Autoblog

It was rumored that Nissan/Renault was serious about fielding a low-priced competitor to the $2,500 USD Tata Nano, and the automaker made it official today by announcing a plan to produce an equally inexpensive car called the ULC in conjunction with Indian automaker Bajaj Auto. The two companies are forming a joint-venture to produce the ULC, which will be built at an all-new facility in Chakan, India at an initial rate of 400,000 units per year. The Tata Nano has no need for concern just yet, as the ULC isn't scheduled to go on sale until early 2011 in India and then even later in export countries. We're doubtful that the U.S. is among those export considerations, but parts of Europe will likely see the ULC not long after the Nano arrives in their market.

[Source: Nissan/Renault]

Countries like China and India are a hotbed for the auto industry, and every major automaker is looking to improve its standing in the emerging markets while they're still on the ground floor. Low-cost micro cars are all the rage in the East, and Nissan/Renault is looking into getting a piece of that action by producing a Nano fighter. Nissan Motor India Director Neeraj Garg told The Times of India that while higher priced sedans and SUVs are also scheduled for India's booming auto market, a low-priced hatch is also on the wishlist if the pricing is right.

Company officials say that the low-cost transportation could be among six new products scheduled for India by 2012, and with the country's low-cost labor, Nissan/Renault could also export any vehicles it makes there.

[Source: The Times of India]

Click to view more of the upcoming Renault Megane

Renault has been hard at work on the replacement for the current Megane. Following the new Clio, which came out three years ago, the Megane is an important model for the French automaker, designed to face off against volume leaders like the Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit and Ford Focus. French magazine Auto Plus has managed to obtain some undisguised shots of the car, presumably obtained from a Renault employee in exchange for a case of wine, a carton of Gauloise and/or a joke about Americans.

As promised, the new Megane will be substantially more subdued in its styling than the love-it-or-hate-it current model, with its curved upright rear window. The front end borrows heavily from the new Laguna, hinting at a common design language for the company. There's certainly some similarity between the production version and the Megane Coupe Concept unveiled at the Geneva show this year. Although the production Megane will predictably be considerably more conservative than the show car, the three-door appears further differentiated from its five-door stablemate with more sporting lines. See for yourself in the scanned magazine pages in the gallery below. The car looks just about ready to hit the market, so a debut at Renault's home-turf Paris Auto Salon this fall would be a good bet.

[Source: AutoPlus.fr via theCarfanatic.com and Autoblog Spanish]

Click the image above to view in high resolution

If you're a recently graduated or soon to graduate student in a technical or scientific field, listen up, because this could very well be the internship that could jump-start your career. Every year for the past five, the Renault F1 team has picked the top entry in a contest for a six-month internship. The competition is run by the Altran Engineering Academy, the technological manpower agency that consults for the team. Entries are accepted in eight F1-related fields based on 500-word summaries of innovative ideas that could help the Renault cars beat the competition.

The winner is chosen from among nine finalists who present their proposals this summer to a jury chaired by the Renault F1 team's head of R&D at its headquarters in Enstone, England. Applications are due by May 15, and having observed the results of last year's selection, the competition is fierce, so if you want a shot at working with the best, better get crackin'. More information is available in the press release and video after the jump, and a whole mess of snappy pictures can be found in the gallery below.


[Source: Altran Engineering Academy]

Teams in the second-tier GP2 series have completed initial tests of the new 2008 spec car, which is already showing a marked improvement over last year's model. The feeder series founded in 2005 by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Renault chief Flavio Briatore runs identical Dallara chassis powered by 580hp 4-liter Renault V8s shared across the board by all 13 two-car teams.

The new Dallara GP2/08, which will remain in place over the next three seasons before replacement, was the only non-F1 car to pass the full 2007 FIA crash tests. Introduced over a two-day test session at the Paul Ricard circuit in France this past weekend, the 2008 model features a number of updates, primarily focused on aerodynamics. Although most of the 26 cars ran largely without problems, a few cars revealed extra strain on the front suspension and steering assembly as a result of the new aero package. Overall, the GP2/08 chassis ran lap times about 0.6 seconds faster than the outgoing model, expected to be reduced by a full second once the initial problems are ironed-out as the series closes in on its season opener on April 26-27 at the Catalunya circuit as a support race to the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix. The title winners from each of the past three seasons in GP2 – Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Timo Glock – have all since graduated to Formula One, and with all 13 teams confirmed to campaign again this year, the 2008 GP2 Series is shaping up once again as the place to watch for the next generation of F1 wunderkind.

[Source: Autosport, Photo: Drew Gibson/GP2 Series Media Service]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the Renault Megane Concept

Renault is known for doing hatchbacks, and it does them well, but that's about it. Seeking to increase its market share, Renault's range is rapidly expanding to include a more diversified line-up. Unveiled alongside the new Laguna GT and the Koleos crossover – both also divergent models from the company's small hatch mainstream – the Megane Coupe Concept aims to show the way forward for Renault.

Although what you see here is not what will hit the road when the new Megane arrives, Renault insists that its "dynamic voluptuousness" is a direct indicator of the more fluid form its upcoming Golf-fighter will take. While everyone else was scrambling to come up with new ways to reinvent the wheel internal combustion engine, Renault's new concept is powered by a regular old 2-liter turbocharged four with 200 horsepower, which frankly doesn't seem that impressive considering that the Clio Renaultsport's naturally-aspirated 2.0 produces just three negligible horsepower less. Fine, so notwithstanding its F1 cars, big impressive engines aren't Renault's thing. Meanwhile, the big gullwing doors are the most obvious element to get axed along the next Megane's road to production, but if the road car bears even a passing resemblance to what could easily be labeled as Renault's most engaging show car in years, European customers will have reason to celebrate and we'll have one more entry on our list of cars we wish we could get Stateside.

Right up until its unveiling, Renault was highly secretive on the Megane Coupe Concept, revealing only that there would be a fourth model premiering in Geneva alongside the Koleos and Laguna GT. Now that the veil has been lifted, however, we've garnered all the details in the press release after the jump and Renault's images, which join our own in the gallery below. Check 'em out to learn more about Renault's vision for the future of the automobile.

According to Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault-Nissan, the Franco-Japanese carmaker is not interested in adding additional alliances with Chrysler at this time. While Chrysler recently inked a deal to have Nissan manufacture subcompacts to sell in South America, that is as far as it goes. "We have an OE deal. Period," Ghosn said during an interview at the Geneva Motor Show.

It seems Nissan's eyes are elsewhere. Watching GM sales in Russia double from 2006 to 2007, and believing the Russian car market may surpass Germany this year, Renault-Nissan wants its share of the pie, too. The first move was taken when Renault purchased a 25% stake in Avtovaz in December 2007. Avtovaz is Russia's largest automaker and the manufacturer of Lada, its best-selling brand. Now, the company needs to quickly transfer Nissan and Renault platforms and engines to Lada in order to modernize its lineup and compete with an increasing number of imported brands. Once that job is complete, Renault-Nissan will move towards assembling vehicles in Russia, as well.

Don't bet that Ghosn isn't still eyeing Chrysler, as he was quick to add, "We are going to continue to do deals with everybody when they make sense." Of course he will.

[Source: Freep]

Click above to view high-res gallery of the new Renault Koleos

Renault pulled out all the stops for this year's Geneva Motor Show, taking the wraps off the swoopy Megane Coupe concept, as well as debuting the Twingo Renaultsport, Laguna GT and this, the Koleos crossover. Although closely based on mechanicals borrowed from sister-company Nissan, the Koleos is far more of a complete project than that other pair of French sport-utes from archrival PSA Peugeot-Citroen.

The Koleos shared center stage with the Megane Coupe this week, outlining how important the new model is to Renault. This is its first proper foray into the sport-ute segment, finally surrendering when the French automaker realized the crossover craze would not be subsiding any time soon. When you can't beat 'em, join 'em, the saying goes, but push come to snooty shove, Renault actually appears to have done a decent job.

For all the details, refer back to the preview post we featured on the Renault Koleos, and be sure to view our gallery of live shots from the show floor alongside Renault's own press shots by clicking on the thumbnails below.

Click above for high-res gallery of the Renault Twingo Sport

This is another in a long line of European cars we just can't buy in the States, but that we'd give our left lug nuts to drive on a daily basis. The recently unveiled Twingo Renault Sport joins a group of euro cars that combine economy and fun, with an emphasis on sporty looks and handling to match. If this sounds like your kind of thing, you'll be upset to know that it still isn't coming here. For masochists, you can read more about the Twingo Sport in the press release after the jump, but the short version is that this third Renault Sport model is based on the new Twingo that was unveiled here in Geneva last year. Checking the Renault Sport box on the order form adds a 133-hp 1.6L motor to the tiny hatch. Add in Renault's expert chassis tuning and the whole package should guarantee an exciting ride... for Europeans.

Click above for high-res of the Renault Megane Coupe concept.

Koleos, Laguna GT and Twingo RS. Those are three of the four new models which Renault was anticipated to unveil at this year's Geneva show, but right up until the end of the press conference, a big question mark hung over the identity of the fourth. The wraps have been taken off and the veils have been lifted, revealing the Megane Coupe concept.

The existing Megane – along with its distinguished curved rear window – is on its way out, and Renault is assuredly working hard at a new design that will capture buyers' attention in an increasingly crowded market. But while the concept is likely a very far ways away from what the production version will end up looking like, it did grab its share of attention. See for yourself in our high-resolution image gallery below.