August 3rd, 2009
Renault revealed some more details about the Estate Wagon which expands the range of their Megane lineup. The Estate Wagon was unveiled during the Geneva Motor Show last March and is set to hit dealerships this June.
The Estate Wagon has a bigger carrying capacity compared to the standard hatch unit of Megane. The wagon also has an extended wheelbase and rear overhang.
The Estate’s front end is identical to the face of the hatchback variant. The designers modified the tail end and side of the wagon so it will look more proportional. The trunk offers a big space of 524L that can be made bigger by as much as 119L when the rear sits are folded down.
Consumers will have a full range of choices when it comes to the engine of the Estate. The wagon is offered both in diesel and petrol variants.
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July 1st, 2009
Renault pours its efforts on developing electric vehicle concepts the recent years. In 2008, the French automaker was proud to show the Ondelios Hybrid and the Z.E. electric vehicle concepts. This year, Renault plans to unveil three of its ongoing electric vehicle projects during the motor show in Frankfurt. One of the cars that will catch the spotlight will be a platform for a production model that will be rolling off by 2012.
The details of the electric vehicles were not revealed. Designers of from Renault though guarantee that their EV will be distinct from the range of EV’s emerging in the market today. They will make sure that consumers will know that it is a Renault EV when they see one on the road.
The car manufacturers seem to show some ingenuity with the designs as the different engine and set up give some freedom for a different look which gives emphasis to the environmental aspect of the vehicle.
The Renault EV is said to be around 13 ft in length and will come as a 5-door hatchback. We can expect more details and specs as the Frankfurt show nears. Aside from the new EV, there will also be an electric variant of the Megane, a Renault sedan. Another version of the Kangoo is also set to debut. Both of these EVs will reach dealerships in Europe in a couple of years.
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June 28th, 2009
China may not be the Mecca of cutting-edge automobile technology; and for several years now, China-made cars have been highly questioned for its safety problems. Thus it is surprising when China made an “about face” and delayed the four 
Renault imports and questioned its “serious safety risks” and “non-compliance with regulations”—an amusing news that raised many eyebrows.
The four Renault models that were questioned for their safety risks are the following: Scenic, Megane, Megane Coupe-Cabriolet, and the Laguna. These alleged automobiles belong to Renault’s crème de la crème. According to Automotive News, the decision to halt the import was made by the General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of China.
The statement from AQSIQ read as follows: “We have repeatedly found batches of passenger vehicles made by the French Renault … do not conform with our country’s mandatory standards and relevant technical regulations, and there are serious safety risks.”
As far as China’s ill record for automobile safety with its locally made Brilliance BS6, Renault’s banned imports can be quite ironic and amusing. However, it is important to note that China is today’s largest market in automobiles, making the Renault ban a painful stab for the French automaker.
At present, the French company has yet to issue a statement. The spokesman for Renault only revealed that they were “surprised” with China’s decision to ban and question, taking into consideration that the banned models’ quality has been tested and evaluated in terms of press reviews and professional driving tests.
June 4th, 2009
Renault came up with the new gen of Clio last February 
and had a sport variant when they joined the motorshow in Geneva the following month. The car manufacturer recently unveiled the Clio RS in United Kingdom is due for sale by the end of this month.
The new Clio RS receives some upgrades to perform like its bigger sibling the Megane RS. The treatment was just done to fit the compact image of the vehicle. The fuel mileage of the car was measured at 34.5mpg and CO2 emission recorded at 195g/km.
Under the hood of the Clio RS is a 16 valve 2.0L engine that can output 200 horspower or 149KW and maximum torque of 158 lb-ft. The power ratio is a beat peaky but the engine can still bring the car to 62 mph in just around seven seconds. The top speed of the Clio RS was recorded at 141 mph.
Buyers have two options in terms of the tuning of the chassis. One may go for the Cup version which is about 36kg lighter or the standard release which is a bit heavier than its sporty counterpart but a lot more comfortable.
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April 25th, 2009
The team up of Nissan and Renault is forming a link with the California-based San Diego Gas & Electric to promote zero emission transport by developing a network of charging stations for electronic vehicles.
The Japanese car maker will be marketing ZEVs in the US by 2010 and has plans of marketing the ZEVs worldwide by 2012. This plan starts to materialize with the coast to coast promo of the Nissan Electronic Vehicle Prototype.
The Nissan-Renault Alliance will help the SDG&E group in building the foundation for the vital EV charging infrastructure. The collaboration will work with other agencies, companies, and institutions to implement the promotion of EVs around the country and ultimately build the network to charge batteries for these kind of vehicles.
Both companies expressed their excitement for a pioneer endeavor which will make San Diego a plug-in ready region for EVs.
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March 15th, 2009
With the constant threat of global scarcity of gasoline and global warming, big automobile companies have started developing vehicles that run on electricity. While Nissan vowed to be the leader in electric vehicle technology, its parent company, the French automaker Renault, announced its plans to release three electric vehicles in 2012.
According to the scoop in Autocar, the French electric vehicles will include an electric version of the Kangoo MPV, a new electric car patterned after the Megane sedan, and a new smaller 5-seater model.
At present time, Renault has been testing the electric versions of Megane Sedan in Israel, the results of which will serve as the basis for the production of several more electric vehicles by the same company. The electric version of Megane will be released in the market sometime in 2011 while the Kangoo MPV electric car will follow shortly.
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November 2nd, 2008
Renault, the century old French automobile company, has a great track record to carry along with its name. To add to its already huge popularity is the fact that this is the safest car brand in Europe.
As of today, eight of its vehicles in different categories have won the Euro NCAP’s crash test programme. In 2002, Megane II won 5 stars in its segment. In 2003, the Kangoo won 4 stars; Twingo won 3 stars while Escape IV, Laguna II and Scenic II won 5 stars in their segment. Escape IV was named the “safest car on the market”. In 2004, Modus and Megane CC won 5 stars while in 2005, Vel Satis and Clio also won the same titles in their segments. Vel Satis and Megane CC were named “Best in Class”.
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October 1st, 2008
With more than 100 years of history to back it up, the Renault Company was always the first to utilise the racing track to the maximum. Even before the formula one came into being the company’s cars had made marvellous performances at city-to-city races, the Grand Prix motor racing event, the Le Mans 24 Hours, Mille Miglia and Monte Carlo rally.
Being ridiculed at first, its turbochargers became a rage at rallies across the world. Currently they have won both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando. The Driver team (Fernando) scored 103 points to top the list. Again in the Constructor Point Standing, Renault team scored the highest of 144 points.
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September 15th, 2008
This is one of the most amazing videos available on Youtube. The Renault team makes “music” with their million-dollar “instrument”. 
September 2nd, 2008
Renault F1 refers the Formula One racing team of Renault Company, the age-old French automakers. It has the longest history of involvement in motor racing as its founders were amongst the earliest ones to recognize racing as an important tool for gaining publicity for its vehicles. They marked the birth of Grand Prix Motor Racing by winning the first French Grand Prix with Ferenc Szisz.
During the early eighties, the Renault sport division was set up to concentrate on building cars apt for its drivers on the tracks. It laid the foundation for Renault to enter into the Formula One as an engine supplier and later as a constructor. They introduced the turbo engines to the rallying field. Earlier as suppliers to Williams and Benetton in 1990’s and later as constructor since 1991, Renault has been a fairly good winner at Formula One. They took over the Benetton team to create the present Renault F1. With Fernando Alonso, they went on to win the constructor’s titles in 2005 and 2006. The team is coordinated with the UK base at Enstone, Oxfordshire where the chassis are designed and built.
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