WHEN THEY write the annals of the current scrappage scheme, one brand will stand out above others for stealing the show. Surprisingly, it won’t be the Italians, famous for their small cars, nor will it be the Koreans, who have done so well on the back of other scrappage schemes in Europe. It will be Renault.
It might not have toppled the big brands like Toyota, Ford or Volkswagen, but Renault’s Lazarus-like recovery in the last few months has been noteworthy. This is a firm that recorded a 3.9 per cent market share in 2008, rising slightly to 4.2 per cent last year. So far this year it has achieved 9.6 per cent.
A large part of its success is down to a simple, consistent scrappage message and tempting price offers. The next challenge for Renault is to ensure that those customers remain happy ambassadors for the brand, that unreliability doesn’t become a bugbear, and in turn that resale values don’t suffer too badly.
If Renault takes a longer term view than the immediate scrappage boom, then they could be a permanent fixture in the top sales ranks. But it needs to deliver on more than the sales price to achieve that. Time will tell.
While much of the current success has been down to price and message, some of it is due to the product as well. The Clio is a sizeable small car, while the Megane has a degree of stylish panache. Both have their own selling points.
In addition, they now have this new Fluence saloon, a car that qualifies for the scrappage scheme while boasting a great big boot at the back that ticks the box for Irish family motoring, in much the same way that the VW Jetta and Toyota Corolla saloon did in the past. For, you see, Irish buyers love a boot.
We like to consider ourselves sophisticated cappuccino-swilling Europeans, but privately we’re really happy with a mug of tea, a custard cream and a family saloon. Europeans love the flexibility of the hatchback and estates, but we’re still weighed down by social mores that suggest that nothing but a boot will do if you want to be taken seriously on the road. We could write a doctoral dissertation on the Irish fascination with booted cars as an automotive symbol of social status but for now let’s just consider the car.
The Fluence officially sells as a lower-priced alternative to the Laguna, but in reality it’s a booted Megane. In terms of the package on offer, the interior and features are very much in line with the hatchback model inside. There are the same soft-touch plastics, start-stop system and over-sized keycard. Up front, there is the 1.5-litre diesel engine shared with the Nissan range – its focus on economy rather than performance. It’s a frugal if relatively noisy engine that achieved an average of 6l/l00km during our time in the car. Over a distance of more than 500km in a week’s motoring, it’s a respectable figure and it could have been improved had we been a little gentler on the throttle.
The test car featured the supposedly more potent 106bhp version, but it hardly sets the world alight. In reality the Fluence is going to be bought by people who care more about economy than performance.
The real difference between this and its Megane cousin is, as expected, round the back, where there is 530 litres of load space on offer. To put that in perspective, it puts it on a par with the many luxury cars. Inside, the rear seats are spacious and can take three across the back, though not as comfortably as the Laguna.
On the road, the handling is decent for a car in this class and price range, although the rear set-up is relatively unrefined, and on more challenging bends it seems like a passenger hitching a ride on the chassis rather than a fully-active participant.
Renault’s package of additional discounts on top of the Government’s scrappage scheme is one of the best in town as it can add up to €3,000 on top of the Government’s €1,500 scrappage offer.
Several companies have completely failed to communicate their scrappage offers properly because they’ve made them too complex. Some have offers with terms like “up to”, requiring the customer and dealer to battle for the best deal.
Renault’s deal is much more transparent. It starts with its own offer of €1,500 for any car eight years or older. That’s easy to understand and can bring your discount up to €3,000. But a complexity arises over its trade-in offer where different rates of discount apply depending on the new model you want to buy. In reality the trade-in deal on offer is a misnomer: we are assured by Renault that you don’t actually need a car to trade in to get this discount; it applies to anyone who buys a new Renault.
So back to our Fluence, and for the high-spec version we tested, the TomTom edition, the post-discount price comes in at €19,000. And for the entry-level version, it has a starting price of just €15,800 for a new family saloon. Of course you wouldn’t opt for the TomTom edition in any event, for there is nothing in this version of the car that’s worth the extra spend over the Dynamique edition, priced at €16,800 after discounts. Portable sat-navs are far more affordable and practical than these in-built units so save your money. And you can forgo the “leather-type” upholstery without concern.
We’re not crazy about this car’s abilities and in terms of driving, the hatchback Megane is a far more competitive proposition. If you still want that boot, however, then the price of the Fluence must surely tempt you round.
In terms of driving appeal, the Mazda3 and the Focus would have our votes, while practicality suggests the Skoda Octavia or Corolla both look and feel like fully-fledged family saloons. But none of them have a big enough advantage over the Fluence in any of these fields to overcome its price advantage when all the discounts are loaded on, particularly with the Dynamique version.
This is a car for the moment and of the moment, when price and value overshadow everything else. If scrappage ends in December and the Fluence returns to its list price, then its attractiveness will most certainly wane. But for now, at this price, its a booted value buy.
FACTFILE
Engine: 1,461cc turbodiesel engine putting out 106bhp @ 4,000 rpm and 240Nm of torque from 2,000 rpm with six-speed manual
L/100km: urban – 5.3 (52.3); extra-urban: 4.1 (62.3); combined: 4.5 (62.8)
CO2: 119g/km
Motor tax:€104
Price: €23,500 (€19,000 after all the Renault scrappage discounts are taken into account)
THE RIVALS
Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDi Elegance
Power: 105 bhp
0-100km/h:11.8 secs
L/100km (mpg):4.5 (62.8)
Co2 :119 g/km
Motor tax:€104
Bootspace: 585/1,350 litres
Price: €22,315
Ford Focus 4dr 1.6 TDCi Zetec
Power: 90 bhp
0-100km/h: 12.6 secs
L/100km (mpg): 4.7 (60.1)
CO2: 118 g/km
Motor tax: €104
Bootspace: 526 litres
Price: €24,655
Mazda3 1.6d Comfort SE saloon
Power: 109 bhp
0-100km/h: 11.0 secs
L/100km (mpg): 4.5 (62.8)
CO2:119 g/km
Motor tax:€104
Bootspace: 430 litres
Price: €22,525
VW Jetta 1.6 TDi 105bhp Trendline
Power: 105 bhp
0-100km/h: 12.0 secs
L/100km (mpg):4.7 (60.1)
CO2: 122 g/km
Motor tax: €156
Bootspace:527 litres
Price: €22,365
