In 1992, the debut of the front-wheel-drive hatchback Renault Safrane, replacing the Renault 25. The new model entered the history of the French car industry, as the largest and most luxurious Renault. Specialists and car enthusiasts highly appreciated such advantages of this car as an elegant design, high level of comfort, active and passive safety. Safrane was initially offered to customers in a complete set for its time. Central locking with remote control, full electric, on-board computer, mileage meter to the nearest MOT, climate control, ABS, power steering and a number of other elements of comfort made up the basic equipment list. The car is soft in control.
Suspension well filters road bumps. Resistance on asphalt is absolutely balanced. The body is characterized by high quality and long service life. The salon is very spacious, its rear part is easily transformed and practical in operation.
Initially, the model range included two four-cylinder injection engines: a working volume of 2.0 and 2.2 liters of 107 and 110 hp. The most powerful was the 170-horsepower 3.0-liter V6, and the most economical was the 2.1-liter 90-horsepower diesel, which with a five-speed manual gearbox consumed only 7.8 l / 100 km in the city. In March 1993, he was supplemented by a 2.5-liter turbodiesel with 112 hp, a company that was 2.1-liter turbodiesel with 88 hp.
Renault Safrane was often offered with an automatic transmission. At the time of the appearance of the model in the French, there was no “automaton” of its own design, and they turned for help to the well-known German manufacturer - the company ZF. The Germans offered the AD4 series box, which has already been used on the Volkswagen Corrado and on some Audi models. In November 1993, Safrane Biturbo version comes out with a 3.0 liter V6 petrol engine with 268 hp. The presentation of this car took place in Frankfurt am Main.
And that was the reason. The fact is that during the creation of Safrane, the French turned to two German most authoritative closers, Herbert Hartge and Gunther Irmscher, for help. Hartge specialists started developing a dual turbocharging system and adapting the undercarriage in accordance with the new engine characteristics.
The duties of the company "Irmscher" included the introduction into the design of the car some elements of "sportiness" and the implementation of the final assembly. According to the Hartge project, the basic 3-liter V6 engine was equipped with two compact turbochargers, which, due to the small inertia of the turbines, create a rapid build-up of boost pressure. As a result, the maximum torque of 363 Nm (37 kgm) is reached at 2500 rpm, and in the range of 2300-5000 rpm, the torque value is at least 97% of the maximum. The engine develops power of 263 liters. from. (193 kW) at 5500 rpm and provides the car with a maximum speed of 250 km / h.
From zero to 100 km / h, Safrane Biturbo accelerates in 7.2 seconds. Safrane Biturbo is available in two versions of equipment and finishes - RXE and Baccara. On a technical level, Safrane Biturbo outstripped many of its competitors.
Not a single French car offers so many advanced technologies at once: permanent all-wheel drive with a viscous coupling as a center differential, power steering with variable (depending on speed) efficiency, anti-lock braking system, rear multi-link suspension with variable characteristic of shock absorbers . Safrane Biturbo has 17-inch alloy wheels with 225 / 45ZR17 tires.
As standard equipment, leather upholstery, polished walnut veneer in the interior trim are offered, the driver’s seat, steering wheel and rear-view mirrors, speech synthesizer informing the driver about the condition of the car, automatic air conditioning, a 4x20 W audio system with a CD player are available -disc, cellular radio telephone (performed by Baccara), anti-theft device with remote control, inflatable airbag for the driver and so on. The only custom equipment is the opening sunroof. In 1996, Renault Safrane restyled. The car received a new range of engines, a number of technical improvements, changes in appearance.
Due to the chrome lining of the radiator, a new front and rear lighting, aerodynamically more advantageous front integral bumper and a modified bonnet Safrane acquired a slightly different look. After updating the model, Safrane began installing automatic transmissions made in Japan. A good alternative to the "automatic" is a 5-speed manual gearbox of its own production. She will delight fans of active driving style. Gamma of engines: petrol 1.9 liter 16 cl. / 136 hp, 2.4 liter 20 cl. / 165 hp, 3.0 liter V6 / 167 hp, turbo diesel 2.2 l.
Safrane suspension. Front McPherson implies the presence of depreciation struts and triangular wishbones with vertical silent blocks, there is an anti-roll bar. Rear wishbone, push rod, coil springs, coaxial shock absorbers and all the same stabilizer. Due to the fact that the rear suspension Renault Safrane has a so-called thruster effect, convergence is regulated not only on the front wheels, but also on the rear.
A bow thruster effect is not the only feature of a Safrane suspension. Powerful and expensive versions of the car were equipped with a very original pneumatic suspension. Along with the springs, air bellows were used here. In the luggage compartment, a compressor and an electronic unit were installed, the sensors of which monitored the position of the car body at the moment. So, if in the car only the driver, he moves smoothly, without sagging and rolls. When loading with luggage or passengers, the automatics will pump up shock absorbers to the desired level, thereby lifting the car above the road.
The main task of the pneumatic suspension design is to maintain a constant ground clearance, which makes it possible to move as comfortably as possible, including when cornering. Most Safrane has disc brakes on all four wheels. The only exceptions are rare modifications with "low-volume" engines, not equipped with ABS - they have rear drum-type brakes. Inside, everything is done so that the driver and passengers do not feel the slightest discomfort. And it does not matter what it is about - ergonomics or just the aesthetics of the interior.
After the modernization of 1996, the salon Renault Safrane has not changed. Is that a little different was the steering wheel with the radio remote control located right under the fingers, and some icons on the buttons were replaced with more intelligible ones. Since 1995, the front airbag has appeared. Since 1997, 10-liter airbags built into the side seats of the front seats have been included in the standard equipment package, reducing the risk of injury by a side impact in half. top version was Baccara, and after the modernization it was Initiale. In the early years of its existence, the Renault Safrane had a four-wheel drive version.
Due to its high cost, it did not have a large consumer demand, so after 1996 it was decided to discontinue the production of all-wheel drive versions. In 2000, the production of Renault Safrane was closed. This has its own logical explanation. Speaking in the same segment with the traditionally strong “Germans”, French engineers had to show the world something that could attract special consumer interest to their new creation, but there was no worthy replacement in the Renault arsenal.
