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Renault wins the What Car? Safety Award for the third year running!
The European What Car? 2003 Safety award has once again been awarded to the whole Renault car range.
Says What Car? magazine:
“Could we really have given this award to anyone else? Two years ago, the Renault Laguna became the first car to gain a five-star protection rating in the respected independent Euro NCAP crash tests. And last autumn, the Vel Satis and Mégane matched its performance.
That means three of the Renault passenger car range now on sale offer five-star crash protection to their occupants.
It was no great surprise that the Vel Satis did well: Renault could draw on what it already knew from the Laguna, which forms the base for the Vel Satis. But the Mégane was another matter – delivering excellent safety in a small car package and to a tight budget is no easy brief. Six airbags and twin pre-tensioners on the front belts (to reduce chest and pelvic injuries) make it into even the entry-model five-door hatches.
The three-door Mégane Sport hatches do without the pre-tensioners (too bulky) but make up with extra airbags in the front seat bases, to prevent driver and passenger from slipping forward.
As we said when we handed Renault this honour in 2002: no other car maker has done as much.”
The Laguna Hatch and Sport Tourer prices start from $43,990 for 2.0-litre models, with the 3.0-litre V6 models available from $58,990.
The Vel Satis luxury car and the Mégane small car – European Car of the Year 2003 - will launched later in 2003.
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