The R19 was presented in June 1988, with sales in the domestic French market beginning in September 1988. It was the replacement for the
9 and 11, both of which were ageing and outdated by the end of the 1980s. The R19 went on sale in right hand drive form for the British market in February 1989. The R19 was styled by
Giorgetto Giugiaro, featuring Renault's new E-type (or "Energy") 1.4 L engine and F type 1.7 L versions. Base models originally used the
OHV C-type
Cléon 1.2 and 1.4 L engines, depending on the market. While originally only available with an atmospheric diesel engine, a turbocharged version appeared in the beginning of 1992. Intended to be Renault's last numeric named car, the 19 ushered in a new naming policy, with the
saloon versions of the 19 being known as the 19 Chamade, to distinguish them from the
hatchbacks. The saloon version was launched in 1989. In 1991, a
convertible bodystyle built by
Karmann was first shown; only a small number of these were built with the Phase I design as it was facelifted shortly thereafter. The convertible version went on sale in the beginning of 1992; it was only available with the two most powerful engine options. Although the R19's exterior design (which was relatively conservative, like that of the
Renault 9/11) received a muted response, it was praised for its interior comfort, handling, and for being of a higher quality than previous Renaults. For the fuel injected top versions, a four-speed automatic transmission became available in the fall of 1990. Lesser versions still made do with four- or five-speed manuals, or a three-speed automatic. The R19 was sold in most of Europe until 1996, and was produced for some South American markets in
Argentina until 2000 and for the Andean markets in
Colombia until 2001. Turkish production lasted a little longer than in the rest of Europe, also until the year 2000. The R19's platform and running gear would continue to be used in its replacement, the first generation
Renault Mégane, which lasted for seven years. The Renault 19 was awarded the 1989 Car of the Year in Spain and Germany, 1990
Car of the Year in Ireland, and 1993 Car of the Year in Argentina. It was sold in limited numbers in Japan through the
Yanase Import Dealerships. The name "Chamade" wasn't used on Japanese-market saloons because it was deemed too similar to the
Daihatsu Charade, so these were called "Europa" instead. San Fu Motors in Taiwan began building two versions of the R19 locally in early 1990, aiming for a monthly output of 1,000 cars. The R19 did well in Germany, a market French carmakers always had a hard time cracking. It was the best selling imported car in
West Germany in 1990 and then in
re-united Germany from 1991 to 1994. Renault 19 front 20071031.jpg|Hatchback Renault 19 rear 20071031.jpg|Hatchback (rear) Renault 19 Europa RN (tr).jpg|Phase 2 saloon ("Chamade/Europa/Bellevue") R1916VCABPH2.JPG|Convertible 16V, note bonnet vent Renault 19 II Cabriolet rear 20070321.jpg|Convertible (rear) Storia à succès.jpg|1.4e RN Storia, 1995
16S The
Renault 19 16S (16V in some countries) was first shown towards the very end of 1988. It was only actually added to the lineup in the autumn of 1990, Phase 1 editions benefited from unique front and rear bumpers with front indicators relocated into the bumpers to allow for the twin headlamps, while the Phase 2 retained the original bumpers found throughout the range but added colour coded tops, rubber inserts, and a discreet lower splitter. All bodystyles were offered with the 16 valve engine at one time or another, but were not available in all markets. The Phase 2 models gear ratios were also revised, to allow for the extra weight found in the safety equipment the later models carried. The last models (1995 to 1996) were called Executive and came with leather interior as standard. Renault claimed an acceleration from 0 to of 8.2 seconds for the non-catalysed version with . This engine was only available in the Phase 1 model. The catalysed model boasted and a top speed of , and a claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of 8.9 seconds. ==Motorsport==