Renault confirms diesels for Oz
Renault has confirmed it will launch its first diesel passenger cars Down Under... And very soonRenault's first Australian market diesel passenger cars will be on sale Down Under by November. That's the news the French car giant confirmed on the eve of the Paris Show today.
The announcement came during a visit to the French capital by Aussie journalists for the show. Renault is expected to unveil one of the stars of the Paris salon -- a long-awaited all-wheel drive crossover.
The last of the mainstream Europeans to join the burgeoning diesel tribe locally, Renault's first diesel car is a revamped 'Phase II' version of the Laguna sedan. It will go on sale within six weeks, says company spokesperson, Lenore Fletcher.
"The opportunity emerged to combine the relaunch of the Laguna and the debut of our first diesel passenger car offering so we jumped at it. We're pleased that we can debut the car so quickly," Fletcher said.
The Laguna will be powered by a 105kW (approx) 300Nm-plus 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. It will be followed in the first half of 2007 by a 1.9-litre turbodiesel-equipped Megane.
In the case of the Laguna, Fletcher confirmed a single trim line would be offered. However, at this time final spec details and therefore pricing were still to be confirmed.
The Laguna Phase II is likely to stay diesel only. According to Fletcher, there are no plans to reintroduce the model petrol engines at this stage.
"We have set very conservative targets for diesel. There are no ambitious numbers set for the Laguna," she said.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
