Renaultsport ready to attack the 'Ring with new Mégane 275 Trophy

Competition improves the breed. So goes the old saying, but if there's ever been an example of that axiom put into action, surely it's the new Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy.

The story of Renaultsport's latest hot hatch starts in 2008 when the French automaker lapped the Nürburgring in 8:16.9 with the stripped-out Mégane R26.R. That record went pretty much unchallenged until Renault itself raised the bar even further with the new Mégane Trophy in 2011 with a lap time of 8:07.9. Then the competition started taking note. Honda started talking about beating the record with its upcoming Civic Type R, but Seat is the one that knocked Renault off the top of the leaderboard with its 7:58.4 in the new Leon Cupra 280.

Renault wasn't happy, but set about rising to the challenge when it proclaimed a thinly veiled threat to clock a sub-8-minute lap time of its own, teasing its development thereafter. And this is the vehicle with which it intends to do so.

The new Mégane Trophy improves upon the record-setter from 2011 with more power and more serious equipment. The 2.0-liter turbo four has been massaged to produce an extra ten horses for a total of 275 horsepower and and 265 pound-feet of torque. Akrapovic provided a new titanium exhaust system. Michelin developed a special set of Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Öhlins is providing the adjustable dampers. Renault's even fitted the upgraded Cup chassis and limited slip differential as standard, and upgraded the aero and interior in the process.

We'll have to wait until June 16 to see how Renault's most extreme hot hatch yet fares on the Nordschleife, but we have a feeling the French wouldn't be talking smack if it didn't think it could rise to the challenge (or indeed already had).
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Carlos Ghosn returns as president of ACEA

The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (abbreviated ACEA in French) is an industry group representing all the biggest automakers in Europe, representing their common interests on the world stage. And as such it needs a leader, figurehead and mouthpiece to serve as its president, and for the second time the association's board of directors has chosen Carlos Ghosn.

Now if you're recognizing Ghosn as the CEO of Nissan and wondering what that has to do with European cars, it's not because Nissan manufactures much in Europe. In fact, it only operates has a handful of locations in Europe: one in the UK, one in Barcelona and one in St Petersburg. But you'd be wise to recall that Ghosn also serves as CEO of Renault, one of the biggest players in European automobile manufacturing. He also sits on the boards at Russian automaker AvtoVAZ (of which Renault owns 25 percent) and of his native Brazil's Banco Itaú, not to mention the advisory councils of a handful of universities - two of them from his ancestral hometown of Beirut. He previously served as president of ACEA in 2009, and was re-elected to replace outgoing PSA chairman Philippe Varin.

Alongside Renault, ACEA membership includes BMW, Daimler, Fiat, Jaguar Land Rover, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Volkswagen and Volvo, along with the European divisions of Ford, General Motors, Hyundai and Toyota, as well as a handful of truck manufacturers.
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New Renault Clio Named Safest Supermini by Euro NCAP

Renault was the first carmaker to really put an emphasis on the crash worthiness of even its cheapest and smallest cars.

Models like the Megane or Clio built their reputation on the fact that they received a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, and while other manufactures have followed their model, Renault seems to have kept its edge.

The independent European safety body Euro NCAP has today announced 2012 top choices for safety and the recommended vehicles in their class. And surprise, surprise, the Clio is the best supermini.

This means that the car performed well in all the categories that are taken into consideration adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist systems.

If you'd like to know more about the Euro NCAP crash tests involving the Clio IV, you can read our previous post.

Editor's note: The Kia Rio (92%), VW Polo (90%) and Ford Fiesta (91%) all performed better than the Clio (88%) in adult occupant protection. It's not like they're not safe, right?

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Renault brings Captur from concept to reality with new CUV

Renault has officially brought the Captur Concept to life with a new small crossover. The production version has abandoned the wild scissor doors and bulbous fenders of the concept in favor of a more mature five-door configuration.

Based on the Renault Clio, the Captur offers buyers a range of gasoline and diesel engines. While the automaker hasn't served up any drivetrain specifics, we'd be surprised if the Captur option sheet didn't come littered with the same powerplants as its cousin, including a turbocharged .9-liter three-cylinder and a 1.2-liter turbocharged gasoline engine as well as a 1.5-liter diesel. A six-speed dual-clutch transmission handles shifting duties in all applications.

The Captur will be built at the Renault facility in Valladolid, Spain. Expect to see the machine receive an official unveil at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Renault Captur: the urban crossover that will change everyday lives

January 11, 2013

As testified by a record of innovations that dates back to 1898, Renault has never stopped questioning preconceived ideas or challenging conventional automotive thinking by placing the needs of customers at the heart of each new project.

Today, Renault introduces Captur, its first urban crossover that will stand out from the crowd by delivering the best of three different worlds:

• The expressive styling and driving position of an SUV,
• The cabin space and modular interior of an MPV,
• The agility and driving enjoyment of a compact saloon car.

Coming in the wake of Clio's renewal, Captur marks the next step in Renault's design offensive under the leadership of Laurens van den Acker.

"Renault Captur is a compact, unaggressive crossover which is particularly user-friendly. It benefits from Renault genes through and through..." Benoît Bochard, Director, A/B-Segment Product Range

Renault Captur, a crossover on the outside

Renault Captur's smooth, fluid, balanced forms express an assertive yet unostentatious personality. Its robust, status-enhancing look takes its inspiration form the Captur concept car, from which Renault has carried over both the spirit which guided its design, as well its evocative name. The lines of Renault's new crossover are perceived as unpretentious, yet the forward position of its steeply-raked windscreen emphasises its dynamic stance.

The combination of its compact volumes, raised ground clearance, large-diameter wheels and sill guards will enable it to take every aspect of everyday motoring in its stride.

Renault Captur will be easy to customise and notably comes with an original two-tone colour scheme which produces an attractive contrast between the roof and pillars and the rest of the body work.

Renault Captur, an MPV inside

Despite its compact footprint (length: 4m12), Renault Captur exudes a real sense of interior space which is underpinned by the forward position of its windscreen and its generous interior dimensions.

Its exclusive, colourful cabin is warm and relaxing, and this first impression is reinforced by a selection of interior customisation solutions founded on a choice of colours and motifs for the different trim features.

Renault Captur also boasts the appointments and comfort refinements expected of an MPV, such as a high-up driving position, large boot, modular interior and innovative stowage solutions.

The standard Renault Captur will have an equipment specification worthy of that of the next segment up, including hands-free entry, hill start assist and rear parking sensors.

Also available will be the new, connected, in-dash Renault R-Link touchscreen multimedia tablet, plus a system that comprises six loudspeakers, Bluetooth® connectivity, audio-streaming and Arkamys® hi-fi sound.

Renault Captur, the agility and driving enjoyment of a compact saloon car

Renault Captur is based on the same platform as New Clio, acclaimed as a B-segment benchmark when it comes to driving pleasure. It consequently delivers best-level dynamics, from road holding to engine response and agile handling.

The petrol and diesel engines available for the model benefit from the very latest Renault technologies and will return best-in-class fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, starting from as low as 96g/km.

Renault Captur will be manufactured at Renault's Valladolid plant in Spain and will be unveiled at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in March.

News Source: Renault

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Renault to Cut 7,500 Jobs in France by 2016

Renault has recently announced that it too will be joining the club of European automakers desperate to make ends meet, in these times of economic turmoil. Following the model set by PSA and Opel, Renault has announced that it will be cutting a huge number of jobs, by the year 2016 - 7,500 in total!

Still, despite the news being not-so-good, the CEO of the company, Carlos Ghosn has announced that no plants in France will be closed, though we suspect the number of workers will go down considerably. Apparently, the company is still not breaking even, as Gerard Leclerq, the head of Renault’s French operations, said: "If an agreement is signed with unions, this staff redeployment would require neither a plant closing nor any forced departures."

Also, Renault won`t actually fire all the 7,500 workers, as the jobs will also be cut through ‘natural turnover’, which basically means resignations and retirements. The number of workers being laid off, in total, equates to around 14% of their entire French workforce.

Still, in case everything does take a turn for the worst, they will still have Dacia to drag them back up to the straight and level.

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Renault Captur Officially Revealed

Renault has just revealed the Captur, the very first crossover in the urban range of models, building on the success (and platform) of the new Clio.

The crossover is supposed to combine the best elements of three different vehicles: the style and capability of an SUV, the interior space of an MPV and the driving pleasure of a compact saloon.

The styling of the Captur crossover borrows from the homonymous concept that dictated Renault’s new styling direction two years ago.

The front end is especially impressive, with a gigantic diamond badge dominating the whole front end of the car. The side features the same sort of character lines as the Clio, with the lower door trim creating the impression of an arched back. The back is strikingly similar to that of the Clio Sport Tourer (the new one), but the cut of the rear quarter glass is much more dynamic.

Renault says the Captur is 4 meters and 12 centimeters long, in line with other B-segment crossovers of the day.

The engine range has not been revealed yet, but Renault says petrol and diesel engines will be available for the model, and will return best-in-class fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, starting from as low as 96g/km.

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Indian Renault Scala Gets CVT Automatic Version

In Autumn last year, Renault launched the new Scala sedan onto the indian market. The car shares its name with the Renault version of the SM3 sold in some global markets (European Fluence), but it’s actually a rebadged version of the Nissan Sunny, a B-segment sedan built on the Micra’s platform.

Renault India has announced the Scala will finally be available with an automatic transmission, a CVT to be more precise, something to be expected since the Micra also has this option.

The Scala AT model is equipped with the 1.5-liter petrol engine that makes 100 hp. Renault says that its X-tronic CVT technology makes its car much more efficient than a conventional automatic, since it offers the highest transmission ration. The Gearbox model is rated at 17.97 km/l (5.56 l/100km).

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Front Fascia of the Renault Captur Crossover Rendered

With one day to go before it gets officially revealed, indianautosblog.com have decided to make a rendering of the front fascia of the new Renault Captur crossover. The Clio-based high-rider will feature the same bold styling language of its supermini sibling, and it needs to be very good, as the market sector it is trying to penetrate is becoming increasingly-crowded, competitive and talented.

Speaking of rivals, we say it is a good idea to mention them, in this context, just to give you an idea of what it is up against: Fiat 500X, Skoda Yeti, Chevy Trax, Opel Mokka, Peugeot 2008, Ford EcoSport, Nissan Juke and even the Dacia Duster and Sandero Stepway.

Its range of engines is a predictable one, and will feature, at least at first, just the 900cc turbocharged TCe 90 and the TCe 120 petrol engines, as well as 90 and 110 hp versions of the 1.5-liter DCi diesel, as well as a 130 hp all-new 1.6-liter DCi. All-wheel drive will be offered as an option.

The Captur is set to be completely revealed tomorrow, along with additional details, so at least we don`t have long to wait to see it from all angles.

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2015 Renault-Caterham Sports Car by EVO Magazine

Renault has been developing a new sports car in collaboration with British sports car manufacturer Caterham for a number of years now. Although no official details, specifications, images or spyshots of the car have been released thus far, EVO magazine recently published the following rendering of what the upcoming sports car could look like.

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2013 Renault Clio IV RS Pricing and Options

Bad news Clio RS fans, the next generation might be a tad more expensive. Pricing for the fourth-generation hothatch has not been revealed yet, as the carmaker has promise this will be an average of all its competitors.

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How Dacia Became Renault’s Cash Cow

Dacia, a brand which just over a decade ago was still building a mildly-modernized version of the old Renault 12, has become a real cash cow for its current owners, Renault. The Romanian brand already had a tight link to Renault, as ever since its communist inception, the brand had only made rebadged Renault models (the 8 and the 12).

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Renault will have new Alpine ready by end of 2015

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Renault appoints Dacia Logan creator to head its Nano-rival program in India

After watching the Tata Nano post sales numbers smaller than its engine displacement, Renault gave up on its much publicized intention to build a truly inexpensive car to rival it. Then, a month ago, reports emerged that Renault was resuming work on a couple of low-priced cars for emerging markets, but this time it would work with its in-house partner, Nissan. That plan envisions an offering for €3,000 ($3,888 US) and another for €5,000 ($6,400 US), both of which would be more spendy than the Nano but might avoid the charge of being cheap – and nasty – and instead be considered affordable.

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Renault Alpine Coming in 2015 as Porsche Boxster Rival

Peugeot and Citroen have fallen from grace with people who love K&N filters and have spiky hair, but Renault still has a reputation for delivering some of the most fun compact cars in the world. We are of course talking about the three RS models, but soon, the French will move into a different field with the revival of the Alpine.

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Renault Zoe Breaks 24H Distance Record

We are very eagerly awaiting the launch of Renault’s supermini EV, the Zoe, some time in the autumn of this year. It is a genuinely exciting car because it features Renault’s excellent styling language, a great interior, about 90 hp of instant and seamless oil-free power and 210 km (130-mile) of autonomy.

On June 2nd, in Aubevoye, France, the Zoe broke the distance record for 24 hours. It managed to cover 1590 km (994 miles), surpassing the old record of 1241 km (776 miles). The car did not achieve this feat on a single charge, as you may have imagined - the car was recharged several times during the run, though it is unclear how or when, as the car had to average around 66 km/h (41 mph).

This record does prove that the car can be driver for long periods of time and distances, and that batteries are indeed the main source of concern and doubt for possible future owners. However, with recent developments in battery technology, maybe this battery issue will be a thing of the past, soon!

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Spyshots: Renault Clio RS

Car manufacturers have always been slow in bringing the hotter versions of their hatches to market. Take the famous Focus RS for example: by the time the latest one came out, there were only a few years of production left for the car it was based on.

But not Renault, not anymore! It looks like they will reveal the hot Clio RS at the same time as the regular versions of new hatchback model, most likely at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in late September.

While the regular Clio will have three-cylinder engines to save fuel, this will most likely use a turbo for the very first time in the model’s history. Rumor has it that the French carmaker has co-developed a 1.6-liter with Mercedes specifically for hotter cars.
Cosmetically, the car is also much different than its predecessor, as it’s clearly a five-door instead of the three-door we’ve grown accustomed to. Renault is trying to introduce style to the range, so the rear doors will have handles behind the glass, like on the recent Alfa Romeos.

These spy photos of the fully built pre-production prototype show a new set of sports wheels and aero elements such beefed up sills, a diffuser tail and an F1 style wing in the front bumper.

We’re very excited to see if Renault can sell this sort of car for around €20,000.

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Renault Bringing Alpine A110-50 Concept to Goodwood

Renault is “celebrating its 110 years of engine expertise” with a big bang at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Not only are they bringing the Zero Emissions ZOE electric supermini to the event, but also the coolest concept they made this decade, the Renault Alpine A110-50.

This exciting sporty coupe is built on the chassis of the Megane RS Trophy race car and features styling from the DeZir Concept combined with the original Renault Alpine, which is celebrating 50 years since its debut.

While any other concept would be flummoxed by the 1.16 mile hillclimb circuit, but not this one. Since this car only weighs 880 kg (1,940 lbs) and comes with a VQ 3.5-liter V6 powerplant that produces 400 hp at 7,200 rpm and 422 Nm (311 lb-ft) at 6,200 rpm, it should have to trouble blitzing the track in record time.

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Renault Cuts Production as South American Car Sales Decline

Argentina and Brazil usually make up over four fifths of vehicle sales in South America, and while they looked strong last year, the past three months demand has been plummeting.

Deliveries slowed for the third straight month in Argentina, and this has prompted Renault to cut production there. According to AutoNews.com, the French carmaker cut the third shift at its plant in Cordoba, Argentina.

According to a statement from the Argentine Automakers Association car exports from Argentina fell 46 percent in May, while domestic sales slumped by 15 percent.

Other markets in the region, such as Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay are starting to recover economically. But the two big powerhouses will have to show huge increases in the coming months if last year’s results are to be matched.

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2013 Renault Modus to Use Crossover Configuration

Renault has learned quite a few tricks from Nissan in terms of crossovers and now the French carmaker wants to start using them, with one of the first cars that are set to be included in this scheme being the 2013 Renault Modus.

The new Modus will come with a crossover configuration, which will draw inspiration from the Nissan Juke, as Automotive News writes. The change comes after the current compact MPV layout of the car has proves unsuccessful. To be more precise, Modus sales have fallen from 166,858 units in 2005 to 48,950 last year.

The reinvented Modus is expected to arrive on the market in the course of the following year and will be produced at the automotive carmaker’s Vallanoid site in Spain, with Renault having big plans for the vehicle.

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Renault to Introduce 'Mild Hybrids' by 2017

Not all manufacturers have taken to the ‘green’ trend in the same way, and Renault has concentrated 100% on all-electric vehicles, having gained the know-how from group partners, Nissan, as well as from their own experience.
 

In a similar approach to Mazda, who don’t want to start making clunky and complicated hybrids, Renault will attempt to make their cars considerably more economical by simply improving the overall efficiency of their products as they are, rather than changing them. They will be adopting regenerative braking technology as well as start-stop and do not currently have a plan to make a hybrid of any kind, as part of their Eco2 strategy. We think that this is valid road to take, and we appreciate Renault for not giving up on the ‘conventional’, and instead, trying to improve it.

The announcement came at the Diesel Powertrain Congress held in Rouen, France, an event which promoted exactly the kind of philosophy adopted by Renault: If it ain’t ‘broke’, don’t fix it. If it is ‘borke’, do fix it and don’t replace it with something new and possibly worse. Progress can be achieved in various ways, and so far, Renault and Mazda have opted to do things differently to the mainstream and we hope that their efforts pay off.

Via usinenouvelle.com

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