adoreble fashionable: Renault Fluence

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Renault to Produce Electric Fluence Sedan at Bursa Plant in Turkey from 2011

Having already confirmed the production versions of the Twizy and Zoe Z.E. electric concept cars, Renault today announced that the third member of its new family of EVs, the all-electric Fluence sedan, which was also presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show this past September, will be manufactured at the OYAK-Renault Bursa plant in Turkey. The French automaker said that it plans to launch the Fluence EV first in Israel and Denmark, followed by other countries, from the first half of 2011.

Evidently, the electric saloon will be based on the recently launched Fluence sedan, but it is unclear if Renault will spice up the looks of the car in the same way it did with the Frankfurt Show concept model.

Renault said that owners of the electric Fluence will have three battery charge options: standard charge, rapid charge and a 'QuickDrop' battery exchange that allows that removal and replacement of the batteries in a mere three minutes.

We don't have any details on the vehicle's specs yet, but it is safe to assume that the production model will be powered by the same 95HP electric motor found in the concept car.

Frankfurt Show: Renault Fluence Z.E. Electric Sedan Concept

Renault revealed a total of four electric vehicle concept cars in Frankfurt including the two-seater Twizy Z.E. mini, the Zoe Z.E. small coupe, the Kangoo Z.E. and the Fluence Z.E. ompact sedan. All of the prototype models use similar technology to the Nissan Leaf EV that was uncovered this past summer. According to Renault, all four cars preview the firm's electric vehicle range which will be released from 2011. One of the first models to be launched into the market will be the electric version of the recently revealed Fluence sedan.

However, unlike its production sibling with the same designation, the Fluence Z.E. concept actually looks pretty good - yes, far too good to make it into production looking like this...

The concept model is equipped with a 70kW or 95HP electric motor that is powered by a set of lithium-ion batteries that give the saloon 100 miles / 160 kilometers driving range.

Renault says that the battery can be charged using three different methods: a standard charge that takes between four and eight hours, a quick charge which is done in only 20 minutes or alternitavely, through the automated 'Quickdrop' system that removes and replaces the batteries in just three minutes.

Renault to Show Off Four Electric Concept Cars in Frankfurt

French carmaker Renault decided to tease all four electric concept cars that it will be displaying at its Frankfurt show stand by releasing a rather unusual 'bird's eye view' photo of the EVs. Starting from the left, there's a small, futuristic-looking one-seater 'pod' while the car on its right looks like a Twingo or a Twingo-sized proposal. The third concept appears to be a small coupe-like model while the larger four-door sedan model on the right bears a passing resemblance to the newly introduced Fluence.

According to Renault, the four-electric concept cars preview the firm's upcoming Zero Emission product range more details of which will be released at the Frankfurt show.

Renault Fluence: New Compact Sedan for Russia, Turkey and Romania, and perhaps the US as a Saturn

Remember Renault's 2004 Fluence concept car that inspired the styling of the Laguna Coupe? Well, the only common denominator between the sexy prototype (see pics below) and this compact-sized sedan is their name... Virtually a rebadged version of the Korean market Samsung SM3 that was revealed earlier this year, the Fluence is the sedan variant of the Megane and it will be initially sold only in Russia, Romania and Turkey.

There's also a chance that we may see Renault's VW Jetta-sized sedan heading towards the States as a Saturn if the American brand's new owner, Penske Automotive Group, closes a proposed deal with the French automaker.

Depending on the market, buyers will have a choice of two gasoline engines, a 110HP 1.6-liter unit linked to either a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission and a 140HP 2.0-liter matted to a CVT, plus a 1.5-lited dCi diesel with outputs of 85HP, 90HP (DPF - Diesel Particulate Filter), 105HP and 110HP (DPF). All diesel engines are coupled to a manual gearbox, with the most powerful version also offered with Renault's new dual-clutch transmission.

In 2011, Renault will also introduce an electric version of the Fluence with more details expected to be released closer to the launch date.

The 4,62 metres long four-door saloon that boasts a luggage capacity of 530 liters will be built at Renault's plant in Bursa, Turkey, on the same assembly line that manufactured the outgoing Megane II sedan.