluence.

Yes, the luxurious offering from the French carmaker, Renault introduced the Fluence in 2011 in the Indian markets. The car locked its horns with the Toyota Corolla Altis, Chevrolet Cruze and Skoda Laura. The Fluence was also one of the first Renault branded cars that got assembled in India.

It came with both petrol and diesel engine under the hood and carried a starting price of Rs 12.99 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. The diesel continued with Rs 14.4 lakh. The latter got a claimed fuel economy of 21.84 km/l.

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The 2.0-litre petrol one was most powerful as it made 140 bhp on tap but was low in the fuel economy department. Sharing details on the oil burner, then it was the same 1.5-litre which was used in the Logan. This engine made 105 bhp of power but soon after a year, Renault upgraded it to a newer 1.5L capacity. The then Fluence came with 110 bhp under the hood with peak torque of 240 Nm.

Sharing more on the design front then at the font it came with a big headlight unit accommodated with rather a much smaller grille. Rather than the French logo placed in the grille, it was embodied deep inside the body. Some might say it was a boring looking car but to me, it had a uniqueness in its design language.

At that time, the pieces of equipment offered on the Fluence were at par when compared with its rivals. It offered Bluetooth connectivity, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, four airbags, leather seats, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, and push-button start. Wait, all these features now come even in the sub Rs 10 lakh cars too, right?

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What's interesting is that the Fluence even got a digital speedometer and beige interiors on the inside in the Indian markets. It's interesting as India was the only Right Hand Drive market to receive these two features. Is that right, features they are?

Renault also brought in a facelifted Fluence in the market with bigger front grille (finally), DRLs (daytime running lights), 16-inch alloy wheels and Arkamys sound system. This helped in the sales for the potential buyers but then the Fluence was taken out from the market in 2016 due to the poor sales.

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