1992 RENAULT 19 Cabrio 1.8L 5MT FWD (95 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Renault introduced a facelift for the 19 range in 1992, and that included the convertible version, which was only two years old on the market.

As the compact-segment started to be more important, the French carmaker tried to make push harder with the 19 range, which was available as a three- and five-door hatchback, a sedan, or convertible. The latter was introduced in 1990 and was fighting against the Escort and the Opel/Vauxhall Astra convertible since the Golf IV was not yet offered with a rag-top.

Renault developed the convertible version together with the German coachbuilder Karmann. Its new front fascia included rounded edges and grille, with fog-lights in the front bumper fitted as standard. The most powerful version, named 16V or 16S depending on the market, sported an air-intake on the hood’s right side, regardless of the driving post. The coachbuilder made a unique fiber-glass panel with two domes behind the rear seats, which covered the canvas-top when it was retracted.

The car was built on the same platform with the three-door hatchback and sported the long doors. Inside, Karmann moved the rear seats forward to hide the roof behind them, leading to smaller rear legroom than in the hard-top version.

Renault installed only its top engines under the 19’s hood, with a 1.8-liter displacement, with two or four valves per cylinder. Its standard transmission was a five-speed manual, while a four-speed automatic was on the options list.