Launched in March 1975 at the
Geneva Motor Show, the
Renault 30 TS was marketed as Renault's flagship model and it was the first
Renault with an engine having more than four cylinders since the pre-war
Renault Vivastella. It was one of the first cars (the other two being the
Peugeot 604 and
Volvo 264) to use the then newly introduced 2664 cc
PRV V6 engine, which was developed jointly between
Peugeot,
Renault and
Volvo; the PRV produced and could power the R30 to a top speed of . The vehicle's hatchback styling was derivative of the extremely successful
Renault 16. The more affordable
Renault 20, which was presented at the
Paris Salon in November 1975 (exactly eight months after the Renault 30 TS) and used the same hatchback body styling as the R30 but with two rectangular headlights instead of the R30's quadruple round lights. The Renault 20 was essentially a successor to the
Renault 16, albeit in a rather larger body shell. Under the bonnet, the R20 had the smaller four-cylinder 1647 cc engine (from the Renault 16 TX) rated at . Other technical differences between the 20 and 30 were that 20 used drum brakes at the rear wheels, 13 inch wheel rims, and a smaller 60-litre fuel tank. The 20 came in three different trim variations: L, TL and GTL. The two cars were effectively two 'badge engineered' versions of the same car with separate numeric classification. The R20 received an all-new 2068 cc diesel engine in November 1979, Renault's first diesel automobile. Both the 20 and 30 were advanced in terms of safety, featuring front and rear crumple zones as well as side impact protection. Aside from the unusual proportions, the 20/30 also received unique, downwards-folding door handles on the first two model years. These were changed to regular units in August 1976, for the 1977 model year.
In the market Reliability issues, such as niggling mechanical faults (which sometimes proved expensive to fix) plagued both cars throughout their lifetimes. This was a factor in the cars heavy depreciation on the used car market in the UK. Other large cars with steep depreciation included the Peugeot 604 and Rover SD1. Rust was another major concern (in a Belgian owner referendum 70% of owners named it as the car's biggest problem); as a response Renault improved rust protection and began offering a five-year warranty against rust on 1 January 1982. The Renault brand was never strong in the upper segments of the market, particularly outside of France. Coupled with the hatchback bodywork, anaemic engines (to suit the French tax structure), and quality concerns, export sales were always low. In the end, over 63 percent of the total 20/30 production was sold in the French home market. However, the Renault 20 and 30 was assembled from
complete knock-down kit in certain countries. In Venezuela, the R30 TS was assembled between 1979 and 1984, while the R20 TS was assembled in Australia from 1979 to 1981 and in Thailand in 1979 and 1980. The Renault 30 was also officially imported for into
Renault Argentina as a luxury car to compete with other imported models such as the
Ford Granada,
Citroën CX,
Mercedes-Benz W123 and
Toyota Crown in 1979 and 1982, mostly in TS V6 and TX versions. A Renault 30 was used as an official state car for President
François Mitterrand during his election campaigns from 1979 onwards, and then during first years in office, including when he won the election in 1981. In 1984, he switched to its successor, Renault 25.
Changes Shortly after their introduction, it soon became quite clear that the Renault 20 was too underpowered to cope with the overall size and weight of the car and that the Renault 30 was seen as too expensive for what was effectively the same car. In response to this, the R20TS was introduced, and used a new four-cylinder 1995 cc overhead camshaft engine rated at (which was shared with the
Citroën CX and later the
Peugeot 505). The new 2.0-litre engine was universally regarded as a big improvement. The following year (October 1978) saw the introduction of the R30 TX, a more luxurious fuel-injected version of the R30 TS, then the R20 Diesel in late 1979. By late 1981, all 1.6-litre R20s were discontinued, leaving the LS 2.0 as the smallest model in the range. In 1980 the NG1 five-speed transmission was switched for the longer-geared and smoother shifting 395 unit. The R30 TS had power-assisted steering, four round Quartz-Iodide headlights, electric front windows and central locking. • October 1975 – Introduction of the
Renault 20, in
L,
TL and
GTL specifications, with the smaller four-cylinder 1647 cc () engine and 4-speed gearbox. All three variations of the R20 had two rectangular headlights instead of the four round ones like on the R30 TS. The L had very basic trim and no hubcaps. The TL had a better equipment level, while the GTL had much the same equipment level as the TS. Automatic transmission was optional on the R20 TL and R20 GTL. Quartz Iodide Headlights optional on all R20 models. • 1976 – The 1647 cc engine from the R20 had the power rating increased to . • August 1976 – The updated R1275 version replaced the original R30 TS (R1273), with some minor engine modifications and now with grey headlight surrounds, a new fuel lid and with regular doorhandles replacing the upside-down ones originally used. The power of the V6 dropped from . • July 1977 – Introduction of the
R20 TS. It had a new 1995 cc engine rated at , with the choice of a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic gearbox. The equipment level remained largely the same as the R20 GTL. • Late 1977/Early 1978 – The R20 L was dropped from the range because of slow sales, not helped by its low price. All models got a restyled instrument panel visor. Optional steel wheels with Michelin TRX tyres. • October 1978 – Introduction of the
R30 TX. It had a more powerful Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injected version of the 2664 cc V6 engine, 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic gearbox. It also had alloy wheels, electric windows all-round, electric sunroof, velour upholstery, and front and rear head restraints. • 1979 – Revisions to all models: driver's side rear fog light and rear seat belts. The R20 TS got a new cooling fan, inertia reel rear seat belts, a new windscreen wiper switch and the choice of a 5-speed gearbox. The R30 TS got a more powerful engine and a small pocket in the drivers sun visor. Also in that year, the introduction of the
R20 LS. It had the same mechanical specification as the R20 TS but the equipment specification of the R20 TL. • November 1979 – Introduction of the
R20 Diesel (in
TD and
GTD forms) with a new 2,068 cc diesel engine, 5-speed gearbox, negative offset front suspension and larger four-stud wheel rims. The R20 TD was the equivalent to the R20 TL/LS, while the R20 GTD was the equivalent to the R20 TS, only it added power-steering. • 1980 - All models got a pantograph driver's side wiper and a completely restyled interior with new dashboard and instrument panel from the
Renault Fuego. All petrol models got a new type of automatic transmission option. R20 TL/GTL got a new alternator with built-in electronic regulator and new, 3-spoke wheel rims. The R20 TS now had the wheel rims from the R30 TS. The R30 TS/TX got a chrome grille surround. • July 1980 – The R20 LS is introduced. along with the
R20 TX, with a new 2165 cc engine rated at . • 1981 – All R20 models got a new dual-circuit braking system and negative offset front suspension. The R20 GTL was discontinued, briefly leaving the R20 TL the only model to have the 1.65-litre engine. The R30 TX got new bumpers and computer-controlled cruise control. • July 1981 – A new turbodiesel is introduced with the R30 Turbo D. • September 1981 – R20 TL is discontinued. • Late 1981 – R30TS is discontinued • 16 October 1983 — The R20 and R30 cease production, to be replaced by the
Renault 25. ==Production figures==