For those of you in Europe who continually complain of how much you envy the US domestic crossover SUV market, Renault has something to perk your spirits. The Renault Koleos is the diamond emblem automakers first foray into the crossover market and claims to offer "genuine off-road ability". The Koleos offers a wide array of equipment with two diesel tune level and two gas engines, both optioned with either a 6 speed manual, auto transmission, and a CVT in some instances - two wheel or all wheel drive are obviously available.  read more »

We've been waiting for the real Laguna Coupe to drop ever since we saw the Renault Laguna concept at Frankfurt last year. Pleasantly, the coupe retains the smooth lines and sharp features of the concept version, only slightly refined for the driving public. Though we're partial to the Laguna GT wagon , this Laguna features the new 240-horspower 3.5-liter V6 mated to a six-speed automatic. We'll take one in diesel with a six-speed manual, thanks. Press release below the jump.  read more »

What better way to show off your sporty new hatch than to place it next to a new formula one car?  read more »

Though a few seasons of mismanagement and poor writing has made The Simpsons less relevant over here, they still seem to have enough pull in the European market to help Renault push some of its New Kangoos . We like the quirky looking MPV, so it doesn't offend us that Marge, Lisa, Bart, Homer and Maggie end up enjoying the features of the Kangoo. People gotta make change, even animated people, and most of them do it in other countries where no one will ever see. Last night there was an Arcade Fire song in a Super Bowl ad , so anything is possible. Enjoy some of the ads and the press release below. NEW RENAULT KANGOO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FEATURING THE SIMPSONS An original partnership imagined by Publicis Conseil: 20th Century Fox L&M and Renault An original ad campaign: the Simpsons leave the world of the series to explore the real world New Renault Kangoo, the ultimate family car, can take anything - even the ultimate family - the Simpsons 20th Century Fox L&M, Renault and Publicis signed an agreement on September 19, 2007 on using the characters from "The Simpsons" to promote New Renault Kangoo. This is the first time Renault has worked with Fox L&M, one of the leading licensing and merchandising companies globally. The tone of the campaign is thoroughly humorous, with the Simpsons subjecting New Renault Kangoo to a real "torture test" to highlight the car's feature qualities. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and grandfather Abraham Simpson leave Springfield and appear in the "real" world. They put New Kangoo through its paces, testing the vehicle's main qualities to the hilt. The folding rear bench, comfortable seats and ingenious storage bins are all put to serious use by the family. Even more practical and comfortable, New Renault Kangoo embodies the best in family cars. Pairing it with the irreverent Simpsons brand shows Renault's desire to adopt a unique, offbeat tone while remaining faithful to its core values: human, reliable and enthusiastic. The international Simpsons/New Renault Kangoo advertising campaign will be aired in 29 countries, starting in France on February 9.  read more »

Since you good folks decided the Nissan Cube pickup would be best suffixed with -amino, we'll keep the same convention for this latest offering from Renault's Dacia brand. If you live in Romania, and love truck/cars, you're in luck cause the Dacia Logan (amino) Pick-Up is a light duty small truck with all the modern amenities a Romanian could want. Though it's a little truck, the 800 kg (1763 lbs) maximum payload is no joke -- that exceeds the capacity of some full size Ford F150's .  read more »

The Renault Kangoo better watch its back, as Citroen and Peugeot are on the scene with their new diesel-powered MPV's: the Berlingo and Partner, respectively. Both get power courtesy of a 110 horsepower Hdi Diesel engine, which features a particulate filter that keeps the exhaust cleaner-than-nornal. Each model also comes with its own Light Commercial Van (LCV) version and fussy European child. Press releases below the jump: Citroen Berlingo With the Berlingo, Citron created the leisure activity vehicle segment and launched a new concept in compact vans.  read more »

Renault -- like BMW, Audi, Mitsubishi and Subaru before it -- promises to build "a range of electric vehicles" beginning with a sedan it's betting will electrify Israel's vehicle fleet and says it will bring an EV to America within...


Chuck Squatriglia

Renault promises to build "a range of electric vehicles" beginning with a sedan it's betting will electrify Israel's vehicle fleet and says it will bring an EV to America within two years.

The car Renault unveiled Sunday in Tel Aviv with Silicon Valley start-up Project Better Place was just a prototype with a cobbled-together battery, but the French automaker reportedly is prepared to spend as much as $1 billion developing EVs. Company CEO Carlos Ghosn hasn't confirmed that figure but says Nissan, which Renault owns, will offer an electric vehicle in California by 2010.  read more »

Fernando Alonso does not regret Renault Formula One switch : -

Fernando Alonso says he does not regret returning to the Renault team in 2008, even though on Saturday he watched Mark Webber qualify on the front row of the Silverstone grid.

The former double Formula One World Champion, at the end of his unhappy McLaren stint in 2007, nearly selected Red Bull as his next Formula 1 team, and Honda and Toyota were also in the reckoning.

But even though his return to Renault has not been competitive, the 26-year-old Spaniard insists he does not regret his choice.

"Everything suggested that Renault was the safest and most logical choice," he told the Spanish newspaper Diario AS, "even though we took our time because it was not so clear.

"Sometimes Toyota or Red Bull are better than us this year, but maybe we are the most consistent. If I could choose who to drive for in the next race, it would be Renault.  read more »

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Pts 1 1 Kimi Rikknen Ferrari 56 1:31:18.555 2 10 2 4 Robert Kubica BMW 56 +19.5 secs 4 8 3 23 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 56 +38.4 secs 8 6 4 11 Jarno Trulli Toyota 56 +45.8 secs 3 5 5 22 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 56 +46.5 secs 9 4 6 3 Nick Heidfeld BMW 56 +49.8 secs 5 3 7 10 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 56 +68.1 secs 6 2 8 5 Fernando Alonso Renault 56 +70.0 secs 7 1 9 9 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 56 +76.2 secs 12 10 16 Jenson Button Honda 56 +86.2 secs 11 11 6 Nelsinho Piquet Renault 56 +92.2 secs 13 12 21 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Ferrari 55 +1 Lap 17 13 17 Rubens Barrichello Honda 55 +1 Lap 14 14 7 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 55 +1 Lap 16 15 19 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 55 +1 Lap 21 16 18 Takuma Sato Super Agu  read more »