Renault launches top-end variant of Fluence diesel!

Renault, after listening to plenty of customer feedback, has launched the Fluence diesel in a top-end trim variant, the E4 diesel. This car is priced at Rs. 14.5 lakh ex-showroom Delhi and comes with all the luxury features that its petrol sibling has.

When Renault launched the Fluence in May this year, it launched only two variants of the car – a petrol and a diesel variant. The problem was that the petrol Fluence was loaded with features, and priced higher, while the diesel was quite basic, but was priced lower. Renault’s understanding of the market was that people who bought diesel were looking mainly and fuel savings and didn’t really want to spend that extra bit of cash on luxury features. Customer feedback, however, proved otherwise.

 

A Renault dealer we spoke to also said that customers were walking into showrooms interested in the Renault diesel, but were left disappointed at the lack of features. The Fluence has been selling close to 170 cars a month, with most of the demand being for the diesel, but sales had tapered off in the past couple of months. This new diesel variant will now satisfy the needs of customers looking for a spacious, fuel-efficient, feature-rich diesel sedan.

The Fluence E4 diesel is available only with a six-speed manual transmission. The Fluence diesel is powered by a 1.5-litre engine that puts out 105 bhp of power and 240 Nm of torque. The car feels quite smooth and refined to drive. Also read our Renault Fluence diesel first drive impression.

What’s new with the Fluence E4 diesel

The top-end variant of the Fluence diesel now includes features that are not present in the E2 diesel variant that is priced at Rs. 12.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. These features include dual-zone automatic climate control with rear AC vents, beige colored upholstery, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity for mobile phones, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and four airbags. Other standard features remain including electronic stability program and all-round disc brakes.

Features at a glance

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Conclusion

The inclusion of a top-end diesel variant at almost the same price as the petrol Fluence will definitely attract a few more customers for the Fluence. The Fluence diesel is now a good alternative to the Skoda Laura diesel Ambience or the Toyota Altis diesel, which are both at similar price points. The Fluence is the most spacious among all these three cars and will appeal to buyers looking for space and comfort, with a decent amount of luxury features thrown in.