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The Renault Vel Satis is an executive car that was produced by the French manufacturer Renault, launched at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show to replace the already discontinued Safrane. It was previously revealed as a concept car in 1998, at the Paris Motor Show. However, the following production model does not have very much in common with it.[1]

Renault Vel Satis
Renault Vel Satis (Pre-facelift)
Overview
Manufacturer	Renault
Production	2001–2009 (LHD, 62,201 built approx) 2001–2005 (RHD, 1,293 built approx)
Assembly	France: Sandouville (Sandouville Renault Factory)
Designer	Patrick Le Quément
Body and chassis
Class	Executive car (E)
Body style	5-door hatchback
Layout	FF layout
Related	Renault Laguna II Renault Espace IV
Powertrain
Engine	petrol: 2.0 L F4Rt turbo I4 3.5 L VQ35DE V6 diesel: 2.0 L M9R dCi I4 2.2 L G9T dCi I4 3.0 L P9X dCi V6
Dimensions
Length	4,860 mm (191.3 in)
Width	1,860 mm (73.2 in)
Height	1,580 mm (62.2 in)
Curb weight	1,735 kg (3,825 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Renault Safrane
Successor	Renault Latitude

A specially prepared Vel Satis was used by the President of France until 2009. It is still used on ceremonial occasions. The car was Renault's flagship model at the time, and the first Renault to be offered with adaptive cruise control as supplied by Robert Bosch GmbH.[2]

Etymology

The name Vel Satis is a composite of elements of the words Velocity and Satisfaction.

Overview

The Vel Satis is distinguished by its unusual height (13 cm higher than a Safrane), which benefits interior space but results in proportions some viewed as being ungainly. In September 2002, Car described it as "ugly and very French."[3] Design commentator Stephen Bayley decided that the problem with the car was that it was "not ugly enough."

Patrick Le Quément, Renault's design chief, explained that the car was intended to have physical presence, rather than aspiring to classical elegance like the 1930s Reinastella. Renault's stated intention was to target less conformist, selective modern customers who were identified as "distancing themselves from the conventional saloon."[3]

The Vel Satis was an attempt to redefine the prestige car in French terms. The Vel Satis is seen in films, such as The Da Vinci Code and Mr. Bean's Holiday, as well as being famous in pop culture such as the Cannes Film Festival.

The Vel Satis is also used as a Head of State car of France, being used by various presidents and is occasionally still in use. It was the second ever car to receive a five star Euro NCAP safety crash test rating after the Laguna II.

The Vel Satis was available with a variety of engines:

• 2.0 T 16 valve 4 cylinder
• 3.5 24 valve V6 cylinder
• 2.0 dCi 16 valve 4 cylinder
• 2.2 dCi 16 valve 4 cylinder
• 3.0 dCi 24 valve V6 cylinder

The Vel Satis shares its platform with the Laguna II and Espace IV and was produced on the same assembly line in Sandouville, France.

Reviews of the car were critical of its ride and its handling but noted the car was quiet under most conditions. "The gearbox is prone to considerable hunting in its quest to deliver power, at which point engine noise intrudes more than anticipated, and the change itself is by no means the smoothest in the class."[4]

The reviewer noted that the V6 diesel engine was better suited to the car's "lounge lizard pretensions" but that "all of which conspires to make the car's ride quality even more of a disappointment." The ride quality was described as feeling "over tough at pottering speeds, but displays a tendency to disintegrate into chop and judder when confronted with anything other than the smoothest of surfaces."[3]

In March 2005, Renault UK decided not to develop an RHD version of the facelifted Vel Satis, as sales of the model had been poor in the United Kingdom since launch.^{[citation needed]} Although 3,500 sales were predicted, only a third of these were achieved. This came only two years after the Avantime coupé/MPV, which was equally ambitious in its design, was discontinued by Renault.

The 2005 model year Vel Satis featured an reprofiled front grille section, giving it an appearance similar to more recent concept cars from the brand. On August 27, 2009, Renault ended production of the Vel Satis. Overall, Renault lost an estimated €18,710 per vehicle produced.[5]

The Renault Latitude is considered a replacement in Africa, Asia, the Persian Gulf states, Mexico or Russia, because of its similar dimensions and class to the Vel Satis.[6]

References

External links

• Renault Vel Satis - Concept Car Database
• Vel-Satis.org (UK site by Vel Satis owners, for Vel Satis owners - news, articles, technical, blog and forum)

На других языках

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[de] Renault Vel Satis

Der Renault Vel Satis ist ein Fahrzeug des Automobilherstellers Renault, das vom Frühjahr 2002 bis zum Herbst 2009 produziert wurde. Renault ordnete ihn mit seinem Komfort und technischen Gegebenheiten der „automobilen Oberklasse“ zu.[2]

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- [en] Renault Vel Satis

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[es] Renault Vel Satis

El Renault Vel Satis es un automóvil del segmento E producido por el fabricante francés Renault desde 2001 hasta 2009. Fue presentado oficialmente en el Salón del Automóvil de Ginebra de 2001 y sustituyó al Renault Safrane. Este modelo no tiene nada en común con el prototipo de automóvil de idéntico nombre presentado en los años 1990.

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[fr] Renault Vel Satis

La Renault Vel Satis est une automobile conçue par le constructeur automobile français Renault et produite de 2002 à 2009. Sa devancière est la Renault Safrane et la Renault Latitude lui succède.

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[it] Renault Vel Satis

La Renault Vel Satis è una grande berlina di segmento E prodotta dalla casa automobilistica francese Renault dal 2002 al 2009.

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[ru] Renault Vel Satis

Renault Vel Satis — бизнес-хэтчбэк французской компании Renault. Впервые был представлен в 1998 году на Парижском автосалоне как концепт-кар, затем как серийная модель в 2001 году на Женевском автосалоне. Название Vel Satis является аббревиатурой слов Velocity (скорость) и Satisfaction (удовлетворение). Специально подготовленная версия Vel Satis используется президентом Франции. К особенностям автомобиля можно отнести его высоту, которая больше чем у конкурентов.

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