Renault Fluence facelift review, test drive

Renault's Fluence, despite being a capable car, never really managed to sell in large numbers. You could attribute this to various things – its mediocre engines, its price-tag at the time, rivals that proved to be better bets, and finally, the fact that, when it was launched, Renault was relatively unknown in India. This then is the facelift – one that, in our eyes, improves on the Fluence's already good looks. But is there more to this car than just its appearance? Read on.

 

The exterior is where the big changes are. The facelifted Fluence gets a new grille with a large Renault badge taking pride of place in the centre, the restyled headlamps look nice and there's a new bumper with fog lamps. It also gets a new design for its 16-inch alloys. Overall, the nip and tuck has made the Fluence look much more modern and appealing.

 

 

On the inside, there's new seat leather, a new audio system, which sounds slightly better than the old unit, a soft touch dashboard with a hint of chrome around the air-con vents, dual-zone climate control, a digital instrument cluster with a blue tint around the speedometer, and an electronic parking brake. There’s also other kit like a smart key with start-stop button, cruise control, parking sensors, four airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), EBD, ESP, rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, rear sun blinds and rear air-con vents. At the rear seats, a lack of rear headroom is an issue in the low-roofed Fluence. But its long wheelbase translates to great legroom, even with the front seats pushed all the way back. The rear seats are comfortable, have great under-thigh support and the seating position is nice and upright.