RENAULT FLUENCETiming chain or Belt?

The Renault Fluence is a compact sedan (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by the French marque Renault. This vehicle is produced by its subsidiary Oyak-Renault in Turkey, and designed in collaboration with Samsung Motors.

The Renault Fluence was born in 2009, when the brand deemed the Renault Megane Sedan a sales failure. With the Fluence, Renault’s idea was to create a sedan completely independent of the Megane, despite being based on the Megane III. In addition, it takes some elements from the Nissan Sentra, such as the rear axle. This is possible because both vehicles are produced on the same platform thanks to the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance agreement. The Korean version of the Fluence has some aesthetic changes, and is marketed as Samsung SM3.

One of the most popular variants of the Fluence is its all-electric version, produced between 2011 and 2014, called Renault Fluence ZE (‘Zero Emissions‘). The concept of this vehicle was interesting, as it had two versions, a plug-in version and a “quick drop” version, which allowed the battery to be removed from the car and replaced by another one in a matter of minutes. The battery replacement would be done through a monthly subscription service.

This passenger car belongs to a segment that has been getting smaller and smaller. In fact, the Renault Fluence ceased to be marketed in several countries in mid-2020 due to its low sales. Some of its alternatives are the Skoda Octavia, Citroën C-Elysée, the Volkswagen Jetta, the Seat Toledo and the sedan versions of the Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Opel Astra, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Fiat Tipo.