Renault auto news

Video: Watch spectators rush to save lives of rally drivers trapped in capsized Renault

We don't need to tell you why rally racing - though awesome - is incredibly dangerous. As much as we love to watch turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Euro hatches being flung around on dirt, gravel, snow and tarmac, the fact that many of these races go through small towns and wooded trails leaves plenty of room for disaster.

Case in point: This Renault Clio racer went off course during the 2012 Mazowiecki Rally, leaving driver Patrick Osowiecki and navigator Maciej Wrona trapped upside-down in a lake. According to CarScoop, no race officials were near the scene of the accident, but some selfless spectators rushed in to attempt to free Osowiecki and Wrona from their racecar. Scroll down to watch the action unfold.

Continue reading Watch spectators rush to save lives of rally drivers trapped in capsized Renault

Official: Renault updates aging Espace in attempt to keep it fresh

The current Renault Espace has been on the market since 2003. Next year that will make it ten years old, which is a long life cycle for any vehicle. But it'll still be a few years until its replacement is ready. So following the facelift it performed on the Euro-market minivan in 2003, Renault is releasing another update.

Refreshed to fall more closely in line with Renault's current styling direction (the company has changed aesthetic strategies a few times since the introduction of the fourth-generation model), the new Espace has a fresh grille that better incorporates a larger emblem than the model it replaces, and it's flanked by new headlights and a new bumper fascia below.

Further details on what else Renault has tweaked will be released in July when it hits showrooms overseas.

Continue reading Renault updates aging Espace in attempt to keep it fresh

Rumormill: Renault to unveil new Alpine concept at Monaco Grand Prix?

Typically when an automaker wants to roll out a new car, it does so at one of a dozen or so major auto shows held throughout the calendar and around the world. But with the bulk of the show season on break for the summer, rumor has it that Renault is planning a more glamorous location to unveil its latest.

Speculation has been mounting for years that Renault was preparing to revive the Alpine nameplate with a new sports car sometime soon. And with the 50th anniversary of the legendary A110 (pictured above in the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally) coming up, the latest suggests that is exactly what the French automaker has in store for the Monaco Grand Prix, scheduled to take place in short order on the streets of Monte Carlo.

Just what the new Renault Alpine will amount to, if anything, remains to be seen, however. Some forecast that it could be based on the same platform as the GT-R from allied automaker Nissan, while others anticipate an electric sports car of some sort.

One way or another, it won't be the only Renault present for the most iconic of grands prix: eight out of the 24 F1 cars on the grid this year are powered by the same Renault RS27 engine that powered Sebastian Vettel to the last two world championships.

Report: Renault-Nissan moves to take control of Russia's largest automaker

Renault-Nissan aims to increase its stake in Avtovaz, giving the alliance majority control over Russia's largest automaker. The deal will likely see Renault and Nissan vehicles manufactured beside Lada models in the near future. Avtovaz recently finished a new production facility in Togliatti where the three brands plan to produce up to 1.6 million units per year. That move would make the Togliatti plant one of the largest automotive manufacturing facilities in the world. The companies expect the agreement to become final by 2014.

Technically, the deal is structured under a joint venture between Renault-Nissan and Russian Technologies, a state-owned corporation. Under a recently-signed memorandum of understanding, Renault-Nissan will own 67.13 percent of the venture, which will own 74.5 percent of Avtovaz. The alliance already holds a 25 percent stake in Avtovaz.

Under the MOU, Renault will invest around $300 million in the joint venture, while Nissan will put in $450 million.

Teased: Renault to unveil new Clio at Paris show in September

The supermini market is a vital one for European automakers, and though its current Clio remains a popular choice, Renault is not about to rest on its proverbial laurels as its most popular model gets older and less relevant. So with that in mind, the French carmaker is apparently preparing to unveil an all-new Clio hatchback at the next major auto salon.

That show won't be taking place until September when Renault's home-market Paris Auto Salon opens its doors at the Port de Versailles, but a pair of teaser shots have already surfaced giving us a tiny glimpse at what to expect. The images - reportedly leaked from internal documents - show the grille and a sliver of the rear 3/4. The front looks to take cues from the smaller Twingo, while the rear betrays an upward kink in the shoulder, more aggressive taillights and an altogether more sculpted shape.

Styling penned by Laurens van der Acker is expected overall to take its lead from the DeZir Concept. We'll have to wait until after the summer to see it in full, though.

Beijing: Renault says very little about its new Talisman sedan

The breadth and scope of the Chinese car market has ballooned to such an extent that it makes sense for many foreign automakers to design cars specifically for China. Case in point: the new Renault Talisman.

Instead of building the Talisman in China through a joint venture, manufacturing is handled in nearby Korea by Renault Samsung Motors - the same division that has already brought Renault eight awards and sales increasing fourfold since 2009 due to the success of the Koleos crossover.

As for the Talisman itself, Renault has releases suspiciously little information, and even less photos. It's billed as a "casual luxury" sedan, whatever that means, but more than that we couldn't tell you. Which is just fine, because unless you live in China, you'll probably never see one. Feel free to peruse the press release below.

Continue reading Renault says very little about its new Talisman sedan

Video: Renault Twingo R.S. makes a lousy bowling ball

Renault Sport invited its fans to suggest challenges for the Twingo R.S. to overcome, and one of the chosen feats was for it to play the ball in a game of ten-pin. After some establishing shots and burnouts, the 133-horsepower hot hatch gets going down the lane.

To make sure it doesn't disappoint, a stern gang of mute, pouty models looks on because, well, you can't have car-bowling without that, now can you?

Continue reading Renault Twingo R.S. makes a lousy bowling ball

Report: Renault to get own version of Nissan Juke

At least in the UK, the unnamed model will replace the slow-selling Koleos CUV. AutoExpress has worked up some renderings, and notably, they swap out the Juke's unusual front lighting for something a bit more traditional and more along the lines of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show Captur showcar.

Earlier speculation had the Captur coming to market riding atop Renault's Clio architecture, but if this new report is accurate, Renault probably won't have to invest as much to bring the vehicle to market. Check out the full renderings at the link below, and sit tight, because AE doesn't expect the subcompact ute to arrive until sometime next year.

Official: Renault launches new seven-passenger Grand Kangoo

Put the word Grand in front of a nameplate and you'll likely be looking at something from the Chrysler stable: a Jeep Grand Cherokee, for example, or a Dodge Grand Caravan. But Auburn Hills isn't the only automaker to use the moniker: so does Renault, as in the Grand Scenic, Grand Modus, Grand Espace, and this latest release.

The Grand Kangoo is based, as you might have guessed, on the Kangoo commercial van, but has been configured for passenger use. Seven passengers, to be precise. Easily among the smallest seven-passenger vehicles on the market anywhere, the Grand Kangoo features a highly modular and adaptable cabin that ought to make it a popular choice for those who need the flexibility to carry larger-than-usual loads of cargo or a large family, but not so much in the style department.

European buyers can opt for two levels of output from the 1.5liter dCi engine with either 90 horsepower or 110, and two trim levels, with prices starting at €20,750 (in France, inclusive of taxes) and order books opening next month. See the press release after the break.

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Official: Renault celebrates Red Bull partnership with special edition Clio RS

As a Formula One entity, Renault has gone from engine supplier to full manufacturer (having acquired the Benetton team back in 2000) and back to engine supplier (having all but completely divested the team now under the Lotus banner). The French automaker's competition engine works also powers Caterham and Williams this season, but most importantly, the Red Bull Racing team that is returning once again as World Champions. So whereas previous Renaultsport special edition hot hatches celebrated the company's own achievements, the latest celebrates Red Bull's.

Named the Red Bull RB7 edition after last year's car, the special Clio RS packs a 203-horsepower four mounted to the Cup chassis that would otherwise be an option. The body is painted matte black with yellow highlights, a tone-on-tone checkerboard roof, the requisite special badging and 18-inch wheels done up in a black finish and shod with the same Bridgestone rubber that kept the Mégane Trophy glued to the Nürburgring for its lap record.

Inside it's got yellow Recaro buckets and the RS Monitor performance telematics system. The special edition will only be available, however, in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Spain. Details to be found in the press release after the jump with high-res images in the gallery above.

Continue reading Renault celebrates Red Bull partnership with special edition Clio RS