This is Renault's new four-door mid-size saloon, the Safrane. The new car is a rebadged version of the Renault-Samsung SM5 that's been in production since 2005 and shares its platform – and many styling cues – with Nissan's Altima.
The GCC market is the first to get the new Safrane, and is seen by Renault as an important model to help drive sales from its showrooms. Its current line-up of the Clio and Megane saloons haven't had great success in the region, and it's the Safrane and upcoming Koleos 4x4 that are hoped to improve overall sales.
Two engines are offered – a 2.3-litre V6 with 168bhp and 167lb ft of torque, and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 141bhp and 144lb ft. Gearboxes are a four-speed auto for the smaller engine, with a five-speed with ‘manual mode' on the V6.
Interior kit includes Renault's keyless card entry system, a MP3 compatible 7-speaker stereo with subwoofer, automatic lights and wipers, rear parking sensors and electric driver's seat. To cope with the region's excessive heat, the Safrane's air-conditioning system has been beefed up.
The Safrane goes on sale in the region on 1st September from $16,200 for the entry-level four-cylinder to $22,000 for the top-level V6. CAR Middle East's contributing editor Fraser Martin is currently in Korea driving the car and will be posting a first drive soon. We'll be running a Safrane as part of our long-term fleet of cars from next month, so we can report back on whether Renault's managed to produce a worthy saloon for our region's roads.
source:car middleeast
