ROAD TEST - RENAULT FLUENCE 1.6 EXPRESSION:
Remember the Renault Megane sedan? I'd be surprised if you did. Yet while bland in some ways, it was still more distinctive than many of its even duller rivals but it was never a value leader in the segment and Renault's reputation for less-than-adequate service hardly did it any favours in a segment where rationality means a lot more than emotion.
Roll on its replacement, the new Fluence, and much has changed. Renault has put a great deal more effort into its aftersales equation and its warranties are now up there with the best. Whether this eventually filters through to a better customer experience in the real world and an improved reputation remains to be seen but the signs are good.
Renault is also playing the value card very aggressively with this new C-segment sedan. The 1.6-litre Expression on test here costs just R199 900 yet packs a lot more than just the air con and radio that you expect at this level - it also has a multi-function trip computer, an integrated Carminat TomTom navigation system, side and curtain airbags and 16-inch alloys. You're not going to find more for your money unless you're looking at rivals like the Kia Cerato.
Or course, if you want the leather and full climate control etc, you can also get a 1.6 Dynamique for R224 900 or the 2.0 Privilege for R244 900.
A fairly rational purchase decision it may be, but sadly the Fluence is not fluent in the language of French flair.
Its four-door silhouette could easily fit on any other brand's car and the bland front end is an unfortunate side effect of Renault sourcing this car from its Samsung car-building division in South Korea. As you'll see in the accompanying pictures the European model, which is basically the same in every other respect, has a more elegant frontal treatment.
Maybe I'm being a bit too hard on it - after all this is rational purchase territory. Fleet cars and rental fodder rule the roost in this segment and rational things like value, solidity and practicality supersede flair or excitement.
Commuting in this commuter tool, I was generally impressed by its driving comfort, with the exception of a sticky clutch in our test unit that made it hard to pull off smoothly. But the gearshift was slick, the steering precise and nicely weighted and the ride quality supple and compliant. It even corners rather neatly.
Performance was also better than expected. I certainly anticipated that the biggest car in its class, mated to an 81kW/156Nm 1.6-litre engine, would be frustratingly sluggish but it actually felt punchy in town and cruised well on the highway, ticking over at a reasonable 3500rpm at 120km/h. It's not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it performs reasonably for the price.
As mentioned this is the biggest car in its segment and Renault claims that this translates into class-beating space for front and rear passengers and although undeniably spacious, it didn't feel much bigger than its rivals so that dimensional advantage must be minor. The boot's huge too, with 530 litres on hand.
The interior styling is a mixed bag. Its dashboard, shared with the Megane hatch, is stylish and finished in top-notch materials for the most part. But the light, hard-cloth seat trim makes it appear cheap and stains are going to show up quickly - not good in a car aimed at family buyers.
In the end, the Fluence does seem like quite a rational buy if you're going to trust their promise of good service. It also has a five-year/100 000km service plan along with a five-year/150 000km warranty.
Were it my money, I'd still opt for the quicker and more appealing 2-litre Kia Cerato even if it doesn't feel quite as solid or as refined but I wouldn't do it before giving some serious thought to the Fluence.