SCOOP: Renault Preparing Low-Cost Dacia 7-Seat Minivan

It turns out that the rumors surrounding Renault’s plans to expand the range of its budget brand Dacia with a 7-seat MPV that we told you about earlier this year were true. Our man with the long lens caught a prototype of the Dacia MPV codenamed J92 in heavy camouflage while on test on European roads.

The compact minivan, which some say may carry the Popster nameplate, is believed to ride on an extended version of the Logan’s platform architecture measuring around 4.5-meters in length with power coming from Dacia’s existing range of Renault-sourced gasoline and turbo diesel engines.

Read more »

Locally Made Right-Hand-Drive Renault Duster to Launch in India

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is gradually expanding the availability of its Duster small SUV, originally branded as a Dacia, to more international markets. Following the recent presentation of the Renault Duster for the South American region at the Buenos Aires Motor Show, today, the French firm confirmed its launch in India.

To be sold under the Renault marque, the right-hand drive [RHD] version of the Duster will be fully produced at the Renault-Nissan Chennai plant in India and rolled out across the local market in the second half of 2012. The RHD Duster will also be available in the UK starting from next year.

Read more »

New Renault Duster for South America Debuts at Buenos Aires Motor Show

The Renault-Nissan Alliance’s low-cost Dacia Duster SUV has lost its Romanian badges to cater to the needs of the South American market where it will be sold under the Renault brand.

Redesigned for the local market, the Renault Duster SUV makes its regional debut at this week’s Buenos Aires Motor Show. It will first launch in Argentina and Brazil during the last quarter of the year, with more countries to follow after. Production will take place at Renault’s Curitiba plant in Brazil.

Read more »

Dacia Duster No Limit

Dacia has unveiled the Duster No Limit, a one-off version of the Romanian firm’s off-roader that has been created for one purpose: to win the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday, June 26.



Because it will be competing in the PPIHC ‘Unlimited’ class - where there’s no minimum weight rule, no limit on engine capacity or output and anything goes regarding aerodynamics and transmissions -  the competition Dacia shares nothing with its showroom equivalent except a silhouette.

Developed with the help of Renault Sport Technologies, the Duster No Limit features a mid-mounted 3.8 litre V6 engine from the Nissan GT-R beneath its glass-fibre bodywork. Built by specialists Sodemo, it pumps out around 838 bhp (625 kW / 850 PS) which is then fed to the wheels via a Sadev six-speed sequential gearbox.



And it’ll need all that power too, as the 12.42 mile (19.98 km) course finishes at the 14,110 foot (4,300 metre) summit of Pikes Peak. That kind of altitude is reckoned to reduce engine outputs by 30%.



Driving the Dacia Duster No Limit at Pikes Peak will be Frenchman Jean-Philippe Dayraut.



Related post:

Multistrada Pikes Peak

Mahindra Verito launched

The Renault Logan has been renamed the Mahindra Verito for the Indian market.



It follows the termination in April 2010 of the joint venture that had been established by Mahindra & Mahindra and the French manufacturer to build the Logan locally in Nashik.



Under the terms of the restructure, M&M bought out Renault’s 49 percent share in order to fully own the operation, and Logan production has continued in India via a licensing arrangement. However, it was also agreed that the Renault branding would eventually have to disappear.

So, switching to the Mahindra badge comes as no surprise. The Verito model name is meant to allude to honest dependability, as it’s derived from the Latin word ‘veritas’ meaning ‘truth’.



To go with the new name, Mahindra has taken the opportunity to introduce a few cosmetic tweaks. These include the fitment of roof rails, revised fog lights, side cladding and extra chrome decoration at the rear, while the interior gets new upholstery.



Carried over from the Logan are the two engines, both of which are sourced from Renault. Cheapest is the 1.4 MPFI petrol unit, which is priced at Rs. 4.82 lakh for the BS3 version - that’s around £6,560 or €7,380 at today’s exchange rates.



Alternatively, buyers can opt for the 1.5 DCi CRDi diesel. It’s more expensive at Rs. 5.62 lakh (about £7,650 or €8,600), but it does have an ARAI fuel economy rating of 59.4 mpg (4.8 l/100km / 21.03 km/l).



Rajesh Jejurikar, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said: “The Verito, with its unique value proposition aligns with the Mahindra DNA of offering tough, rugged and sporty vehicles. For the first time, we are using social media platforms to unveil a new product, reflecting alternative thinking. The earlier Logan will continue to get complete service and spares support from us.”



Related post:

Toyota reveals 2011 Etios

Leaf is Car of the Year

The Nissan Leaf has been declared 2011 European Car of the Year. It’s the first electric car to win the title, but it wasn’t a unanimous decision.

Fifty-seven motoring journalists from across the continent formed a jury to decide the winner, and each was given twenty-five votes to distribute across the seven finalists. The contest rules stipulate that they had to allocate those votes to at least five cars, with no more than ten points allowed for any one model.



Only three jurors gave the Leaf a maximum score, but nine didn’t give it any votes at all.

Such a divergence of opinion reflected that while it’s technically interesting, the Nissan is still unproven in real world conditions. Some of the journalists also recognised that the Leaf is very much a first generation electric car; future models will undoubtedly have better range, shorter recharging times, and cost less.



Consequently, it was a close result, with second and third spots being occupied by the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Vauxhall / Opel Meriva.

2011 Car of the Year
Position	Model	Votes
1	Nissan Leaf	257
2	Alfa Romeo Giulietta	248
3	Vauxhall / Opel Meriva	244
4	Ford C-Max / Grand C-Max	224
5	Citroën C3 / DS3	175
6	Volvo S60 / V60	145
7	Dacia Duster	132

Related posts:

2011 CotY nominations

Electric car grants saved

Leaf to be built in UK

Alfa Giulietta prices

2011 CotY nominees

The seven finalists in Europe’s 2011 Car of the Year contest have been announced:

• Alfa Romeo Giulietta


• Citroën C3 / DS3


• Dacia Duster


• Ford C-Max / Grand C-Max


• Nissan Leaf


• Vauxhall / Opel Meriva


• Volvo S60 / V60

Notable is the Leaf, which is the first purely electric car to reach this stage of the competition.



All new models were eligible for the award, provided that they were already on sale (or soon would be) in five or more European markets, and are expected to achieve annual retails of 5,000 or more. This year, there were 41 that met the criteria.



A first stage of voting, which involved motoring journalists from across the continent, whittled those candidates down to the final nominees. The list of cars that failed to make it onto the shortlist makes interesting reading, too, and it includes some surprises:

• Audi A1


• BMW 5 Series


• Honda CR-Z


• Mini Countryman


• Mitsubishi i-MiEV / Citroën C-Zero / Peugeot i-On


• Nissan Juke


• Renault Fluence

The jurors will now have a second vote to determine the 2011 Car of the Year, and the winner will be announced on 29 November 2010.