2009 RENAULT Fluence 1.5L dCi 6MT FWD (105 HP)

Vehicle Overview

While on the first two generations, Renault offered a three-box version for the Megane range, starting with 2009 the French carmaker took a different approach.

The Megane was already a successful nameplate on the European market, and the Sedan version was still sold in high volumes. Then, the company’s management decided to make a bold move and offered a three-box Megane with a new nameplate: Fluence. The result was a disaster.

Fluence was built mostly for car-fleets and rental companies. It offered adequate features and a low price. But it wasn’t exactly the Megane, even though it shared its platform with it. Renault made it with a new front fascia which resembled the hatchback, but it wasn’t the same. Its rounded lines looked rather bland, while the profile followed the same boring style. Since the car was built on Renault’s factory from Bursa – Turkey, it tried to get parts from local suppliers. As a result, many parts were different than those fitted in the French-built Megane.

Inside, there was a fabric upholstery made to last any stains. It looked like the one found in a rental car. The instrument cluster featured large dials for the tachometer and speedometer, but it wasn’t available with the digital display offered on the hatchback range. Since it shared the same wheelbase as the station wagon version, the Fluence offered more room in the back than the regular Megane. And that was its best-selling argument.

Under the hood, it was available with a 1.6-liter gasoline unit and a 1.5-liter turbo-diesel, both paired to a manual gearbox for the European versions. For specific markets, Renault included a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated or turbocharged version.