Renault Vel Satis

Last updated
Renault Vel Satis
2002 Renault Vel Satis Privilege DCi 2.2 Front.jpg
Renault Vel Satis (Pre-facelift)
Overview
Manufacturer Renault
Production2001–2005 (LHD, 62,201 units)
2001–2009 (RHD, 1,293 units)
AssemblyFrance: Sandouville (Sandouville Renault Factory)
Designer Patrick Le Quément
Body and chassis
Class Executive car (E)
Body style 5-door hatchback
Layout FF layout
Related Renault Laguna II
Renault Espace IV
Powertrain
Engine
Dimensions
Length4,860 mm (191.3 in)
Width1,860 mm (73.2 in)
Height1,580 mm (62.2 in)
Curb weight 1,735 kg (3,825 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor Renault Safrane
Successor Renault Latitude

The Renault Vel Satis is a five-passenger, five-door executive hatchback, manufactured and marketed by Renault from 2001-2009 over a single generation, sharing its platform with the Laguna II and Espace IV and manufactured on the same assembly line in Sandouville, France and noted for its unorthodox styling approach to the luxury segment.

Contents

Launched at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show to replace the already discontinued Safrane, the Vel Satis followed a 1998 Paris Motor Show concept. [1]

As Renault's flagship model, it was the company's first car offered with adaptive cruise control, [2] Renault reportedly spent €550 million developing the Vel Satis, predicting 50,000 sales across Europe in its first year. [3] In total, over an eight year production, approximately 62,000 were manufactured. [4]

The name Vel Satis is a portmanteau of Velocity and Satisfaction.

Overview

Rear view of Vel Satis (Pre-facelift) 2002 Renault Vel Satis Privilege DCi 2.2 Rear.jpg
Rear view of Vel Satis (Pre-facelift)
Renault Vel Satis 3.0 dCi V6 Facelift front 20100613.jpg
Renault Vel Satis 3.0 dCi V6 Facelift rear 20100613.jpg
Renault Vel Satis (Post-facelift)

The Vel Satis is noted for its height (13 cm higher than a Safrane), benefiting interior space, and remains in use by high-ranking French officials. It was the second ever car to receive a five star Euro NCAP safety crash test rating, after the Laguna II.

Engine availability included:

The Vel Satis received a minor facelift for the 2005 model year, featuring a revised front grille, rear apron, twin-flow exhaust system, and chrome-plated door handles. The interior featured revised fittings, fabrics and materials and revised radio and navigation systems. The 2.0-liter petrol engine received an increase in output to 125 kW.

In March 2005, Renault UK decided not to develop a RHD version of the facelifted Vel Satis, as sales of the model had been poor in the United Kingdom since launch.[ citation needed ] Although 3,500 sales were predicted, only a third of these were achieved.[ citation needed ] This came two years after Renault discontinued the Avantime coupé/MPV.

On August 27, 2009, Renault ended production of the Vel Satis losing an estimated €18,710 per vehicle produced. [5]

Reception

Patrick Le Quément, Renault's design chief, said the Vel Satis was intended to have physical presence, to redefine the prestige car on French terms, and to target less conformist customers. [6]

In September 2002, Car described the Vel Satis as "ugly and very French." [6]

Reviews of the car were critical of its ride and handling but noted the car was quiet under most conditions. "The gearbox is prone to considerable hunting in its quest to deliver power, at which point engine noise intrudes more than anticipated, and the change itself is by no means the smoothest in the class." [7] The ride quality was described as feeling "over tough at pottering speeds, but displays a tendency to disintegrate into chop and judder when confronted with anything other than the smoothest of surfaces." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V6 PRV engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The V6 PRV engine is an overhead cam V6 automobile engine designed and manufactured by the company "Française de Mécanique" for PRV, an alliance of Peugeot, Renault and Volvo Cars. Sold from 1974 to 1998, it was produced in four displacements between 2.5 L and 3.0, and in both SOHC and DOHC and 2-valve and 4-valve per cylinder configurations. Originally carbureted, it adopted fuel-injection for improved emissions compliance and improved performance, and was offered in turbo and biturbo versions in a limited number of vehicles made by Renault, Chrysler Motors, and French supercar manufacturer Venturi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault Clio</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault Clio is a supermini (B-segment) car, produced by French automobile manufacturer Renault. It was launched in 1990, and entered its fifth generation in 2019. The Clio has had substantial critical and commercial success, being consistently one of Europe's top-selling cars since its launch, and it is largely credited with restoring Renault's reputation and stature after a difficult second half of the 1980s. The Clio is one of only two cars, the other being the Volkswagen Golf, to have been voted European Car of the Year twice, in 1991 and 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault Espace</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault Espace is a series of automobiles manufactured by Renault since 1984. For its first five generations, the Espace was a multi-purpose vehicle/MPV (M-segment), but it has been redesigned as a mid-size crossover SUV for its sixth generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault Laguna</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault Laguna is a large family car that was manufactured and marketed by Renault for 21 years in three body styles: hatchback, coupé, and estate. The first generation Laguna was launched in 1994, the second generation was introduced in 2000, and the third generation was built from October 2007 until 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault 25</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault 25 is an executive car produced by the French automaker Renault from 1983 to 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan Teana</span> Motor vehicle

The Nissan Teana is a mid-size sedan produced by Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was exported as the Nissan Maxima and Nissan Cefiro to certain markets. It replaces the Nissan Bluebird, Laurel and Cefiro. It shares a platform with the Nissan Maxima and Nissan Altima which are sold in North America, as well as the Japanese market Presage minivan. The Teana has been available in East Asia, Russia, Ukraine, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The DMAX V6 engine is a 3.0 L; 180.5 cu in (2,958 cc) diesel engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault Avantime</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault Avantime is a grand tourer marketed by the French manufacturer Renault, designed and manufactured by Matra, between 2001 and 2003. As a one-box design without B-pillars, styled by Patrick Le Quément, the Avantime combined the design elements of an MPV, estate or shooting brake with the style of a 2+2 coupé and elements of a convertible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan MR engine</span> Kind of engine made by Nissan

The Renault-Nissan MR engine family consists of straight-four 16-valve all-aluminium and water cooled automobile engines with variable valve timing co-developed by Renault and Nissan. Renault calls it the M engine. Other noteworthy features of this engine family include acoustically equal runner lengths and a tumble control valve for the intake manifold, a "silent" timing chain, mirror finished crankshaft and camshaft journals, and offset cylinder placement in an attempt for increased efficiency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault Safrane</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault Safrane is an executive car designed and built by the French manufacturer Renault from 1992 until 2000. Throughout its production it remained the most expensive and most luxurious Renault available, although its commercial success was limited, compared to some similar models and also compared to its predecessor. Just over 300,000 Safranes were built, compared to nearly 800,000 Renault 25. It was replaced by the Vel Satis, and to some extent, by the short-lived two-door Avantime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douvrin engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Douvrin family is an all-aluminum inline-four automobile engine designed in the early 1970s and produced from 1977 to 1996 by Compagnie Française de Mécanique, a joint-venture between PSA and Renault located in the town of Douvrin in northern France. This engine is designed by the engineer Jean-Jacques His. It was produced in the same factory as the PRV V6, which also is sometimes known outside France as the "Douvrin" V6. The Douvrin engine is also referred to as the ZDJ/ZEJ engine by Peugeot, and as the J-type engine by Renault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault F-Type engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

F Renault engine is an automotive internal combustion engine, four-stroke, inline-four engine bored directly into the iron block, water cooled, with overhead camshaft driven by a timing belt, and with an aluminum cylinder head, developed and produced by Renault in the early '80s, making its appearance on the Renault 9 and 11. This engine is available in petrol and diesel versions, with 8 or 16 valves.

The Renault G-Type was a family of naturally aspirated and turbocharged straight-four indirect injection and common rail injection diesel engines. They feature an iron block and aluminum head. The engines were in production for nearly two decades, with improvements in power and torque output and fuel efficiency.

1992 in motoring includes developments in the automotive industry that occurred throughout the year 1992 by various automobile manufacturers, grouped by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.

1998 in motoring includes developments in the automotive industry that occurred throughout the year 1998 by various automobile manufacturers, grouped by country. The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault Samsung SM5</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault Samsung SM5 is a mid-size car or large family car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Renault Samsung Motors, with technical assistance from Japanese automaker Nissan. Between 1998 and 2012, Renault Samsung Motors had produced 680,000 SM5 models. In 2018, 10,002 models were made at the Busan plant.

The Sandouville Renault Factory is a car plant belonging to the Renault Group, established in 1964 at Sandouville in the Seine-Maritime department, not far from the port of Le Havre. Work began on its construction in July 1963 and the factory was in most respects completed by December 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renault Latitude</span> Motor vehicle

The Renault Latitude is an executive car produced by the French automaker Renault, and announced in June 2010. It debuted at the Moscow International Automobile Salon, at the end of August 2010. The Latitude served as the company's flagship vehicle, before it was replaced in 2016 by the Renault Talisman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PSA ES/L engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The PSA ES/L engine is a V6 petrol engine used in automotive applications. It was co-developed by the PSA Group and Renault to replace the outdated V6 PRV engine. It was introduced in 1997 with the Peugeot 406 Coupé. It is designed and manufactured by the company "Française de Mécanique" for PSA and Renault. In PSA, the engine is known as the ES engine, in Renaults, the engine is known as the L engine.

References

  1. Renault Concepts Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved October 2011
  2. "Robert Bosch GMBH | Premiere auf dem Automobilsalon in Genf: Renault Vel Satis mit neuer Wischertechnik von Bosch | Pressemitteilung | Pressemeldung". Archived from the original on 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  3. Andy Enright (October 28, 2005). "Renault Vel Satis (2002 - 2005)". RAC.CO.UK.
  4. "Renault 1998-2009: A short history of missed opportunities". Driven to Write. November 2, 2014.
  5. "Zoom, sputter, aagghhh!!". The Economist. 2013-09-25. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  6. 1 2 3 CAR magazine, Sept 2002
  7. CAR Magazine, Sept 2002