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19/09/2011
REVIEW by EWAN KENNEDY
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As part of the strong revival generated by the all-new management team at Renault Australia, a new low-cost model called Renault Latitude is being imported. It comes from South Korea rather than France and is built by Samsung Motors.
Renault and Samsung cooperated in the design, with Japanese partner Nissan also having a fair bit of influence, the latter working on the V6 engine which is similar to the one used in the 2.5-litre Nissan Maxima.
Renault Latitude is priced from just $36,990 in its standard version. That’s a real bargain for a ‘European’ car of this family-sedan size. Even the topline Renault Latitude Luxe – which has twin sunroofs, leather trim, a Bose audio setup specially developed for this car, a massage system built into the driver’s seat, and a reversing camera - has a price tag of just $42,490.
Interestingly, the prices are the same whether you opt for the four-cylinder turbo-diesel or the V6 petrol engine. On-road costs have to be added.
To further appeal to potential buyers, the Renault Latitude has a five-year / unlimited distance warranty, as well as five years of roadside assistance.
All the South Korean car makers have improved their build quality in recent times and the Samsung plant that builds the Latitude has been judged the best in the country. Our detailed examination of the three cars we reviewed to date showed them to be finished to a high standard.
Though Renault has styled many radically shaped cars for years now, the decision was made to produce Latitude in a shape that won’t offend anyone, even if it doesn’t thrill buyers either. It has a simple shape that carries a degree of elegance that is likely to age well.
Interior space is good in the front, with large comfortable seats. There’s good legroom for two in the back seat, though it’s not easy to get your feet under the front seats so that prevents adults from stretching out comfortably. Three children will find plenty of space in the width of the back seat.
Headroom in the back is slightly compromised by the sunroof in the topline Renault Latitude Luxe model. The standard model, simply called the Latitude, is fine for all but the tallest of occupants.
The boot is huge and can be further expanded by using the folding rear seat backrests.
Power comes from either a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four cylinder producing 127 kilowatts of power, and 380 Newton metres of torque at 2000 rpm; or a petrol 2.5-litre V6.
Our test car had the diesel. It is typical of its type in being almost as quiet as the petrol when heard from inside the Latitude and offering plenty of grunt as well as significantly lower fuel consumption. Turbo lag is about average from modern diesels in this class. From the outside there’s no doubt it’s a diesel engine, particularly when it’s still cold.
Fuel consumption was typically in the five to seven litres per hundred kilometres range in easy country and motorway running, rising to about eight to nine litres per hundred around town.
Having said that, the V6 engine could prove a sales winner in a class of sedans that are mostly powered by four-cylinder units. Power from the Renault V6 is 133 kW, torque peaks at 235 Nm at 4400 revs. We haven’t reviewed it in as much detail as the turbo-diesel, but really love the sound and feel of the V6.
Visibility outwards is fine and the large windscreen pillars take less away from the front three-quarter view than in many other recent models.
Steering and handling are generally okay, though they are softer than we like at times. There’s a fair element of European feel as the French engineers have had a big say in the dynamics of the South Korean machine.
Ride comfort is generally good, but the low profile tyres (45 series sitting on 18-inch wheels) on the Latitude Luxe make it rather firm on poorer sealed roads. They also create a fair bit of road roar at times. The standard Latitude is more sensible in using 17-inch alloys with higher profile (50 series) tyres so may be a better bet for real world driving. We will try to get hold of a standard Latitude and test it for a week in our home area to compare it with this week’s Luxe.
Renault Latitude has a refined, quiet feel that will appeal to many in this class of affordable family car. It offers a lot of equipment for a modest outlay and the high-build quality seems sure to attract those who are more interested in refinement than a fancy badge on the front.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Latitude V6 2.5-litre petrol four-door sedan: $36,990 (automatic)
Latitude Luxe V6 2.5-litre petrol four-door sedan: $42,490 (automatic)
Latitude dCi 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan: $36,990 (automatic)
Latitude Luxe dCi 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan: $42,990 (automatic)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Electronic Stability Program: Standard in all models
Rear Parking Sensors: Standard in all models
Reversing Camera: Standard in Luxe only
USB/Auxiliary Audio Inputs: Standard in all models
Bluetooth: Standard in all models (telephone and audio)
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Renault Latitude Luxe V6 2.5-litre petrol four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 2.496 litres
Configuration: V6
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 9.8:1
Bore/Stroke: 85.0 mm x 73.3 mm
Maximum Power: 133 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 235 Nm @ 4400 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4887 mm
Wheelbase: 2762 mm
Width: 1832 mm
Height: 1483mm
Turning Circle: 11.2 metres
Kerb Mass: 1600 kg
Boot Capacity: 477 litres
Fuel Tank Capacity: 70 litres
Towing Ability: 510 kg (1300 kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: MacPherson struts
Rear Suspension: Multi-link
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: Not Available
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 91RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 9.7 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 6.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km |
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