Upgraded Renault Fluence diesel to launch April 3, 2012

Expectations were riding high for Renault to roll out a manual version of the petrol Fluence. Instead, the French car maker has decided to hand out a surprise in the form of an upgraded E4 diesel trim that launches on Wednesday, April 3, i.e. tomorrow. Update: Read our Renault Fluence launch story (April 3, 2012)

Now, the current Fluence (Read : First Drive) had almost everything going for it and looked very promising when it was launched in May 2011. But like a deprived stepchild, the E2 diesel Fluence scored woefully low on luxury and equipment as compared to its fully loaded petrol CVT sibling. Understandably, the no-frills diesel Fluence didn’t quite stir up excitement or sales numbers that it had intended to. 

With the new E4 diesel, Renault is looking to woo scorned diesel fans by bestowing it with a slew of additional equipment. To keep things simple, the French car maker decided not to touch either the engine or the gearbox – the new E4 will sport the same 1.5-litre diesel mill and six-speed manual transmission as in the E2 diesel – opting instead to lift all the goodness of its petrol Fluence and plonk it on the new diesel variant.

So, you have a new Fluence E4 D that looks exactly the same as before sans a chrome finish on the window sill and boot lid. There are also rain-sensing front wipers and electrically adjustable ORVMs with integrated turn lamps though these aren’t exactly ‘visible’ until you start operating them. Inside, the car does away with the ho-hum blacked-out interiors in the E2 diesel for plush leather upholstery, besides introducing at least 10 new comfort and safety features.

These include a new dual-zone climate control with rear AC vents as against just rear AC ducts on the E2 diesel. Other features to find their way on to the new E4 D are automatic headlamp-on, rear parking sensors, cruise control and speed limiter, and rear sunblinds. The CD and MP3 player will come with an additional USB socket and Bluetooth connectivity. Safety has also been bolstered with side-airbags for the front passenger. 

All the additional amenities will quite naturally bumped up the car’s price and the new E4 Fluence diesel will likely be priced at Rs 14.63 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) as stated on Renault's website. That’s cheaper by a few thousand bucks than the petrol E4 Fluence that’s priced at Rs 14.80 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) as well as the top-of-the-line Toyota Corolla Altis Diesel that retails at Rs 15.23 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Splendid and perhaps a step in just the right direction for Renault to exert a greater in-Fluence in the minds of the D-segment car buyer!