Car Reviews > Renault > Fluence Z.E. > Renault Fluence Z.E. Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £17,850 (including government grant)
Engine: 70-kW electric motor
Power/torque: 94 bhp/ 226 Nm
0-62 mph: 13 seconds
Top Speed: 87 miles per hour
Equipment: Climate control, Bluetooth, Z.E. GPS, electric windows

The completely electric Renault Fluence Z.E. is the first ever Saloon to have zero emissions – but is it actually any good?

At the moment, electric vehicles seem to be limited to hatchback models such as the Nissan Leaf, but that is all set to change with Renault introducing their new Renault Fluence Z.E. Saloon.

It can be hard to recognise, but in truth, the Fluence is already in production in European markets, albeit with a traditional combustion engine. In the guise of the Z.E. however, it is given its power via a 70kW electric motor that is capable of a bhp rating of 94 bhp and has a torque level of as much as 226 Nm.

In order to be able to fit the batteries needed to power an electric car into the Fluence, Renault engineers have been forced to stretch out the body of the vehicle by as much as 130 millimetres, and this is rather obvious from the somewhat awkward nature of the silhouette. Aside from that however, the Fluence Z.E. pretty much resembles any ordinary car, and apart from the charging flaps that are positioned on both of the front fenders, it is hard to tell that this is an electric vehicle. Looking a little closer however, the game is given away by the blue tinted lights and badges.

On the interior of the vehicle, the cabin is well built and comes with soft-touch materials that cover the dashboard, as well as a wide array of solid feeling buttons and switches. The battery-powered status of the car is also indicated by several Z.E. badges and the bespoke dials.

Under the skin, the changes are rather more comprehensive. The electric motor is as much as 40 kilograms lighter than the traditional diesel engine, although the batteries, which are situated at the rear of the vehicle, add an additional 280 kilograms. The front suspension is thus softer although the rear sub-frame has been suitably strengthened in order to be able to cope with that extra weight.

The driving experience is generally what you would expect from an electric car, with as much as 226 Nm of torque able to be delivered instantly. This means that there is some seriously punchy acceleration on offer, so much so that the official 13 seconds time for the car to go from 0-62 miles per hour seems a little bit hard to believe. Meanwhile the absence of vibration and engine noise also do wonders for the feeling of refinement whilst driving around town.

The handling is predictable and certainly safe, though never really very rewarding, while the steering is light but precise and the ride fairly soft.

The range still seems to be an issue however, with the Renault claim of 115 miles, which could fall as low as 50 miles in very poor conditions, being a little bit of a concern, although in contrast they do admittedly claim that good conditions could result in up to 125 miles of motoring with zero emissions.

Only one version of the Fluence – named Prime Time – is currently being offered by the company, which is available from £17,850, that price including the government grant for electric vehicles of £5000. That does not include the expensive batteries however, which have to be leased from month to month.

This is a terrific example of an electric vehicle that does not compromise on quality.

by Autoweb