Renault Fluence 1.5 dCi Privilege (A) Review
The French are good at cars. Despite what Daimler would have you believe, a French chap called Edouard Delamare-Deboutteville drove a car of his own design 6km in Normandy, in 1884. That's one year before Carl Benz came up with his first oil-burner on wheels. That of course was back when the roads were narrow, bumpy and congested, going any distance was an uncomfortable experience, fuel was rare and expensive, and finding a reliable powerplant was a major challenge.
The Fluence is quite a big car for its class. However, its running gear gives a solid and reassuring feel, even over lumpy surfaces - and with low noise too; the diesel rumble from the engine is muted and only really apparent when at a stop. It's more than powerful enough for rapid overtakes, the turbo diesel giving almost instant torque.\
Little extras like belt auto-wipers, folding mirrors, auto belt-tension and auto-dipping mirror make life more pleasant in unexpected circumstances, and the brakes are more than strong enough to haul the car to a stop. Cosmetically, the car is great to look at with contemporary style and a well-balanced form. Renault did go a bit overboard on the chrome inside the cabin, though. You may need to use that sunglasses holder quite often.
But overall, the Fluence offers excellent value for money. It has massive space for its class, astonishing economy (we got an average of about 5.5l/100km even around town) great comfort and a surprisingly high specification.
Add to all that the six-airbags and ISOfix mounts for childseats plus the auto-braking systems and you have a safe car too. So if you are looking for a car to cope with congested roads, long distances, that will be reliable and not use too much expensive fuel, then new Renault Fluence Privilege 1.5T dCi is worth a look. Things haven't changed that much since 1884, have they?
Credits: Story and Photos by Jeremy Torr
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