Renault Latitude

Renault just renewed its executive saloon, the Latitude, which is incidentally the first Renault to be built in South Korea.

Made for people who prioritize ride comfort over everything else, the French (Korean) sedan proudly steps up and for a mere S$78,588 (before COE), and ensures your ride to be as smooth as it can be.

Looks-wise, the Latitude features sleek lines that makes its 4.9 meters in length seem shorter. The boot line is complemented by an aesthetically pleasing curved chrome panel that features the car's name, contributing to the curvy design and making the car, once again, less imposing. The front end is, in my opinion, too tamed down compared to the rest of the body design, making the Latitude look too "normal"; preventing it to stand out from the crowd of older
cars on the road. I believe that a slightly more aggressive or teasing face with, for example, finer headlights and a more carved front bumper would make the Renault much more attractive.

Inside the car, the occupants' well-being is the main concern, and the Latitude offers comfortable seats, spacious leg room for the rear passengers and the driver even has a treat in the form of a massage seat, which can be set for light or strong massage and alternates from higher back to lower back, helping you endure long drives or massive traffic jams by relieving the usual back stiffness that tags along with seating in a car for too long. The deep 511 litre boot has a trick up its sleeve to accommodate the most space-demanding cargo: the rear seats fold over in a 1/3-2/3 way to form an almost flat loading area, turning the executive saloon into a functional week end car for sporty getaways.

The dashboard is clear and simple, and I particularly liked the neatly integrated display between the two dials, which is there to give you the car's status information such as fuel consumption, average speed, gear you're in, etc.

Although being built in Korea, the Latitude is still a Renault, and the look and design feel of the interior cabin is quite similar to the new Renault range which is, in my opinion, a bit boring. The now-standard auxiliary line in and USB port are hidden in the centre storage area between the front seats and the Arkamys 8-speaker sound system does a good job at keeping your ears entertained. Unfortunately, the Latitude is equipped with the same, slow interface as the Mégane Coupé Cabriolet and iPod operation becomes a game of patience. Another feature shared between the two models is the intuitive TomTom GPS which has a better physical integration in the centre console on the Latitude.

The Latitude is equipped with Renault's standard card-key and the car has proximity sensors that detect the key, unlocking the car when your hand grabs the door handle, but also locking the car automatically when you walk away. This neat system really makes life easy as you never have to wonder if you have locked the car properly. The only downside of such a system is that if you change car you'll probably leave it opened half of the time.

Drive-wise, the Latitude's smooth suspension does a good job at eating up irregularities in the road, and Renault's usual precise steering feel is back, although not really used on this model as, by nature, it is not a car that you will want to hit the curvy B roads with. If you do end up pushing the car on small roads, though, get ready to encounter understeer, as expected from a car in this segment. 

One thing that must not be overlooked is the sheer size of the Latitude, which becomes a handful when reversing the car: the reverse sensors end up not being sufficient, giving little useful information and a rear-view camera or reverse radar display would definitely not be a luxury.

The two-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine that rests under the Latitude's hood is the same as the Mégane Coupé Cabriolet and develops the same 141hp but now has to haul a car that is about 100 kilos heavier. If you have read my review of the Mégane Coupé Cabriolet, I believe you can forge your own idea of how it behaves. If not, don't expect amazing pickup nor high-speed performance. I found this engine and transmission combo lacking on the lighter Renault so imagine how this one feels. Surprisingly, maybe because of the relaxed-drive nature of the Latitude, the four banger doesn't feel all that bad, and I was astonished to experience a mixed fuel consumption of only 8L /100km over the duration of the test drive, which includes highway, city driving and traffic jams. Knowing how heavy my foot usually is (check out the mixed fuel consumption of my previous test drives and you'll understand), reaching a single-digit consumption is quite a feat.

All in all, the Latitude is a relatively affordable executive saloon with quite friendly fuel consumption which offers a smooth and relaxed drive. It is not, however, a sports car, and its size gets a bit tough to handle, especially when reversing, where a rear view camera would really be appreciated. 

 

Review: Mégane Coupé Cabriolet

Renault has recently been renewing its fleet, moving away from the angular lines that got so many mixed feedbacks, and entering an era of smooth, sexy design cues. The final addition to the six new body types, but certainly not the least, is the new Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet.

With a price tag lower than any of its direct competitors, (Volkswagen Eos, Mini Cooper Cabriolet, Audi A3 Cabriolet, BMW 320i Cabriolet and its other French counterpart, the Peugeot 308cc) the Renault has the first advantage in the convertible category.

At first sight and with the top up, the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet suggests fashion and style. The two-tone style given by the black top gives the impression that the top is always down and draws stares like a model on a catwalk.

Although the signature Mégane front end and smooth design lines running along the side of the car make it look very light and sporty, the rear looks, unfortunately, a bit heavy. Hopefully, the sleek LED tail lights help keeping a nice consistency with the rest of the design.

This attention-getter comes not only with a hard-top, but it is also equipped with a 0.47m² sunroof, which gives a very enjoyable feeling of space and brightness when the weather does not allow a top-down excursion.

The magic of this car is, of course, when you pull the switch that initiates the quick 21 seconds strip-tease (fastest in its category) which stores the folding hard-top in the boot. The storing-away process of the hard roof is a bit intimidating at first, requiring you to make sure you have room behind the car as the boot opens backwards at a 45 degree angle, potentially hitting objects in the way. Once the operation is done, and after a second pull of the button, all four windows come down and the million-dollar Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet experience can start.

Forget about high speed, mind numbing acceleration; the 2 litre four-cylinder 16V engine might develop 140hp at 6,000rpm and 195Nm of torque from 3,750rpm, the sheer weight of the car eats away the performance. Then again, after the first drive, you'll notice that this is not what the Mégane CC is all about. This convertible's home ground is cruising with the top down, and it sure does a remarkable job doing so to a point where you don't even feel the need to press hard on the accelerator, relax, and enjoy the ride. One thing you can trust Renault on is a precise and firm steering feel, and once again, the French manufacturer hits home, giving you great control of the heavy convertible's position on the road. In addition to this, the six-speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) gear box allows for smooth shifting, and when you want to have a bit more fun, you can always switch it to semi-sequential, turning twisty roads into fun and enjoyable episodes in your drive. Just note that you will have to drop gears more often than you think on the twisties to keep the Mégane in the right pace.

The Mégane CC experience doesn't stop there: thanks to its fixed glass wind deflector, the noise and wind turbulence when driving with the top down is greatly reduced, keeping ladies' hair in check and conversations at a very enjoyable normal level while driving. Music enthusiasts will also rejoice in the high quality sound system composed of eight speakers giving a crisp and loud 3D sound which doesn't get drowned by outside noises.

Put all this together and you will look forward to every single ride, especially when the sun shines and you can drive with the top down and the music up. Believe me, you might actually end up looking for the longest way to wherever you are heading, just to be able to enjoy the ride and the people's stares following you as you drive by.

Best of all, to help you find the longest (or shortest) way, the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet comes with a built-in TomTom GPS, equipped with a clear screen and intuitive controls. The Renault is also equipped with a USB and audio jack input for auxiliary audio devices, coupled with Bluetooth for your phone, allowing you to use the car speakers and the build in microphone to safely handle your calls while driving. The sad part is that the Bluetooth and auxiliary line-in controlled, on the driver's side, by a small handle located behind the steering wheel, are clearly not as intuitive as the TomTom GPS and quite slow to operate, forcing you to divert your attention off of the road to see what is happening on the main screen.

Seating-wise, the car is what's expected of a Coupé-Cabriolet: comfortable front seats, and rear seats that suffer from a limited leg room, making this car very enjoyable for two occupants, and less for the two passengers in the rear, especially for long drives. Don't worry though, if your passengers are kids, they shouldn't have any problems fitting in the rear, and if they need child seats, you will be thankful for the incorporated Isofix 3-point mounting points on the two rear seats that will save you the hassle of fidgeting with the car for half-an-hour before each ride.

If you decide to go on a longer road trip with the topless beauty, the 417 litres boot will greet your luggage with a low sill, making the loading of heavier bags much easier. Then again, if you want to enjoy the wind in your hair, you will have to make sure the boot divider is rolled out (this is a safety measure to ensure that nothing will hinder the roof storing process and break whatever is inside the boot, the roof mechanism or both) and your boot space will almost be reduced by half, to a less convenient 211 litres.

Other than the 206 litres boot space to compromise on to enjoy the wind in your hair, the reduced rear seats' leg room, slow USB and Bluetooth interface and the heavy chassis, the very reasonably priced Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet will give you a blast when cruising thanks to its enjoyable and precise steering, smooth gearbox, great sound system and attention-grabbing looks. The car will surely seduce you with its bright and spacious feel given by the panoramic roof when the top is up and, of course, the million-dollar feeling of cruising with the top down.

 

Mini Cooper Countryman - The rule of 4 by Mini

What makes a Mini a Mini?

The original answer would be a small, two-door, go-kart handling British machine.

Yesterday's answer would have been a small, two-door, go-kart handling German machine.

Today's answer has changed yet again, as Mini recently launched their new star: the four meter long, four door Countryman. (Check out the Mini Countryman Launch here).

Mini's magic number this year is 4, and the Countryman is all about 4s: in its Cooper S trim, this is the first ever 4 meters long Mini, with 4 doors, starring the All4, the first ever 4 wheel drive system for Minis, and guess what? It's got 4 seats. 

Mini Asia kindly let me experience the Countryman in its two trims: the Mini Cooper Countryman, and the Cooper S All4 Countryman, allowing me to drive them back to back and really feel the difference between the two models.

Starting with the Cooper Countryman, the first thing that strikes is that from the outside, it's unmistakably a mini, with the classic Mini lines, albeit more muscular, and for those of you who stated that the Mini was a cute ladies' car, this one definitely sits in the men's camp (that doesn't mean, of course, that it's only made for men).

 

Sit inside and you will be greeted by the trademark Centre Speedo, only the rev-meter will be facing you behind the wheel, underlined with a digital meter displaying speed and other useful information from the on-board computer. The Cooper Countryman is quite spacious, and the comfy seats offer an enjoyable high-seating position, which will give you a better view of the road and obstacles around you. Another new feature of the Cooper Countryman is the centre rail. On this trim, only the driver and front passenger enjoy this rail, on which can be fitted a selection of useful items, such as cup holder, sunglasses case, or phone holder. The rail is a fun and innovative idea, but the plastic rail items seem quite flimsy and, just like the plastic door handles, could have been taken care of a bit better to fit in the overall feel of the car.

The centre console is simple and intuitive to use, and it won't take much thinking to get it to work the way you want. A useful feature is the easy access auxiliary line-in that will allow you to plug in your portable audio device to enjoy your favourite songs on the good-sounding audio system.

In the rear, the Countryman is very friendly with its passengers and, unlike the regular Minis, will provide ample legs and head-room, comfortably seating tall people and offering much welcome struggling room for fitting the little ones in their baby seats.

Indeed, families are the Countryman's bread and butter, and its top-rating 5 stars Euro NCAP ratings will make sure everybody will get home uninjured in case of trouble.

The boot too is family friendly, and offers a 350 litres flat loading area, very good and useful for loading heavier stuff, but the flat floor panel can also be lifted and locked in open position to offer an under-compartment of an additional 100 litres of storage area. One might expect to see a spare wheel in that compartment, but the Countryman is delivered with run-flat tyres, making the heavy and cumbersome spare wheel unnecessary. When needed, the Countryman can also fold its rear seats to offer 1,170 liters of storage space.

The Cooper Countryman comes equipped with Mini's usual 1.6l, in-line four engine, delivering 120bhp at 6,000rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4,250rpm. While this is fairly adequate for a family car in Singapore, the 1,370kg of this Mini will make it drink a claimed combined cycle of 7.6l/100km. If your foot is as heavy as mine and you don't like to crawl away when the light turns green, you'll get to experience a less friendly consumption of 10.7L/100km.

The Countryman only comes with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, but you always have the option to shift yourself, either at the stick (up/down) or more preferably at the steering wheel, where both selectors will shift up when pulled and down when pushed. I appreciated this setup as you don't have to search for the up or down selector, especially when turning, just pull or push to shift the way you want.

The ride is quite firm, some might say a tad too firm for a family car, and this is not helped by the run-flat tyres that have strengthened walls and are thus less good at absorbing shorks. While this firmness has its drawbacks, it also has its advantages as it gives the Countryman a better handling. I have to admit, the car being heavier and 10cm higher than a normal Mini, I was afraid it would suffer from body roll, but the firm suspension gives it a well composed handling. In my opinion, it doesn't equate to Mini's traditional go-kart handling, but considering the weight, size and height of the Countryman, it's not too far from it.

The Cooper S Countryman is a whole different story. When I said that the Cooper Countryman was for families, this one is clearly made for big kids.

The differences with the standard Cooper trim are unmistakable, starting with a much more aggressive (and better looking) body kit. The front grill looses the chrome and changes to give it a muscle car look (that reminds me of the Charger SRT), the rims are 18" black alloy, with a tasteful silver lip, and the rear bumper features two chrome exhausts that mean business. The common headlights are also replaced with xenon lights that, in my opinion, look so much better.

The interior features the Mini Visual Boost: the Centre Speedo only runs on the rim of the console while a 6.5” liquid-crystal screen is fitted in its centre for entertainment and information purpose (I really loved the real-time radar when reversing). Once again, the system is quite intuitive and simple. Staying on the ICE side, the Cooper S is not only equipped with an auxiliary line-in plug, but also with a USB interface that will allow you to plug in your iPod or iPhone and control it with the steering wheel commands, while the centre screen displays the playing info. This trim level also offers you the ability to pair your hand phone through Bluetooth for a safer ride, if you’re expecting calls.

The Cooper S Countryman comes stock with four seats, and sees the centre rail extended to the rear seats, giving room for more rail items. Other than the obvious drawback of not being able to haul a fifth person around, the four seat setup gives a direct view inside the boot from between the rear seats, which is a bit disappointing considering the trim level. Hopefully, you can hide your boot's content by locking the flat bed's panel open. Not to worry, if you would rather have room for three at the back, Mini can fit you with the same seating setup as the base trim for no additional charge (three in the back, at the expense of the centre rail). Last but not least, this Countryman was equipped with the electrical glass roof (on option on both Cooper and Cooper S), making the interior feel much more spacious and giving a better lighting. The glass roof is in two parts, the rear one being only able to lift a little bit, and otherwise stays closed when the front glass roof is opened as it slides on top of it.

Engine-wise, the Cooper S Countryman is equipped with the same 1.6l in-line four engine as the Cooper, but a very much appreciated twin-scroll turbo is added, bumping the power to 184bhp at 5,500rpm, and the torque to 240Nm available from 1,600rpm to 5,000rpm (260Nm from 1,700rpm to 4,500rpm with the Overboost). Let me tell you, that charged engine will give you a completely different experience, and the stiff suspension that equips both the Cooper and the Cooper S suddenly makes a lot more sense. This toy really craves for speed, and the torque and power developed when the turbo kicks in, at 1,600rpm is quite addictive. If it's still not enough for you, you can always press that little “sports” button that will give you event quicker shifts.

Another major difference between the Cooper and the Cooper S is the All4 system. The permanent four-wheel drive system can distribute 100% of the power to the front or rear axle to maximize grip and safety thanks to its electromagnetic centre differential, and comes equipped with a (disconnectable) dynamic traction control.

The twin-scroll turbo, the firm suspension and the All4 system transforms the Cooper Countryman into a fun, family friendly toy that's a blast to drive, if you don't mind the higher fuel consumption of 8.1l/100km. Once again, if your driving style is a bit more aggressive and your will weak to resist the turbo temptation (like me), your Cooper S Countryman will drink closer to 13.5l/100km...

In my opinion, the Countryman fits nicely in the Mini stable as it answers the need of trendy, youthful parents, or simply big kids who want to enjoy the flexibility offered by the four doors. On an added note, if I was to let myself be tempted by the Countryman, I'd definitely fork out the additional S$30,000 to get the Cooper S Countryman. Trust me, it's really worth it!

Enjoy the gallery for more Countryman goodness!

Special thanks to Joyce, Mayvia and Teck Huat for their support and kindness.