Renault‘s three-box Symbol model (which was first derived from the Clio hatchback) has been redesigned ready for debut at the upcoming Moscow motor show next week. Series production of the new sedan (Thalia in some markets) has now begun in Bursa, Turkey.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Despite the car’s Clio II origins, the new Symbol is different in appearance from the Clio hatchback line. The first and second generation Symbol/Thalia models looked much like Clio II hatchbacks ‘with a boot [trunk]’ but the new car, designed at Renault’s Technocenter in France, has much improved styling. The front is similar to the latest Dacia variant, the Sandero hatchback. Some engineering work was done in Turkey.
The new Symbol is now rolling off the line of the Oyak-Renault factory in Bursa which is also sole production site for the new Clio Grand Tour, a stretched Clio hatchback with a larger load area, sold across Europe as part of the main Clio range.
The Bursa factory also builds Clio III three- and five-door hatchbacks plus Megane II sedans.
Ahead of the official launch at the upcoming Moscow show, which opens its doors on 26 August, shipments of new Symbol have begun to some of the existing markets. The car is popular in central and eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey and the Maghreb countries, where buyers tend to prefer a sedan body style to a hatchback.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataFor the same reason, the Symbol is also built and sold in Argentina, and elsewhere in South America, while Renault ships parts from the region for assembly in Mexico where the car is also sold as the Nissan Platina. The first unit was produced in 1999 and 554,000 have been built in nine years.
The new Symbol/Thalia is the latest addition to the line-up outlined in the Renault Commitment 2009 plan.
This B-segment car is 4.26m long and 1.43m high and is seen as ‘exuding an elegance that is underpinned by the status-enhancing design of its front end, as well as by its harmonious styling’. The updated and carefully designed cabin is roomy and comfortable. Because of the additional 5 cm length, boot capacity has been increased.
The latest Symbol inherits its suspension from the Clio II along with its engines.
The current Symbol/Thalia has 65 and 80hp 1.5 dCi diesel engines and 75hp, 1.4 litre 8V and 90hp, 1.4 litre 16V petrol units.
New engine details are unclear ahead of the official announcement in Moscow but, according to Renault, the engines have been essentially carried over with engineering changes to enhance efficiency and lower fuel consumption.
Levent Koprulu
