Speculation: Renault Fluence diesel automatic could be launched in India

We have just received a word from our sources close to Renault that the French carmaker is planning to launch an updated version of their flagship sedan, the Fluence, in the recent future. As per what we are told, the Fluence will get an updated diesel engine and additional features. These changes are said to be the result of the constant market research that Renault is conducting for its products in India.

The Renault diesel is currently propelled by the acclaimed Renault-Nissan 1.5 dCi engine which powers a wide variety of cars like the Nissan Micra / Sunny, the Mahindra Verito and Renault’s own Pulse. Under the hood of the Fluence, the dCi engine puts out 106 PS of power and 204 Nm of torque – which is adequate enough to make the Fluence an economical package in the executive sedan segment.

However, the introduction of an automatic transmission in the Fluence diesel line-up will definitely be a welcome addition for a car in this segment. Renault already markets the Fluence with a dual-clutch automatic transmission in the global market. The automatic gearbox is mated to the 1.5 dCi diesel engine and the package puts out a higher, 110 PS of power. If the DCT equipped Fluence does make its way to the Indian market, it will face competition from the Skoda Laura and the Volkswagen Jetta – which employ the acclaimed Volkswagen DSG (dual-shift gearbox) transmission.

The new Renault Fluence is also expected to get new features and creature comforts. Renault had launched the Fluence diesel with the bare basic feature set; but within a few months the Fluence E4 was launched with a better packaging. So it will be interesting to see what new additions the upgraded Fluence comes with. Expect the new Renault Fluence to hit the market in April 2012 with the pricing to be in the range of Rs 16 to 17 lakh rupees.