Renault Fluence spied in India

Here are the first ever spy pictures of the upcoming Renault Fluence spotted undergoing testing near Chennai.

With the Fluence, Renault is planning to make a fresh start in India. As seen in the spy pictures, the Fluence is far removed from the Logan’s square lines. It looks terrific from almost any angle and in India will certainly stand out from the mundane and generic styling of its rivals. The slot-type grille, headlamps which swoop into the fenders, and the sculpted bonnet with the Renault badge looks refreshing. It is set to compete with the likes of the Corolla and is a bit bigger than a Laura or a Jetta, but slightly smaller than the Passat.

In India, the Fluence will be assembled from CKD kits shipped in from Renault's Turkey plant, but expect a fair bit of local content which will be essential to keep costs down. The Fluence is built on the very capable Renault-Nissan C platform which is also the base for the Megane III.

Under the hood will be a more powerful version of the Logan's 1.5-litre diesel dCi engine developing 105bhp of max power. The suspension will be well tuned for comfort and the ride is expected to be outstanding. Equipment levels will be on par with the competition and will include gizmos like Keyless Start and Bluetooth Connectivity to name a few.

The Fluence is expected to be launched in April 2011 and will carry a price tag of Rs 12-13lakh.