Renault Latitude turns up

The new Renault Latitude

Renault Latitude? What’s a Renault Latitude? A new hatch? A people carrier? No, it’s actually Renault’s latest effort at a range-topping car. But pay attention, because unless you live in Paris you’ll probably never see one again.

French pride seems to dictate that Renault must have a range-topping car big enough to be considered a ‘Limo’, even though they never sell outside France and just about every other mainstream car maker has binned their uber-saloon and gifted that bit of the market place to the premium badges.

The last effort was the rather strange  Vel Satis, possibly the biggest – and oddest – hatchback on the market. Its replacement – the Renault Latitude – take a more conventional three-box, four door route (and looks to us like a Phaeton with its VW-esque grill) but is pretty much guaranteed to sell in similar numbers to its predecessor.

Renault has not yet released info on what we can expect in the way of engines, but there will no doubt be a diesel option or two and a petrol V6 from Nissan in the mix. Renault say the Latitude is about innovation and there will be lots of goodies on offer such as triple-zone climate and Bose.

The Renault Latitude will launch at the Moscow Motor Show in August by which time we’re sure to get details on engines, trim and options. Renault didn’t bother with RHD versions of the Vel Satis after 2005 after it managed sales of just over 1,000 cars in the UK in 4 years. We doubt Renault will bother with a RHD Latitude, but you never know.

The Latitude will be hugely comfortable and well-equipped. If you’re remotely tempted – even if it ends up being LHD only – just wait a couple of years and you’ll be able to pick one up for peanuts. A late-ish Vel Satis (2004) would set you back about £3.5k. That’s from a new price of around £35k.

Which is almost as bad as the depreciation on an electric car.

By Cars UK