2009 Renault Sandero

SANDERO, AN ATTRACTIVE, SPACIOUS SALOON

Sandero is a 5-door hatchback that will further strengthen Renault's product range in South America. It will be manufactured at the Ayrton Senna plant in Curitiba in Brazil. Sandero is a modern hatchback with an appealing design that suggests both dynamic performance and robustness. Its distinctive front end features very expressive
headlamps, with a grille and bumper that merge seamlessly into the bodywork. The design of the flanks strengthens the suggestion of robustness thanks, in particular, to the wide protection strips along the sides of the vehicle, whilst the rear styling emphasises the impression of a roomy, generously proportioned car. Its dashboard was developed to be both modern and functional, with no efforts spared to create ergonomic controls and make
information displays easy for all occupants to take in.
Big-size car, small-size price
While Sandero's retail price belongs in the small car segment, its ample interior and exterior dimensions – it is 4.02 metres in length with a storage capacity of 320 litres – put it up with the larger compacts. Its front seat shoulder room of 1,400mm is best in class, while the 878mm headroom at the rear marks Sandero out from its competitors. In addition, the rear bench seat split-folds 60:40 – one more feature that cannot fail to appeal to families.

A full engine line-up from the outset
In Argentina, Sandero will be powered by petrol and diesel engines, while in Brazil the range will focus on FlexFuel engines that burn biofuels. Acclaimed for its excellent standard of reliability, the 1.6 16v engine will be offered in Argentina. This engine will certainly lend Sandero dynamic performance capability with 90% torque from 2,000rpm,
while also controlling fuel consumption. On the diesel front, the second-generation common rail direct injection 1.5 dCi is acknowledged as one of the best performing diesels in the world boasting extremely low levels of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. In the Brazilian market, Sandero will be equipped with the 1.0 16v and 1.6 16v FlexFuel powertrain packages that already power Clio II and Logan, as well as a newcomer to the Renault range, the 1.6 8v FlexFuel engine. This range of engines, combined with the very sound B0 platform chassis – whose ground links derive from Clio II – is bound to win over customers looking for a vehicle that offers modernity and comfort and can withstand harsh driving conditions. Much attention has also been focused on acoustics and thermal
comfort to satisfy these demanding markets.

Source - Renault

RENAULT LAUNCHES SANDERO IN MERCOSUR

A new dynamic in Renault's international development
• The first Sandero models will be produced by the Curitiba plant in Brazil, with the commercial launch scheduled for December 2007 in Brazil and February 2008 in Argentina.
• In 2008, a Dacia version will be produced at the Pitesti plant in Romania for markets in Europe and the Maghreb.
• In 2009, Renault Sandero will be manufactured and sold in South Africa. Additional markets are currently under review.
• Sandero is a stylish, five-door hatchback featuring all the fundamental qualities of the B0 (Logan) platform: roominess, load volume, reliability and robustness.





Sandero in Mercosur
The design phase
Sandero was designed to meet the expectations of active, urban, family customers, such as those in South America. Renault Technologies Americas (RTA), Renault's regional engineering center based in Brazil (with branches in Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and Chile), was involved right from the start to ensure that the car fulfilled the needs of Mercosur customers. RTA was also involved in putting Sandero into initial production, and
did so while respecting quality, costs and deadlines. Some 50 RTA employees worked with the Sandero development team at the Technocentre in Guyancourt right from the start of the project in 2005. They contributed their knowledge of the Curitiba production base and of regional suppliers, based principally in Brazil and Argentina. With a comprehensive regional supplier network, of which 20% are entirely local suppliers, the local sourcing rate will be 88% from the start of production. Producing parts in Mercosur near the assembly site presents numerous advantages. It cuts down on parts transport, and hence logistics costs, and reduces currency effects and customs duties. RTA also conducted a part of the road trials, which meant that the vehicle could be tested in local driving conditions. At the end of 2006, road trials for the first two vehicles produced at the Curitiba plant were organized in Argentina. These were followed by tests of the try-out models in Brazil. In all, eight Sanderos were driven the equivalent of nearly 500,000 km on all types of South American roads, in cities and on highways, roads (often poorly surfaced) and dirt tracks. These trials were made alongside those at Aubevoye in France, where four vehicles did some 420,000 km.


The project team used all of the RTA engineers' flex-fuel expertise to adapt engines to the special requirements of the Brazilian market. Sales of flex-fuel engines have grown significantly in Brazil over the last three years. From 20% of the market in 2004, they overtook petrol engines in 2005 to take 80% of the market (total industry volumes, passenger cars) in 2006. Úsing all the experience acquired in designing Renault's flex-fuel models, the Brazilian engineers developed a flex-fuel version of the 1.6 8V engine. Sandero will be available with three flex-fuel engines in Brazil: the 1.0 16V and 1.6 16V units and the 1.6 8V, launched recently on Logan.



In all, Renault Brazil invested 372 million euros in the Logan and Sandero projects in Mercosur. Both vehicles were developed on the B0 platform, thus reducing engineering and manufacturing investments. Investments were allocated as follows:
- 149 million euros in design costs, including the adaptation of Logan and the development of Sandero, for the South American markets, and adapting the engines for flex-fuel. (concept carz)
- 223 million euros in industrial investment, including 70 million euros on suppliers' premises for specific tooling. The maximum installed capacity for the B0 platform at Curitiba is 38 vehicles per hour.

The investments made in 2007 at the Curitiba plant were common to both models:
- new press line for stamping mid-sized parts.
- creation of a complete, flexible body shop specifically for the B0 platform,
- creation of a wax shop for anti-corrosion treatment.
The arrival of Logan and Sandero at the Curitiba plant in 2007 is a reflection of the site's flexibility and ensures optimum use of its facilities. A total of 1,000 workers have been hired this year for a second shift at the plant. Últimately, Logan and Sandero should represent 85% of the site's output (maximum installed capacity of 200,000 vehicles a year), alongside Mégane II, Mégane II estate and Scénic I. The Sandero models produced at the Curitiba plant are for the Mercosur market.

Source - Renault

RENAULT SANDERO MANUFACTURED IN SOUTH AFRICA IN

Renault Sandero, a modern, dynamic and robust hatchback will be produced locally in the Nissan plant from 2009.
At a press conference held at Renault South Africa's offices, Patrick Pélata, Executive Vice President Planning, Product-Planning and Programs announced that Renault will start production of Sandero in South Africa in 2009'.




Sandero will compete in the AB segment and will provide the South African public with a bigsize car of 4.02 metres in length at a small-size price. It will be produced locally in the Nissan plant in Rosslyn from early 2009.

Focus on Sandero
Sandero is the 5th vehicle designed on the so-called B0 platform, the same platform on which the very successful Logan was developed. If the successes of the other models, built on the same platform, are any indication to go by, it looks set to be a real contender. From 2004 when the first model was launched in Europe, until now, nearly 700,000 vehicles built on this platform (3 models) have been sold worldwide, in more than 55 markets. Adaptable and versatile, the B0 platform proved to be the perfect starting point to develop a hatchback model and further extend the Renault range.



Sandero is modern in design, with an appealing exterior that suggests both dynamic performance and robustness. Its distinctive front end features very expressive headlamps, with a grille and bumper that merge seamlessly into the bodywork. The design of the flanks strengthen the suggestion of robustness thanks, in particular, to the wide protection strips along the sides of the vehicle, whilst the rear styling emphasises the impression of a roomy,
generously proportioned car. Its dashboard was developed to be both modern and functional, with no efforts spared to create ergonomic controls and make information displays clearly visible to all occupants.

Source - Renault