Insurance Group: 16
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
0-62 Mph: 13.7 secs
BHP: 95 BHP
Range: N/A miles
PROS: The Fluence is an attractive model that benefits from the low emissions and running costs of electric cars, and has a cabin that is refined and comfortable with plenty of room for five.
CONS: The monthly lease for the battery does add to the running costs of the Fluence, and as with the rest of the current generation of electric cars the practicality is limited by the range.
The ride in the Fluence is very good with a suspension that takes the majority of bumps and lumps in its stride, and the body roll while cornering is also kept to a minimum. Although there isn't a particularly high level of feedback in the steering, it is accurate and light and the car is also very comfortable with plenty of grip while cornering. The driving position in the Fluence is fine with plenty of adjustment in the driving seat, but the steering wheel doesn't adjust for reach. The visibility in the car is also very good.
The performance delivered by the electric motor isn't too bad, with acceleration from 0-62mph in 13.7 seconds. The top speed of 84mph means that it will never win awards for pace, but does fine around town and on occasional visit to the motorway. The refinement in the Fluence is excellent as you'd expect from an electric car, with only a slight whirr to be heard when it is working very hard.
The Fluence is a nice looking saloon that doesn't generally look much different to other saloons, with a front end with a tidy grille and air intake. It also has a clean back end with tail light clusters that are split over the body and the boot door. Inside the cabin the trim is nice enough, and the Fluence also enjoys a dashboard that is much the same as the Renault Megane, but the stereo controls are a little fiddly and small.
There is a good level of equipment included as standard with the car, including satellite navigation and a CD stereo with an MP3 input. Alloy wheels are only an optional extra, but climate control and cruise control are also features that make the cabin comfortable.
The cabin of the Fluence can accommodate five people in plenty of space, and the boot also has a decent size, but the main issue for the practicality of the car is the limited battery range. It is claimed that this can be as much as 115 miles, although tests have suggested that this varies depending on the usage and drops in cold weather. Renault's reliability hasn't always matched that of German and Japanese manufacturers, but the battery leasing arrangement is reassuring in terms of the battery life.
The safety equipment with the Fluence is also very good, with driver aids that help to keep the car stable and under control, while it also has a good range of airbags.
This version of the Fluence is the most competitively priced, with the list price of £17,495 being significantly less than its main rival the Nissan Leaf. However, the leasing arrangement for the battery does cost £75 per month, so you will need to factor this in to the costs.
With no tank to fill with petrol, the costs of charging the battery are significantly less than that of filling petrol or diesel cars, but the exact cost per mile can vary significantly depending on the usage. The insurance group is quite reasonable meaning that premiums shouldn't be too punishing. The Renault Fluence is supplied with a four year or ninety nine thousand mile warranty, and also has four years' roadside breakdown assistance.
Compared with many other electric cars the Renault Fluence is much cheaper to purchase, and although there is an additional cost to lease the battery, this system does mean that the cost of replaci...
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