The Renault Vel Satis Range
Published: 1st November 2002
The first choice on the Vel Satis model ladder is Expression, which is available with Classic and Club ‘ambiences’. The standard Classic ambience offers a choice of light or dark trim and cloth upholstery with ‘Cubic’ Aluminium effect dashboard and door inserts. The optional Club ambience offers the choice of dark or light trim with three colours of leather upholstery. In addition Varnished Maple Wood dash and door inserts are available as an option on all Expression models.
Expression models are available with two four cylinder engines - the 165bhp 2.0 16V Turbo petrol unit and the 150bhp 2.2dCi common-rail diesel unit - both with six-speed manual transmissions only. Automatic transmission will be available later in the year.
Standard equipment on the Expression model includes:
Automatic parking brake, automatic headlight illumination,
automatic windscreen wipers with rain sensor, Renault card
for access and ignition, tyre pressure monitor, ‘Great
Comfort’ front seats with horizontally hinged backrest
and integrated seatbelts plus 70:30 split rear seats, variable
power-assisted steering, ABS with Brake Assist, ESP and traction
control, cruise control with speed limiter, front and lateral
driver and passenger airbags (the front passenger airbag can
be switched off) plus front and rear curtain airbags, pretensioners
on front and outer rear seatbelts (double pretensioner on
driver’s seat), trip computer, ISOFIX on outer rear
seats, electrically assisted boot closing, fuel flap with
integrated fuel cap, electric heated door mirrors, 60 Watt
single-CD HiFi, automatic climate control, electric front
one-touch windows with anti-pinch facility plus electric rear
windows, heat-reflecting windscreen, reach and rake leather
steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, and tinted windows.
Among the many options will be:
160 Watt Multi-CD HiFi, Carminat Satellite Navigation System,
parking proximity sensor, rear lateral airbags, Xenon headlamps
and rear seat DVD player and screen.
Privilège
The next Vel Satis model is Privilège, available with
three ambiences Classic, Club and Avantgarde. Classic and
Club offer the same trim and upholstery combinations as on
Expression except for the door and dash inserts, where the
‘Cubic’ strips are replaced by Varnished Maple
Wood as standard, while Aluminium inserts are offered as a
no-cost option.
The Avantgarde ambience is also available with light or dark trim according to the choice of light or dark grey part Alcantara, part cloth upholstery. The dash and door inserts are of Aluminium, as above a no-cost option.
Privilège models are available with two four-cylinder engines and two six-cylinder engines - the 165bhp 2.0 16V Turbo petrol unit and the 150bhp 2.2dCi common-rail diesel unit - both with six-speed manual transmissions - and the 245bhp 3.5 V6 petrol and 180bhp 3.0 V6 dCi common-rail diesel units, both with the five-speed automatic transmission which features a manual ‘flick-shift’ override.
Additional standard equipment includes:
Parking proximity sensor, audible warning system, electrically
folding and heated door mirrors, Xenon headlamps with headlamp
washers and automatic headlamp adjustment, dash-mounted 160
Watt Multi CD HiFi, electrochromatic auto-dipping rearview
mirror, rear one-touch electric windows with anti-pinch facility,
pre-telephone equipment, electric heated front seats, storage
drawers under front and rear seats, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Optional equipment available on Privilège includes:
Automatically dimming and electrically folding door mirrors
with memory linked to electric driver’s seat memory,
rear lateral airbags, leather upholstery with either varnished
maple wood or aluminium dash and door inserts, plus rear-seat
DVD player and screen.
Initiale
Initiale is the top-of-the-range Vel Satis model and features
its own unique ambience reflecting its elite status. The Initiale
ambience offers dark and light trim depending on upholstery
choice as well as the choice of Dark or Light Alder Wood with
Walnut Marquetry, again dependent on upholstery choice. The
upholstery is perforated leather and is available in eight
shades - Tan, Green, Red, Black, Beige, Marine, Light Grey
and Carbon Grey.
Initiale models are also available with the two six-cylinder engines only - the 245bhp 3.5 V6 petrol and 180bhp 3.0 V6 dCi common-rail diesel units, both available with the five-speed automatic transmission which features a manual ‘flick-shift’ override.
Additional standard equipment includes:
Full colour screen Carminat satellite navigation system, heated
screen wash, electric, heated front seats with memory on driver’s
seat, automatically dimming and electrically folding door
mirrors with memory linked to electric driver’s seat
memory, part wood/leather gear knob, chrome door handles,
rear window sunblinds and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Optional equipment available on Initiale includes:
Part wood/leather steering wheel, electric sunroof, rear lateral
airbags, laminated side windows plus rear-seat DVD player
and screen.
