Renault 19: description, specifications, reviews

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Renault 19 Europa is a mid-size C-class car popular in the 1990s, developed by the French concern under the direction of the famous designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. It was produced in four body styles: 3/5-door hatchback, convertible and 5-door sedan. It was produced in Europe from 1988 to 1996. In Turkey and South America, production continued until the beginning of the next century. It was the most common foreign car in Russia at the turn of the 1990s-2000s.

History of Creation

In the early 1980s, all French automakers experienced a deep crisis. In November 1984, Renault began developing a new model. The X53 project, later known as the Renault 19, was intended to be a competitive European C-class car in the most popular mid-size family car segment.

The project was implemented in record time - 42 months. By July 1985the passenger compartment was almost ready. It took another 5 months to finalize the interior space. Complete work on the project was completed in April 1986. After 7 million kilometers of testing in May 1988, the car was put into mass production at assembly sites in the cities: Douai, Maubeuge (France), Valladolid (Spain), Setubal (Portugal).

Exterior

The appearance of the Renault 19 did not cause delight among the public, although it corresponded to the spirit of that time. Moderate angularity can be traced in every detail. At the same time, specialists from the Italian auto design studio Italdesign sought to achieve the best aerodynamics. The result was half-hearted. On the one hand, the drag coefficient is 0.31 Cx. In general, a good indicator. However, for comparison, the Cx of its direct competitor Opel Calibra was much lower at 0.26 units.

The design of the hood and front bumper changed from restyling to restyling, but the head optics remained unchanged. Much more generational change affected the back. The rectangular block of rear lights eventually acquired an elongated horizontal position. Unfortunately, despite the involvement of well-known specialists in the development of the model, Renault 19 could not repeat the achievements of its predecessor Renault 9, which at one time was recognized as the "Car of the Year".

Interior

The salon is a model of utility. Interior (this applies to the dashboard and center console, anddoor upholstery) is divided into rectangular sections. Plastic for decoration used hard, cheap. Everything is done for the sake of cost reduction.

The Renault 19's bright spot is the trunk. It has a low threshold, making it very convenient to load things. Useful volume is more than decent: 385 liters. In case of urgent need, by folding the rear seats, it transforms into an 865-liter "van".

Reno engineers paid great attention to the safety of the new model. A number of frontal and side impact crash tests were carried out. According to their results, further modifications received shockproof beams in the doors and airbags. Surprisingly, despite the lack of a certain zest, from a commercial point of view, Renault 19 is one of the most successful models of the French company throughout its existence.

Specifications

In order to meet the requirements of as many buyers as possible, the French have developed all possible body options that are typical for the C-class. There was even a Renault 19 1.4 L Convertible created in collaboration with the German car studio Karmann. At the beginning of the 1990s, the car became one of the most popular in its class. Despite its modest size and a symbolic trunk (255 l), the car could fit up to five passengers - just the thing for a fun company.

Hatchback and sedan options were equipped with 1, 4 and 1.7-liter petrol engines, as well as a 1.9-liter diesel. most prestigious anda high-speed modification developed in early October 1990 is the Renault 19 GTI 16V. Its maximum speed is 215 km/h. The sports car is equipped with:

• 1, 8-liter 16-valve engine with 135 horsepower;
• three reinforced doors;
• additional spoilers;
• sport suspension.

To maintain customer interest and build on its success, in 1992 the Renault 19 was upgraded to the second generation with minor design changes. Distinctive features are more elegant front and rear lights, a refined grille, and a new front and rear bumpers. The interior has a different dashboard and steering wheel, improved shape of the seats and other minor improvements.

From the end of 1992, all cars began to be equipped with airbags and, depending on the version, power steering, rear-view mirror heaters, and a sunroof. Two new 1.8-liter petrol engines (90 hp and 107 hp) have become available, as well as an economical 1.9-liter turbocharged engine with 90 hp. With. In August 1994, the Eco series engine with a capacity of 75 hp was introduced. with., replacing the old 1.4-liter units.

Reviews

Renault 19 has become one of the best-selling European cars. There were more than a dozen assembly sites around the world. Renault 19 became the car of the year in Spain and Germany (1989), Ireland (1990), Argentina (1993). The successful platform and chassis of the R19 are used forcreating a successor to the popular brand - the first generation Megane, which was produced for seven years. The secret of success lies in the perfect combination of quality, performance and price. Reliable, unpretentious, with a good line of high-torque engines - the car has become a cult, the best in the history of the French car industry.