Goodbye to the Renault Sandero RS. The French brand, responsible for the production of the Romanian model in South America, has confirmed that the sportier version leaves the market after almost seven years in production. Based on the Dacia Sandero, it has been the only model retouched by Renault Sport technicians.
The Renault sandero rs It was one of the most interesting discoveries midway between 2014 and 2015, the year it was presented. Nothing foreshadowed that the Romanian low-cost brand was going to enter the field of sports utility vehicles and, in reality, it never did it directly. It was the Rombo brand that decided to market the more sporty Sandero in the countries of South America, offering a sportier variant.
The model was presented in 2015 and has already been on sale for seven years. In the emerging countries on the southern side of the New Continent, the terms that are managed in Europe for the life cycle of between six and seven years are not usual, so his life on the market could have been extended almost undated. And it is that the seven years that he has been behind him have not been the real cause for leaving the market, but once again the levels of polluting emissions that your engine generates.
Renault leaves the category of sports hot hatches orphaned in South America
The top-of-the-range Renault Sandero is equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers a maximum power of 147 hp and 198 Nm of torque, associated with a six-speed manual gearbox. However, this propeller is one that the manufacturer adapted for “flexi-fuel” operation, so with ethanol the performance is slightly higher: maximum power increases to 150 hp and torque to 205 Nm. The big problem is that, in Brazil where it is marketed, a new regulatory standard for emissions enters in 2022 that makes inviable to continue with the commercialization of this model.
It must be borne in mind that this model is not exactly one of the cheapest, since its price in the Rio de Janeiro country amounts to 100,000 Brazilian reais -in exchange, about 15,570 Euros- and that 4,600 units have been sold for seven years. With these figures, Renault cannot afford to make the necessary adjustments to this engine to exceed new limits, much less replace this block with another that does meet such requirements and supports both fuels.
The Sandero RS was the only development in which the Renault Sport technicians participated together with the Brazilians from Renault in Sao Paulo. With a more aggressive aesthetic and the typical genes of the sports brand, the utility not only offered a powerful engine that transferred power to the front wheels, but also had a chassis to enjoy sensations. The short gear ratios allowed greater acceleration, while the braking system was enhanced with a four-wheel disc system. In addition, it was the only model in its class with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.