2012 Renault Fluence ZE Review

2012 Renault Fluence ZE . The stylish five-seat, four-door Renault Fluence Z.E. saloon cruises silently onto UK streets in 2012, but the French marque has already been accepting pre-reservations for it via www.renault-ze.com. Now, with a tempting on-the-road price confirmed from only £17,850 (after the £5,000 UK Plug-In Car Grant has been deducted), undercutting every other electric car in the UK, not to mention even comparably-sized diesel cars, Renault is bracing itself for an unprecedented surge. Renault’s belief is to make electric vehicles affordable for all, and Fluence Z.E. certainly achieves that. Available to reserve online now for £20 at www.renault-ze.com, in ‘Prime Time’ guise, Renault’s latest electric vehicle costs £17,850. With such keen pricing, the newcomer costs considerably less than zero-emission cars of similar size, plus smaller and less practical superminis, and is sure to prove a tempting proposition for private and business customers alike.

To give complete peace of mind when it comes to battery maintenance and technology, as well as keep its overall cost within easy reach of as many buyers as possible, there is a separate battery lease contract from £75 per month (based on 6,000 miles per year/3 years). Additional mileage and contract length details will be available closer to UK launch.

2012 Renault Fluence ZE

The good-looking saloon’s appealing price means it costs less than rival electric cars from every volume manufacturer by a sizeable margin, not to mention its own comparably equipped and powered diesel in-house, Mégane Hatch Dynamique TomTom, by £855. Among the electric car competition, opting for Renault’s Fluence Z.E. instead of the £23,990 Mitsubishi i-Miev would leave £6,140 in change*** – almost enough to buy a spare Renault Twizy.

The initial launch version of Fluence Z.E., Prime Time, comes with a high level of equipment, including 16? alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, ecoMeter and Carminat TomTom Live smart satellite navigation, together with charging sockets on both front wings. Aside from its alluring price and sound environmental credentials, thanks to its zero-emissions, Fluence Z.E. will also offer an enjoyable driving experience through its 70kW (95hp) power and generous 226Nm of instant torque on tap. The range of Renault’s flagship Z.E. is up to 115 miles, depending on driving and road conditions.