Renault Vel Satis – Cult Classic, Not Best Seller

In 1998, Renault made everyone gasp when it pulled the cover off the Vel Satis concept car at the Paris Motor Show. It was sleek, it was elegant, it was brave and it was unapologetically bold from every angle. It was rolling proof that Renault still had it; that Frenchness, that fun, that… je ne sais quoi. And Renault doubled down by telling the world that once it had ironed out the manufacturing process, it would indeed produce the Vel Satis and hand over the keys to the buying public.

And Renault did exactly that in 2001. Well, not exactly that. It did indeed put the Vel Satis into showrooms, but it had less in common with the concept car than a sofa has in common with Huddersfield. We should have seen it coming. Concept cars are, after all, a lie. They’re never meant to be sold or built or actually used. They’re a demonstration of any given car company’s dreams and ambitions. They’re art before they’re cars. There are exceptions, like the concept that would become the Ford GT. By and large though, almost all concept cars come with pants that are on fire. But with the Vel Satis, we perhaps held onto a glimmer of hope. The French don’t adhere to any playbook when it comes to cars. But alas, the Vel Satis we got was very different to the one it promised.

It was not a looker. A shame really, considering it was penned by Patrick Le Quément, the man who designed the Ford Sierra, and the Renault Twingo. The visual downfall of the Vel Satis was that, ironically, it was trying too hard to be the concept car. And on a full-size executive machine, it didn’t work. Renault positioned this as its flagship offering at the time. It was up against BMWs, Mercedes and it even made the Ford Scorpio seem… subtle. But, like all things weird and wonderful, it has found a small following in later life. Its refusal to comply to the norm meant it stood out. At the time, that wasn’t a positive. Today though, in the enthusiast space, it is.

Things were not made any better when the Vel Satis was pressed into action. It was available with five engine options: 2.0 T 16 valve 4-cylinder, 3.5 24 valve V6-cylinder, 2.0 dCi 16 valve 4-cylinder, 2.2 dCi 16 valve 4-cylinder and a 3.0 dCi 24 valve V6-cylinder. The V6 diesel was the ‘best’, as it was deemed by many to suit the squishy nature of the car’s design. But even so, none of them set the world on fire. In motion, the Vel Satis should have been great, what with is sharing the same platform as the respectable Laguna II. However, there was too much weight, the centre of gravity was too high, the transmissions were a bit naff, so it wasn’t great to drive, either. Not bad, mind. Just, not great.

But it wasn’t all bad. The Vel Satis had its plus points. It was ludicrously comfortable for one, as all French executive cars should be. The cabin was well-appointed, it was spacious (thanks in no small part to the high roof line), it could seat five with ease, it had more electrics than an episode of Robot Wars and with that V6 diesel, it would waft along and chomp the miles with pleasing aplomb. It was also incredibly safe, too. It was the second car to be awarded the full five stars by EuroNCAP – the first being the Laguna II. It was just a shame that a non crash-tested Vel Satis was virtually indistinguishable from one that had face-planted a wall at 30mph.

Renault tried so, so very hard to make the Vel Satis a success. The car was even used by heads of state and other high-rollers. In fact, rumour has it the French Government still has one on the fleet for occasional use. Le ugly pool car, possibly? Renault even managed to wedge one into the Tom Hanks cinema version of The Da Vinci Code and, um, Mr. Bean’s Holiday. Right. Though to be honest, James Bond could have driven one and it wouldn’t have helped. Renault even gave the Vel Satis a facelift in 2005 to try and improve things, but to no avail. In the end it was killed off in 2009. Renault reportedly lost an eye-watering €18,710 on each one built. Ouch.

The Renault Vel Satis was a bigger flop than a bouncy castle with a hole in it, but we don’t care. We’re glad it was made, we’re glad it exists and we’re glad that it has found a dedicated, albeit small following. To buy a Vel Satis today is to experience something different, from the final days of car manufacturers willing to try something bold and brave. It’s not the most amazing car in the world, but fundamentally, it’s not a bad car. It’s just misunderstood, bless it. And if you want something a bit off the wall, something different, but that doesn’t cost a fortune to own, the Vel Satis is it. It’s fun, it makes no excuses for what it is, and if it’s good enough for Tom Hanks…