Renault to axe Laguna, Espace, Modus and... Wind!

[Felly Magic]

The French government are currently battling the Renault family who are trying to get their firm back, that was stolen from them under the nazi occupation of Germany as well I've heard.

[Autoplas]

The French government are currently battling the Renault family who are trying to get their firm back, that was stolen from them under the nazi occupation of Germany as well I've heard.

 

Yes it was........

[Craig the Princess]

 

Kinnock

 

 

Espace

[RoadworkUK]

Craig, you've posted the same picture twice. Have another go.

[Felly Magic]

One thing I do not get with any so called MPV is, that where the fuck do you put your shopping when all the seats are in use? Is that why I've seen so many people carriers with roof boxes?

[Craig the Princess]

Craig, you've posted the same picture twice. Have another go.

 

 

MPV

 

 

Former MP

[Renault18]

You know, you may just have a point - you never see Kinnock and mk1 Espace in the same garage together

[Felly Magic]

Neil Espace?

[RoadworkUK]

The mark 1 Espace looks like Neil Kinnock.

 

I think it only works on certain colours, and if the light hits it from certain angles, but you're right.

 

[RENOMAD]

I never through this thread would go to nearly 10 pages----Renault bashing is still rife..I'll never give in though.

[messerschmitt owner]

I never through this thread would go to nearly 10 pages----Renault bashing is still rife..I'll never give in though.

it isn't rife everywhere - but you have to admit, for a period, their cars were utterly crap, with myriad faults that shouldn't exist on a modern car!

 

I like a lot of older Renaults, and I like the current megane coupe. But hey, modern Peugeot bashing is also common here too - for very good reasons.

[Father Ted]

One thing I do not get with any so called MPV is, that where the fuck do you put your shopping when all the seats are in use? Is that why I've seen so many people carriers with roof boxes?

 

Depends which one you have - the Zafira had fuck all boot space with all seats in use, whereas the C8 has quite enough space for a Maclaren pram and grocery shopping with all seats in use.

 

Yes Fred Shipman had an Espace.

 

If Renault use the same dealers to sell the Dacia range then I can see both ranges happily co-existing so long as they dont get like VAG and put the prices up of the cheap stuff (Skoda anyone?). Economically we are at a point where we need budget brands of cars again (like Lada was in the 70's and 80's) n this country and it seems perfect sense to me at least for "prestige" makes to have a budget arm, so Dacia for Renault, Skoda for VAG, Renault for Nissan and so on....

[RENOMAD]

One thing I do not get with any so called MPV is, that where the fuck do you put your shopping when all the seats are in use? Is that why I've seen so many people carriers with roof boxes?

 

Depends which one you have - the Zafira had fuck all boot space with all seats in use, whereas the C8 has quite enough space for a Maclaren pram and grocery shopping with all seats in use.

 

Yes Fred Shipman had an Espace.

 

If Renault use the same dealers to sell the Dacia range then I can see both ranges happily co-existing so long as they dont get like VAG and put the prices up of the cheap stuff (Skoda anyone?). Economically we are at a point where we need budget brands of cars again (like Lada was in the 70's and 80's) n this country and it seems perfect sense to me at least for "prestige" makes to have a budget arm, so Dacia for Renault, Skoda for VAG, Renault for Nissan and so on....

 

I was agreeing with everthing you said until "Renault for Nissan"

[Father Ted]

I was agreeing with everthing you said until "Renault for Nissan"

 

Im teasing you Reno.

[RENOMAD]

I was agreeing with everthing you said until "Renault for Nissan"

 

Im teasing you Reno.

 

Sorry,,,,,,we have had Renault in our family for 40 years,,,I have worked in various Renault dealerships for 12 years so you can understand how defensive I am about them.....yes there have been problems and no, Renault havn't been quick enough to address these to their detriment. But what you have here is a fiercely proud company with a history going back well over 100 years who have not been afraid to think outside the box as regards design. Their main failing is that they are French,,and French do not make mistakes and do not admit that their are problems until it is too late and for me THAT is the main problem.

[cort16]

For all their flaws I though the range around 2002 was a great looking bunch compared to the competitors. I still think the Laguna II in wagon form is a great looking cars, the fat ass Megane looked fantastic compared to the one before and I still have major love for the Avantime and Vel-Satis and even though no-one bought them at least they tried something different. However the current range of Cars don't do it for me the Lagunas are funny looking, the Megane looks dull compared to the last one and although I like the Clio I think the facelift makes it look odd (see Laguna).

[RENOMAD]

Lets hope that the car will start to look at bit more interesting from now on at the helm of new Design Chief, Laurens van den Acker.

He is the one who designed the DeZir and this apparently lends its face to new Renaults from now on--time will tell.

 

Me-----I'm waiting for the Duster,,,,£150 will change all its badges to Renault

[Father Ted]

I have worked in various Renault dealerships for 12 years so you can understand how defensive I am about them.....Their main failing is that they are French,,and French do not make mistakes and do not admit that their are problems until it is too late and for me THAT is the main problem.

 

Hey, you are talking to a paid up Citrophile here (AX, BX, ZX, Xantia, Berlingo, C8) I know where you are coming from - Gr8 design ideas, bonkers engineering, materials made of Cheesium.

The Laguna 1 we had was like that - Great car in every respect apart from the rear suspension was made out of cardboard and useless for towing my caravan with. I rebuilt it with progressive gasmatics and coil overs and jobbed.

Citroen (the mentalist arm of PSA) are the same with regards design.

 

I loves em.

[R9UKE]

Citroen have also lost it. Fitting springs to the new C5 unless you opt for the Exclusive model says it all.

 

Patrick le Quément was responsible for the most daring Renault designs, as well as bringing that madness to "normal" cars like the Mégane when the II was launched in 02. I highly doubt anyone will be able to inject as much madness, Frenchness and class into future Renault designs as he did.

[RENOMAD]

Citroen have also lost it. Fitting springs to the new C5 unless you opt for the Exclusive model says it all.

 

Patrick le Quément was responsible for the most daring Renault designs, as well as bringing that madness to "normal" cars like the Mégane when the II was launched in 02. I highly doubt anyone will be able to inject as much madness, Frenchness and class into future Renault designs as he did.

 

 

Remeber a few years ago when the C5 came out,,,they were actually suggesting that it was German like------Citroen was always known for its pure wierdness but to suggest it was Germanlike completely goes against it values.

[dollywobbler]

While I want to hate the C5 Mk2 for that very German reason, there's no denying that hydropneumatic is a waste of time. I've spent a lot of time driving a coil-sprung C5 and it was bloody marvellous. Not that keen on the dashboard, which you almost seem to wear, but it's a very impressive car. Far more so than the C5 Mk1, which itself is not exactly a paragon of reliability.

 

Citroen WAS always known for quirk value, but to be honest, that rapidly disappeared in the Xsara, Xantia and Saxo days. Truth is that not enough people want quirky. People like me who love quirky are not likely to buy a brand new car...

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I've never driven a C5 (not even a Sinclair C5!), but can the coil-sprung one really go through speedbumps (the bigger, ramp-type ones) at 25mph without its passengers suffering noticeable discomfort? I've only had that experience in a Xantia with new spheres, and it's the only hydropneumatic car I've ever driven.

[RENOMAD]

Its amazing how this Renault thread has turned into a Citroen one

[M'coli]

It hasn't - it's turned into a discussion about how innovative marques that have produced some fantastic and individual vehicles over the years have become emasculated by the success of more conventional fare to the point where the innovators have become run-of-the-mill themselves, and seem to have lost their way and their traditional customer base as they've done so.

 

What's really shit about Renault/Citreon/Lancia etc at the moment is that they won't produce anything that is interesting, because the buying public won't want it and the traditional quirky customer base for such vehicles has dwindled or has moved on to other manufacturers. All cars it seems must now follow a particular formula for the way they operate, and there is a lamentable lack of choice out there.

 

I blame new car journalists for this myself.

[Renault18]

It hasn't - it's turned into a discussion about how innovative marques that have produced some fantastic and individual vehicles over the years have become emasculated by the success of more conventional fare to the point where the innovators have become run-of-the-mill themselves, and seem to have lost their way and their traditional customer base as they've done so.

 

What's really shit about Renault/Citreon/Lancia etc at the moment is that they won't produce anything that is interesting, because the buying public won't want it and the traditional quirky customer base for such vehicles has dwindled or has moved on to other manufacturers. All cars it seems must now follow a particular formula for the way they operate, and there is a lamentable lack of choice out there.

 

I blame new car journalists for this myself.

 

Spot on!

[RENOMAD]

It hasn't - it's turned into a discussion about how innovative marques that have produced some fantastic and individual vehicles over the years have become emasculated by the success of more conventional fare to the point where the innovators have become run-of-the-mill themselves, and seem to have lost their way and their traditional customer base as they've done so.

 

What's really shit about Renault/Citreon/Lancia etc at the moment is that they won't produce anything that is interesting, because the buying public won't want it and the traditional quirky customer base for such vehicles has dwindled or has moved on to other manufacturers. All cars it seems must now follow a particular formula for the way they operate, and there is a lamentable lack of choice out there.

 

I blame new car journalists for this myself.

 

Spot on!

 

+1

[RENOMAD]

In a funny sort of a way I can see the whole Dacia thing as being Renault re-inventing itself. In a way starting from scratch with a basic no frills car range--ie the modern 4L.....You get people into these who maybe couldn't afford a new car before but now can. Give them a few years in a Dacia, then maybe they would aspire to owning a Renault. It may sound mad but maybe there is method in the madness and its that madness that we as French Car Lovers can relate to, and wouldn't have it any other way.

[Father Ted]

It hasn't - it's turned into a discussion about how innovative marques that have produced some fantastic and individual vehicles over the years have become emasculated by the success of more conventional fare to the point where the innovators have become run-of-the-mill themselves, and seem to have lost their way and their traditional customer base as they've done so.

 

What's really shit about Renault/Citreon/Lancia etc at the moment is that they won't produce anything that is interesting, because the buying public won't want it and the traditional quirky customer base for such vehicles has dwindled or has moved on to other manufacturers. All cars it seems must now follow a particular formula for the way they operate, and there is a lamentable lack of choice out there.

 

I blame new car journalists for this myself.

 

Spot on!

 

+2

 

I can see Renner re-inventing itself via Dacia, but only f they are brave enough to try. My worry is they take a budget brand and turn it into a clone of Renault in the way VW did with Skoda, rather than recognise there is a market for budget reasonable quality cars, maybe with a few quirks.

 

The other matter is that current NCAP, build and emissions regs mean that even budget cars have to be designed a certain way - its no hope wishing that there is a Dacia -4L launched, the car wouldnt make it to type approval, but why not a Dacia branded slimmed down Mk1 Kangoo? I can see that working.

[RENOMAD]

there is ---The Logan MCV & VAN

 

Have a look at this Dacia Italy website---the range is really expanding...They have a pick-up,van and people carrier version of the Logan saloon(not all the same car )

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Well, good luck to them. If you really can buy it for under £7000, and it drives okay with the supposed new found Renault reliability then it might do well.

 

Another way of looking at it is that perhaps Renaults have previously been too expensive. When you can buy an Audi A1 (a very neat thing with a good badge) for £13'000 or a Juke for £13'500, why the fuck is a basic Corsa £10'500? Perhaps Dacia/Renault will sell shitloads of cars and start some sort of price war to bring the prices of econo-snotboxes down to £6500?