One of Renault’s highly anticipated electric cars has failed to shine in the latest round of safety tests from EuroNCAP.
Still achieving a respectable four stars, the new Fluence Z.E nonetheless missed out on the top five star award achieved by Alliance sibling; the Nissan Leaf.
According to the European safety authority, the Fluence Z.E, set to launch in the UK next year, underachieved on pedestrian protection, driver and passenger protection. The four star result puts the Fluence on par with the smaller Mitsubishi i-MiEV, but behind the likes of rivals such as the range-extended Opel Ampera.
Set to become the ‘UK’s most affordable electric car’ when it arrives in the autumn of 2012, the Fluence Z.E is priced at £17,850 (after a £5,000 Plug-in Car Grant) plus a £75 a month battery lease. A five-seat saloon model, it uses a 70kW (95hp) electric motor and achieves a range of up to 115 miles, depending on driving and road conditions.
While Renault maybe disappointed with the Fluence’s score, other green models performed well in the latest round of crash tests. Volkswagen’s new low emission city car, the Up! and its cousins the Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii all secured a five star rating. The Mercedes B-Class and Kia Rio also scored five stars, while the Fiat Panda scored four stars because it is not fitted with ESC as standard, despite the technology becoming mandatory in 2012.
