Renault Latitude Luxe 2011 Review

Renault Latitude Luxe

Local Launch
Far North Coast, NSW

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
-- Laguna successor a success in the making?
Renault's new Latitude presents a conundrum. The South Korean-sourced medium (but bordering on large) sedan owes more to Nissan's Maxima than the Laguna it replaces in the local Renault line-up and is priced accordingly.

Just as it's possible that long-time Renault fans will be outraged that a Nissan from Korea would be marketed here as a Renault, there may be others who cry that it's about time Renault got serious about competing in this segment in the local market.

And serious the importer certainly is, judging by the Latitude's standard equipment, sensible packaging and five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty (including roadside assistance). On top of all that, buyers can now arrange finance for the Latitude directly through Renault's own financial services arm.

Rightly or wrongly, the Laguna that preceded the Latitude had a semi-prestige quality about it that deterred mainstream buyers. The Latitude is likely to circumvent that problem of perception -- it's priced right and is positioned hard and fast against the mid-$30,000 competitors of similar size and specification.

Renault is also offering buyers a higher-specification model, the Latitude Luxe priced at $42,490.

Two engines are offered, a 2.5-litre Nissan V6 and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder Renault turbodiesel. They are priced the same and can be ordered in either level of trim.

The basic Latitude features leather trim, an Arkamys 3D audio system, integrated satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, keyless entry/start, electric height adjustment for driver's seat, heated front seats, rake/reach adjustment for steering column, dual-zone climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels with full-size (alloy) spare, electric parking brake, electrically-adjustable/heated mirrors with fold-in facility, sun blinds for rear window/rear side windows, black leather trim and 60/40 splitfold rear seat. Comprehensive given its entry-level status.

Over this specification, the Latitude Luxe adds a BOSE audio system, three-zone climate control with 'toxicity sensor' and active carbon filter, Samsung Super Plasma air ioniser/fragrance diffuser, full electric adjustment for driver's seat (including lumbar support), electric height adjustment for front passenger's seat, 18-inch alloy wheels with full-sized (alloy) spare, boot spoiler and panoramic electric/glass sunroof. There’s even an electric two-mode massage function for the driver.
 
MECHANICAL
-- The Nissan link with Samsung
Built at the Renault-owned Samsung factory at Busan in South Korea, the Latitude is sold in its domestic (Korean) market as the Samsung SM5.

Other than the 2.0-litre turbodiesel supplied by Renault, there's very little from the French car manufacturer in the model, which is built on Nissan’s Modular D platform. As with the donor Nissans, the Latitude is a front-driver with an east/west engine orientation and rides on the Maxima's independent rear suspension.

The engine options for the Latitude are either the Renault diesel already mentioned or the 2.5-litre version of the Nissan VQ V6 that also powers the base-grade Maxima. Nissan’s CVT is eschewed -- a six-speed automatic is the only transmission available.

Vital stats for the Euro 4-compliant petrol V6 are 133kW, 235Nm and a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 9.7L/100km. Slightly down on power (127kW) but ahead on torque (380Nm), the Euro 5-compliant diesel uses 6.5L/100km of fuel.

The 17-inch alloys of the base-grade Latitude are shod with 225/50 R17 tyres, but the Latitude Luxe rides on 18-inch alloys with 225/45 R18 tyres. Ventilated discs on all four wheels take care of the braking.

PACKAGING
-- Latitude could use more wriggle room?
For the local media, Renault laid on the Latitude in just the flagship level of trim, fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, rather than the 17-inch wheels of the base model. The importer tells us that the first shipment of cars comprised the Luxe level of trim only, not the entry-level car.

The Latitude Luxe, with its large, panoramic sunroof, still offered good headroom for adults of average height and legroom in the rear, was commensurate with other mid-size cars. Rear-seat legroom boils down to the kind of accommodation that an average-sized adult would find more than adequate for a long trip. There's some wriggle room under the front seats, but rear-seat occupants may not be able to stretch out quite as much as they would like.

While the seats were comfortable enough, they seemed to lack a bit of under-thigh support in the front and didn't hold the occupants as well once cornering forces rose -- although a car of the Latitude's ilk is unlikely to be subjected to that sort of driving very often. Entering and leaving the car is made easier by the powered front seat sliding back to provide maximum room for the driver to slide in. When the engine starts, the seat will return to its last position.

Although it has a hatch-like profile, the Latitude is a true sedan. According to Renault, the boot will accommodate four European golf bags or three Australian golf bags [Ed: We’ll get back to you on the difference – or perhaps we won’t]. The luggage space while deep is accessed via a fairly narrow boot opening.

It's not a major issue in a car offering keyless starting, but the key slot is located on the passenger side of the centre fascia, obstructed from the driver's view by the transmission shifter. Freeing up some room in the centre console is the electronic parking brake, which operates automatically when the engine is switched off and releases automatically as soon as the driver presses the accelerator pedal with the transmission in Drive or Reverse.

Pairing a Bluetooth phone in the Latitude is not the easiest or most intuitive operation, but owners will get the run-down from Renault sales people at the hand-over of the vehicle. In contrast, the trip computer is quite easy to use, with just two buttons on the end of the wiper stalk to scroll up or down through different readouts. Resetting the computer is accomplished by just holding one of the buttons down for a few seconds.

Most of the more sophisticated features, such as the Super Plasma ioniser are rare or practically unique in a car priced as well as the Latitude.

In contrast, the Latitude arrives here without the all-important NCAP imprimatur. That's less an indictment of the car than an acknowledgement that Renault has brought the Latitude to market here sooner than expected after the car's European launch. The model has only been on sale for a few months in Europe and is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP.

Both grades of Latitude come with a long list of safety equipment as standard. The features include: antilock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist with automatic activation of hazard warning lights, stability control, traction control and understeer control.

Among the driving aids are: cruise control with speed limiter, rain-sensing wipers, auto-on/off headlights and electrochromatic mirrors.

The airbag complement numbers six, including adaptive driver and front passenger airbags, two dual-chamber thorax-groin lateral airbags combined with twin side-impact sensors and two curtain airbags. Seatbelts are all three-point type, with pretensioners and load limiters for the front-seat occupants.

Additionally the Latitude Luxe gains a reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring system and electrochromatic (interior) mirror.

The Korean-built, French-badged Latitude combines brand cachet with value-packed pricing and specification to see off the more expensive Japanese cars and the Passat, but other obvious rivals for the Renault include the Hyundai i45 and the Kia Optima. Then there's the Ford Mondeo TDCi and Subaru Liberty also.

If fuel economy or range is a major consideration, the diesel gets the nod. During the drive program for the local launch of the Korean-built Renault, the trip computer recorded an average fuel consumption figure of 8.3L/100km. Over much the same roads the petrol V6 variant used 9.6L/100km, according to the trip computer. Around town and on the highway the gap between the two could be expected to widen, favouring the turbodiesel more.

The turbodiesel Latitude is an agreeable tourer car, but due to its engine character, the V6 is at once more sporting and refined -- as well as more demanding of driver input and more inclined to kick down, naturally. The diesel was very refined by diesel standards, but was slightly hampered by turbo lag from a standing start. Once up and running though, it was a fairly strong performer.

At times, whether using the six-speed automatic transmission sequentially or even left in drive, the throttle response of the petrol V6 could be sharp. A heavier prod of the accelerator pedal would be met by a slight thump. The trait wasn't apparent in the diesel-engined car.

Neither engine was noisy at cruising speed. In fact muted wind and tyre noise battled it out at open-road speeds, although tyre noise was the clear winner at slower speeds and on coarse-chip bitumen. The petrol V6 sounded pleasant and was willing to rev to the higher reaches of the rev range with ease, but thanks to the six ratios in the transmission it delivered linear performance in a straight line.

Latitude’s ride and handling match was better than we've come to expect from some similarly affordable mid-size cars. On just one occasion, over a section of lumpy bitumen, did the Renault's ride become slightly flustered, floating a little at speed. Mostly, however, it was quite well controlled while sacrificing nothing for those who prefer their cars to ride better than they drive.

That said, the Latitude is not all about ride comfort. Roadholding, admittedly based on a fairly benign drive program, seemed up to scratch. Steering response was initially slow, although the Latitude would find a tighter line on a trailing throttle and hold it. At lower speeds -- in tighter bends -- it felt more reluctant to turn in and feedback through the wheel was masked slightly by the power assistance. At higher speeds the steering was more communicative.

Dynamically then, the Latitude is not that far apart from the Laguna it replaces, but certainly rides better. That and the added value in the new car might sway some typical medium segment sedan buyers -- because while the Latitude wears a Renault badge, it's more in keeping with some of the better cars from Korea; plenty of value without being cheap.

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