The problem is that Malaysians are quite biased against conti cars, and facts do not matter. Also, if one conti brand is bad, all are thrown into the same bin. VW service wasn't that impressive, but that doesn't mean Renault is like that.
If you want that to change, Fluence owners should spread the word. Tell their friends how happy they are, how problem free the car is, how good the service is. Maybe eventually things will change.
After all, my mum dislikes Japanese cars. When she was young, Japanese cars were cheap, but the quality was terrible. Her brother was a bit angry at his new Japanese car, kicked it, and left behind a big dent. However their old contis were fine. Citroen, VW, Fiat, ... and those were old, second hand cars. Then when she moved overseas, she bought a new Suzuki. It survived 2 years or so, before it had to be scrapped. Bought a Renault and never looked back. We're on our 3rd Renault, have a Citroen and a VW. Meanwhile my father was a Mercedes guy for decades, because they are so reliable. His Merc did a million km before he scrapped it.
I sat in the Megane hatchback (the new one) at a dealership, and drove the previous gen hatchback for a week. The previous gen was a fine car (the Fluence is based on it), with a good 1.2 liter engine. Good FC, nice to drive. Didn't bother to ask for a test drive, cause I didn't have much time and the dealer looked very busy. The big touchscreen felt a bit slow, though I didn't have the key, so most features were locked. The highest end VW touchscreen is better... faster, seems more intuitive (and having physical buttons helps). The display for the speedometer is really nice though. Seats are good, and it's a nice place to sit in (though I prefer the current Golf).
It is also a very attractive car in the flesh, more so than on photos.
I do see a couple of issues with bringing the car into Malaysia: The engine will probably be one of those small turbocharged units, which reminds people of the supposedly problematic VW engines. Likewise the 7 speed DSG... Unless Renault manages to squeeze in the old Nissan drive train again... however the Fluence could be offered with that because for European markets they also used this combination if you wanted an automatic gearbox. But for Europe Renault has switched to DSG, as DSG sell better than torque converters.
yeah.... somehow... i think the current batch of Fluence owners doesnt seems to face the same issues like your typical conti cars... i do give credit to tan chong for make it the same reliability as Nissan.... just minor issues here and thr which are very common even for Japanese car.... nothing serious to the extent of take weeks to repair... and the courtesy car option seems nice...
for the megane sedan... doubt it will reach our shore so fast... at least after all the C-segments launched only it will come... Tan chong strategy has always been slow and steady... not so initiative like the honda malaysia when they bring in the civic so swiftly... I think the engine can still remain the same but the gearbox must be change as the general perception in msia towards DSG... look at the focus... they ditch their previous gearbox for 6 speed... hence... its either they make it cvt like the civic or six speed like the focus... either way for more reliable and seamless transmission....
May 12 2016, 05:15 PM
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