Debuting at the Moscow Motor Show, the Renault Symbol was designed jointly by Renault engineering teams at the Technocentre (France), in Turkey and in Romania, and will be manufactured at the Oyak-Renault plant in Bursa, Turkey.

It will go on sale between September and November 2008, depending on the markets.

The car has a length of 4.26 metres and a height of 1.43 metres.

The front-end is characterized by by the design of the headlamps and the specific grille, while the rear end features a body colour rear bumper and wrap-round rear lights.

The chrome trimming for the grille surround, rear panel and exterior door handles adds a note of refinement.

The large trunk has a capacity of 506 liters. A rear wing and 15-inch aluminium alloy wheels are available as options.

Inside, the dashboard features a rev-counter, warning lights and the trip computer display; other features include a chrome steeringwheel trim and the height-adjustable driver's seat.

The range of engines includes a 1.5 dCi 85hp diesel and a 1.2 16V 75hp gasoline unit, which deliver a fuel consumption of 4.3 litres/100km (equivalent to CO2 emissions of 116g/km) and 5.9 litres/100km (equivalent to CO2 emissions of 140g/km) respectively.

Development and Markets

The use of the running gear from Clio II permitted design lead times to be kept to a minimum while ensuring the required level of quality.

The decision to manufacture New Renault Symbol in Bursa was taken at a very early stage in the project in order to ensure its production as near as possible to the countries where it would be sold: key markets are Russia, Turkey, Romania and Algeria, which are expected to absorb more than 80 per cent of production.

The rest of production will go to the CEEC (Central and Eastern Europe countries), the Middle East and Africa.

The total capital outlay for New Renault Symbol – including production-related investment – was €100 million.

The Symbol model replaces the Clio Symbol, launched in 2000, and sold in more than 600,000 units. It was Turkey's best-selling car in 2007.

Although Clio Symbol was derived from Clio II, New Renault Symbol is a model in its own right.

(Source: Renault)