Renault Safrane - French A-six at the price of a Golf
A car similar in size to well-known German limousines such as the Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series, and even a little cheaper than a German compact MPV with the VW logo on the hood of the same year? Impossible? Of course it is possible. You just need to search carefully, discard harmful and often completely irrelevant stereotypes, and the recipe for comfort and convenience is ready. And her name is Safran. Renault Safran.
The market success of this model is evidenced by the fact that the latest work baptized by this name is not offered in European markets and probably will not be offered. It can be seen that Renault, after a cold shower in the form of Safrane's successor, Vel Satis, decided to abandon prestigious cars in Europe and focus on "mass character". The new Renault Safrane, a slightly upgraded version of the Samsung SM5 and Nissan Tean/Maxim, is built at the Korean plant in Busan and sold in the Far East and Central America markets. And to think that this is all because the first generation of the model did not conquer the market. It's a pity, because the Safrane is quite a decent car that breaks the stereotype of the "emergency Frenchman".
When in the late 80s and early 90s the most luxurious of the luxury cars of the Renault group, the model 25, was already far from its competitors in design and workmanship, it was decided to introduce a successor. This successor to the prestigious Renault 25 is the Safrane, which takes its name from the saffron, that is, the popular crocus that adorns the ground frozen in winter immediately after the spring thaw.
The Safrane is a car full of surprises, just like the Saffron. When first contacting a car, most people instinctively associate it with highly annoying electronics that live their own lives and the resulting troublesome work. However, just as few people know that saffron is one of the most expensive and troublesome spices in the world (to collect 1 kg of saffron stamps you need as many as 150 flowers!), so, probably, not everyone is aware that Renault can also own a car, who, oddly enough, does not live his own life.
Renault Safrane debuted in 1992. Liftback with a height of more than 4.7 m differed from competitors not only in body type (in this class of cars, a sedan seemed a more logical solution), but also in style, exuding elegance and stability, but also no dynamics. The power units, developed jointly with PSA and Volvo corporations, were supposed to provide Renault's flagship limousine with excellent dynamics and durability.
In 1996, the car was thoroughly redesigned, leaving the Safrane definitely crisp and fresh for its years. As a result of this modernization, the exterior of Safrane was significantly changed and some solutions inside the car were abandoned, which often turned out to be of little use, and significantly increased the cost of the model (electric rear seats, electric steering column, electro-pneumatic suspension). Significant changes also affected the line of powertrains: the 2.0 and 2.5 liter petrol units were borrowed from the Swedish range of Volvo, and the 6 liter V3.0 engine was transplanted directly from the PSA design. However, the biggest and, in the opinion of many, inappropriate change was the removal of the all-wheel drive petrol version of the 3.0-liter V6 biturbo engine with 265 hp! The heavy Safrane in this version of the engine accelerated to 100 km / h in just over 7 seconds and easily reached 250 - 260 km / h!
A lot could be written about the merits of the car: an extremely spacious interior, very rich equipment, excellent seats, high suspension comfort, pleasant to drive and very restrained (some will find it a little boring) dashboard and ... a powerful 80-liter fuel tank. a tank that allows you to overcome even more than 1000 km without refueling.
The Safrane, contrary to popular belief, turns out to be a very pleasant machine to use. This is primarily due to the excellent ratio of the purchase price to the offered comfort and equipment. Drive units, like all car mechanics, according to the experts and users themselves, withstand the passage of time very well, and the shortcomings can only be associated with the exhaust and drive systems (bearings, seals, thrust). Sometimes there may be minor problems with the on-board electronics, but these are not problems that are significant and unique to this particular model to be attributed to vehicle defects (any car older than a decade has no problems with power windows, central locking, lighting, etc. .?).
Saffron is a kind of highlight - not many of them roam the streets of Polish cities, and those that circulate are imported privately. If these are not emergency vehicles, then their operation is rather limited to the replacement of working fluids and parts subject to natural wear and tear. In fact, we can say that the widespread bad opinion about this car partly works in favor of its future owners - the relatively low cost of purchase means that for very little money you can buy a car that, with the comfort of the proposed trip, surpasses almost everything else at this price.
