The Renault Fluence is one of the best sedans in the D-segment but is quite under-rated. It is very different in many aspects, which makes it stand out of the crowded vehicles in the Rs. 12-16 lakh bracket. Now the French automaker has taken customer feedback seriously and launched a new version of the Renault Fluence Diesel priced at Rs. 15.23 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). Earlier the company had launched the petrol version with an automatic gearbox only in E4 variant (top variant of the Fluence). The diesel Fluence was launched in E2 variant with the omission of many features. Both the petrol and diesel Fluence were priced almost the same.
Renault later launched the Fluence diesel in a E4 variant, which got all the bells and whistles. Now the company has given the diesel Fluence more power. The engine remains the same and is the K9K unit. The 1461 cc dCi motor now produces 110 PS of peak power and 240 Nm of peak torque. This might be a very minor boost in power of the diesel Fluence, but is said to make a marked difference in the performance of the car. The diesel Fluence is known to have quite a bit of turbolag and this update to the engine is set to make it easier to drive the Fluence in city conditions. Renault claim that an new Variable Geometric Turbo has been used, which reduces load losses. The low inertia turbo improves response at low engine speeds improving drivability.
The gearbox is the same 6-speed manual which is present on the earlier model. The Renault Fluence with the 110 PS engine deliverers an ARAI certified mileage of 20.4 km/l. The earlier diesel variant had an ARAI figure of 21.8 km/l. The features of the Fluence E4D remain the same as the previous E4 variant, which includes 16-inch alloy wheels, rain sensing wipers, dual zone automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, cruise control, parking sensors, ABS, ESP, ASR, dual airbags, side-chest level airbags for the front seats and a 5-years/ 1-lakh kms anti-rust warranty.
