Renault Fuego - Marketing

Marketing

European model variants ran as follows: 1.4 L TL, GTL; 1.6 L TS, GTS (manual and automatic transmissions); 2.0 L TX, and GTX (manual and automatic transmissions). A 2.1 L Turbo Diesel was also produced for LHD European markets in the 1982-84 period. The Fuego Turbo (manual transmission only) was added in 1983 to coincide with the midlife facelift. This included a new front grille, bumpers, wheel design, interior trim and a revised dashboard on LHD models. In the United States, the Fuego was offered with a 1.6 L turbocharged or normally aspirated version in 1982 and 1983; for 1984 and 1985 it was offered with a 2.2 L engine.

The Fuego became the number one selling coupé in Europe during the 1980-2 period. The official Renault website states that a total of 265,367 Fuegos were produced. In France (thus, excluding Argentina and Spain) the number produced from 1980 to 1985 was 226,583

While being reasonably well specified for a vehicle of that time, the Fuego was also available with a number of options including leather upholstery, multi-function trip computer, cruise control, air-conditioning (either factory fitted or a dealer installed option with thermostat control), and a full length Webasto electric fabric sunroof.

The Fuego was sold in the United States through American Motors (AMC) dealers from 1982 to 1985 inclusive. It was "a nicely executed sports coupe" and was to be Renault's "halo" car. The car featured distinctive styling, comfort for four passengers, delivered superior fuel economy (the U.S. EPA rated it at 39 mpg (6.0 L/100 km; 47 mpg) in the highway), economical to purchase (base price of $8,495 at its introduction), and the model received good reviews in the automotive media. However, it did not achieve high sales and turn Renault's fortunes around in the United States. By 1984, AMC dealers were eligible for rebates of $300 and $1,000, respectively, on each imported Renault Fuego and Fuego Turbo model they sold.

Renault sold the Fuego in the UK, aiming it at Opel Manta and Ford Capri buyers, where it became the top selling coupé during 1981-82, but sales fell off before finally ending in 1986 with just the GTS and Turbo as the two sole models.

The Fuego was not directly replaced by another model in the Renault range. A Fuego II was planned, similarly styled as the new Renault Alpine GTA, but the development of the new model was cancelled at the last minute due to Renault's financial problems and the falling sales of sports coupés in general at that time.