Renault Latitude flagship revealed
French brand set to fill the void left by the oddball Vel Satis with a less confronting flagship sedanRenault has released the first images of its new Latitude large sedan that will spearhead the French marque's range in place of the ungainly Vel Satis that was discontinued last year.
The all-new sedan is a far less confronting proposition and it's underpinned by a derivative of the Nissan D front-wheel-drive platform that forms the basis for its Laguna and Espace stablemates.
Expected to launch in Australia next year, the Latitude is Renault's largest car to date, measuring 4.89m from bumper to bumper, 1.83m in width and 1.49m high -- roughly the same size as the latest-gen BMW 5 Series.
The vehicle will be pitched in Asian markets as the Renault Samsung SM5, and it's possible that Australian-spec vehicles will also be sourced from Renault Samsung's Busan plant.
For now, Renault is billing the Latitude as a "truly high-end package", and it will need to be nothing less than that if it is to replicate the popularity (in Europe) of the Renault 25, which was the last successful large car offered by the brand.
The company says the Latitude will feature a range of high-tech engines, along with goodies such as triple-zone climate control, a massaging driver's seat and Bose Premium audio system.
The Latitude will make its public debut at the Moscow motor show in late August, and it will thereafter take centre stage on Renault's stand at the Paris motor show.
The car will be more or less a global offering and the company has already confirmed sales in Asia, Africa, Russia, the Middle East, Mexico and Australia.
Renault has had a tough time of it since re-entering the Australian arena a decade ago, and it's yet to make a sizeable dent in the market.
Even though the overall market is up so far this year (422,446 sales until the end of May, compared with 352,376 for the same period last year), Renault has regressed from a modest 944 sales (until the end of May last year) to 756 sales this year.
The Koleos SUV is Renault's bread and butter (359 sales), while the existing Laguna flagship found just 78 buyers during the first five months of this year -- clearly, the Latitude has its work cut out.
For now, we'll venture that the sedan looks elegant (if a little bland)... at least it won't instantly alienate some buyers, as the Vel Satis no doubt did.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
