Renault Vel Satis: a private in the “unrecognized” army with a box for a nuclear suitcase

Not the cutest looking car. At first glance, the Vel Satis car belongs in the category of “mediocre”. But, studying the model more closely, you move it into the “undervalued”, “unrecognized” category. And there is a whole cohort of these unfortunates. An army of cars that deserve neither fame nor honor. One of the “soldiers” is the French Renault Vel Satis.


In the history of creation, no matter how you look, there is nothing remarkable or exciting. The only fact that all publications are sure to mention is that the President of France supposedly kept Vel Satis in his car park. Therefore, the one about the suitcase is quite a viable version. The power is nuclear, and the spacious box under the armrest could even accommodate a presidential attribute. Did you carry it?.. Don’t take away a beautiful fairy tale: at least something interesting.

Why Renault miscalculated the production of the model (2001-2009)

Born at the turn of the century in 2001, Renault Vel Satis was already old-fashioned. Left behind life, out of touch with the needs of the new century.


This is because the real aristocracy, which did not consider it necessary to measure itself against anything, is a thing of the past. The intelligentsia, which stands above attempts to prove something to someone, also disappeared there. And the manufacturer relied on them.

The world has been taken over by show-off and glamor. And they did not consider the charm and charm of a true intellectual-aristocrat. Meanwhile, the manufacturer was creating a business class car. That is, not shamelessly luxurious, but comfortable and functional. Still practical, technologically equipped.

And the appearance matches - modest, non-flashy, but solid, good-quality. Who would appreciate it? People who spin at a frantic pace in pursuit of the same show-offs? In a word, it turned out that mutual misunderstanding and rejection arose between the manufacturer and the consumer.


Both lost: the manufacturer failed to sell, the buyer did not choose and did not ride the Satis. As a result, planning to produce 20 thousand cars a year, Renault sold three times less. Only a few people came to us: in the best year of 2008, 17 people bought a car.

Car review

Vel Satis – 5-door hatchback. It’s interesting that in Russian registration certificates they wrote: “Other passenger cars.” The body panels are made of aluminum (doors, hood) and plastic (front fenders, trunk lid).

Other dimensions:

✅ Length - 4860 mm
✅ Width - 1860 mm
✅ Height - 1580
✅ Trunk volume – 460 l, with rear seats folded – 1470 l

The wheelbase of 2840 mm gave interior space. Five riders did not embarrass each other, sitting comfortably on leather chairs.


The salon had everything that an accomplished person needed in his adult life. Comfort, that is. Please: adaptive cruise control, ventilation control system for gallery passengers. Moreover, you can change the intensity and direction of the air stream. Hidden TV, multimedia and headphone jacks. The latter were intended for each passenger.

In the Renault Vel Satis model, the French showed themselves to be zealous owners: they wisely used every corner. There are boxes everywhere, drawers that pull out from under the seats, and secret pockets.

Technical stuffing

The layout of the power units is “great”. front engine, front driven wheels. The suspension is MacPherson strut at the front and multi-link at the rear. Espace single-piston disc brakes. The gearboxes in the basic versions are manual, then a 5-speed Aisin automatic was installed.


The most popular gasoline engine is the 2-liter Renault F4RT with 170 horsepower and a cast-iron cylinder block. However, the engine range is wide: two turbodiesels of 2,2 liters and 3,0 liters, a petrol V6 of 3,5 liters.

You can still buy “other passenger cars”. The upper price limit for new cars is 450 thousand rubles. There are advertisements for 320 thousand rubles. The headache expected is common for 20-year-old cars. It's hard to find original spare parts. But – thanks to unification – you can take a lot from your classmates.