History and characteristics of Renault Symbol cars

Renault Symbol — a small car (B-segment) of the French company "Renault", which is produced from 1999 to the present. In some countries it is called Renault Thalia. The first generation was called Clio Symbol. The body was only a four-door sedan and has the same platform as "Logan". The engine is located transversely in the front, the drive is only on the front wheels. It is the successor of the subcompact sedan "Renault 9", produced since 1981. It is sold in developing countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Maghreb and the Persian Gulf.

The main competitors and classmates today are Citroën C3, Chery Bonus, Chevrolet Aveo, Daewoo Nexia, Fiat Punto, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent, Haima 3, Lada Samara, Lada Granta, LIFAN Breez, Mazda 2, Nissan Micra, Mitsubishi Colt, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, Suzuki Swift, Seat Ibiza, TagAZ Corda, Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Polo.

First generation (1999-2008)

At the end of 1999, production of the first generation was launched "Clio Symbol" at the factory "Oyak-Renault" in Turkey. After 2000, the car was also assembled in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico (under the name Nissan Platina). The company took the hatchback as a basis "Renault Clio" the second generation and made a sedan out of it. The length of the car was 4150-4171 mm, width 1639 mm, height 1437 mm and the unladen weight was 910-1090 kg. The initial designations of the trim level and equipment were "RN" (RNA, RND) and "RT" (RTE, RTD), but later they received their own names: "Authentique", "Expression", "Dynamique", "Alize" and "Privilege". In total, about 600 thousand cars were produced.

Petrol engines were installed with four cylinders and a volume of 1.2 liters (1237 cm³, C1G, OHV 8v, 54 hp), 1.2 liters (1171 cm³, E7F, SOHC 8v, 57 hp), 1.4 liters (1397 cm³, C1J, OHV 8v, 59 hp), 1.4 liters (1397 cm³, C3J, OHV 8v, 57 hp), 1.4 liters (1390 cm³, E6J/E7J, SOHC 8v, 78 hp), 1.6 liters (1565 cm³, C2L/C3L, OHV 8v, 77/74 hp), 1.7 liters (1721 cm³, F2N, SOHC 8v, 74/91 hp), 1.7 liters (1721 cm³, F3N, SOHC 8v, 72/89/106 hp), 1.8 liters (1794 cm³, F3P, SOHC 8v, 87/89/108 hp) and 1.8 liters (1764 cm³, F7P, DOHC 16v, 133 hp). There was one diesel engine with a capacity of 1.9 liters (1870 cm³, F8Q, SOHC 8v, 63/89 hp). The gearbox was either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

In March 2002, the model was updated. The front part was changed, inside there was a new steering wheel and window lift buttons, and the engines were updated.

Second generation (2008-2013)

The second generation was presented in August 2008 at the Moscow International Motor Show and went on sale in September. It uses the chassis of the previous generation car and has a different design from the third generation "Clio". The name "Clio" has been replaced by simply "Symbol" or "Thalia" in those countries where this name was used in the previous generation. The main production site remains the plant "Oyak-Renault" in Turkey, and since 2009 the car has also been produced in Argentina and Colombia for the South American market. There were three trim levels and equipment - "Authentique", "Expression" and "Privilege". The length of the car was 4261 mm, width 1639 mm, height 1439 mm, wheelbase 2473 mm and curb weight 904-1045 kg.

Petrol engines were installed with four cylinders and a volume of 1.2 liters (1149 cm³, D4F, 16v, 74 hp), 1.4 liters (1390 cm³, K7J, 8v, 74 hp), 1.4 liters (1390 cm³, K4J, 16v, 97 hp) and 1.6 liters (1598 cm³, K7M, 94/104/113 hp). There was one model of diesel engines with a capacity of 1.5 liters (1461 cm³, K9K, 63/83 hp). The gearbox was a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

The car is equipped with driver and passenger airbags, two side airbags (depending on the configuration), anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), increased protection against intrusion in the front and rear doors, height-adjustable front seat belts, power steering and rear parking sensors.

Third generation (2013-present)

The third generation was presented at the Istanbul Motor Show in 2012 and is an updated version of the second generation "Logan". It is produced in Turkey and went on sale in the Turkish market in early 2013, and is also produced in Algeria and Tunisia. Since November 2013, it has been produced and sold in Brazil as "Renault Logan". Based on the "Dacia M0" platform, which is also used for "Dokker", "Lodgy", "Logan II" and "Sandero II". The total length of the sedan is 4346 mm, width 1733 mm, height 1517 mm, wheelbase 2634 mm and the curb weight is 1049-1268 kg. There are three trim levels and equipment - "Expression", "Dynamique" and "Privilege".

Gasoline engines were installed with the following characteristics: 0.9 liters (898 cm³, I3, turbo, 90 hp), 1.2 liters (1149 cm³, I4, 75 hp) and 1.6 liters (1598 cm³, I4, 83 hp). The diesel engine was a four-cylinder 1.5-liter unit (1461 cm³, 75/90 hp). The gearbox is either a five-speed manual or robotic "Easy-R".

The car was updated in early 2017. The front and rear parts, as well as the interior, were changed.

Symbol 3, 2015 year, back view

Symbol 3, 2018 year, interior

Symbol 3, 2017 year, trunk