Renault 18
| Renault 18 | |
|---|---|
1984 R18 "American 2" special edition (France)
|
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Renault |
| Also called | Renault Sportwagon (North America) |
| Production | 1978 – 1989 |
| Assembly |
Boulogne-Billancourt, France Santa Isabel, Argentina (Renault Argentina) Heidelberg, Australia Los Andes, Chile Envigado, Colombia Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ciudad Sahagún, Mexico Casablanca, Morocco Pitesti, Romania Novo Mesto, Slovenia Valladolid, Spain Montevideo, Uruguay Mariara, Venezuela |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size car / Large family car (D) |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 5-door station wagon |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Related | Renault Fuego |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 4/5-speed manual 3-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,440 mm (96 in) |
| Length | 4,390 mm (173 in) |
| Width | 1,690 mm (67 in) |
| Height | 1,400 mm (55 in) |
| Curb weight | 940 kg (2,070 lb) (base) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Renault 12 |
| Successor |
Renault 21 Eagle Medallion (North America) |
The Renault 18 is a large family car produced by French manufacturer Renault between 1978 and 1989, with South American production continuing until 1994. It formed the basis for the closely related Renault Fuego Coupé, with which it shared its floorpan and drivetrain, but with the Fuego initially using the negative offset type front suspension from the larger Renault 20/30, which became standardized across the 18 range from the 1983 model year onwards.
The Renault 18 was intended as a replacement for the Renault 12, which, having been in production since 1969, was beginning to show its age by the late 1970s, though the 12 was kept in production alongside the 18 until 1980. Unlike the earlier car, the 18 was designed quickly; the time between its initial conception and its actual launch date was only eighteen months, primarily due to the fact that the 18 was based upon the 12's underpinnings. Production peaked early: 1979 was the R18's biggest year, after which sales began a gradual decline. Originally, the 1.4 was the most popular model, but this soon changed to the 1.6. By 1986 the largest, 2-liter engine represented the biggest portion of production.
Although Renault made numerous forays into international markets in countries such as Argentina with the 12, their first true “world car” was their 18, hence the slogan Meeting International Requirements, which (as well as in France) would later be produced in ten other countries and four continents around the world.
The Renault 18 also formed the basis for the "Renault Eve" research car. This extremely fuel efficient model, with only a 1.1-litre engine borrowed from the R5, featured then state-of-the-art aerodynamics and use of lightweight materials. The project was sponsored by the French government, who also promoted Peugeot's "Vera" series of concept cars.
The Renault 18 went into production at Renault's Flins factory in France in December 1977. It was presented at the Geneva Salon in March 1978, with marketing and sales starting the following month.
Initially, the R18 was only available as a four-door saloon, in TL, GTL, TS and GTS trim variations. The TL and GTL were powered by the 1397 cc Renault Cléon petrol engine (which was developed from the 1289 cc engine from the Renault 12), which produced 64 PS (47 kW; 63 hp). Both models had a four-speed gearbox. The TS and GTS were powered by the 1647 cc A-Type engine (which was the same as used in the Renault 17 TS) but without the fuel injection, which lowered the output to 79 PS (58 kW; 78 hp). The TS had a four-speed manual gearbox, while the GTS had a 5-speed manual gearbox, with optional 3-speed electronic automatic transmission available for both models. The automatic versions of the TS and GTS models were called the TS Automatic and GTS Automatic to distinguish them from their manual transmission counterparts. Assembly of the Dacia 18 began in Romania in 1978.
...
Wikipedia