We first heard about the Renault Latitude in June, but today, the French carmaker revealed its new flagship sedan to the public for the first time at the Moscow International Motor Show. What is in effect a replacement for the controversially styled Vel Satis positioned above the Laguna in Renault's line up, is also a 2010 Samsung SM5 sedan in disguise - if you can call a new grille and different badges a "disguise"...
The Latitude will be manufactured in South Korea at the Busan Renault-Samsung-Motors plant and will go on sale at the end of September in Morocco and Algeria, then in Russia and Ukraine and in Africa. Renault will unveil the European version of the car with specific engines, fascia and exterior detailing at next month's Paris Motor Show.
For now, it's the French carmaker's largest car measuring 4,887mm long, 1,832mm wide, 1,483mm tall with a wheelbase of 2.760mm. It's 195mm longer, 19mm wider and 45mm taller than the Laguna five-door liftback. According to Renault, the boot compartment can hold 477-liters, or 511 liters without the spare wheel.
In Russia, the Latitude will come with a choice of two power plants. The entry level 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol unit produces 139HP and 191Nm of peak torque, and is offered with a continuous variable transmission (CVT) returning a combined fuel efficiency of 8.3lt/100km (28.4mpg US).
The range-topping 2.5-liter V6 petrol churns out 177HP and 233Nm, and is combined with a six-speed automatic transmission. Renault says with this engine the Latitude reaches a top speed of 209km/h (131mph) and returns a combined fuel consumption of 9.7lt/100km (24.2mpg US).
For some markets, the lineup will also include a 2.0-liter diesel with 150HP or 175HP, a V6 diesel with 240HP and a 3.5-liter V6 petrol delivering 240HP.
