Renault 19

Lore & Background

The Renault 19 was presented in June 1988, with French sales starting in September 1988 and right-hand drive British sales in February 1989. The saloon version, launched in 1989, was called the 19 Chamade to distinguish it from the hatchbacks; the Chamade badge was dropped after the 1992 facelift in many markets, sometimes replaced by 'Europa'. A convertible bodystyle built by Karmann was shown in 1991 and went on sale in early 1992, available only with the two most powerful engines. The 19's exterior design received a muted response, but it was praised for interior comfort, handling, and higher quality than previous Renaults.

A facelift in summer 1992 brought a substantially restyled front and rear, a new dashboard and interior (though right-hand drive models kept the Phase 1 dashboard), and the gradual replacement of old pushrod engines with smaller 'Energy' units. 1.8 litre engines appeared at the top of the lineup. The 19 was sold in most of Europe until 1996, and production continued in Argentina until 2000, Colombia until 2001, and Turkey until 2000. Its platform and running gear were used in the first-generation Renault Mégane.

The Renault 19 16S (16V in some countries) was first shown in late 1988 but added to the lineup in autumn 1990. It featured a 16-valve F7P engine, distinctive air inlet on the bonnet (not on earliest models), rear spoiler, 15-inch Speedline SL401 alloy wheels, side skirts, twin headlamps, Recaro bucket seats, and Bendix ABS. Phase 1 editions had unique front and rear bumpers with indicators relocated for twin headlamps; Phase 2 models used standard bumpers with colour-coded tops and a lower splitter. The last models (1995–1996) were called Executive and came with leather interior as standard.

Reader's Guide

The Renault 19's significance lies in its role as the successor to the 9 and 11, and as Renault's final model to carry a numeric name, marking a shift in naming policy. It achieved notable commercial success in Germany, becoming the best-selling imported car in West Germany in 1990 and in reunited Germany from 1991 to 1994—a market where French carmakers traditionally struggled. The 19 also demonstrated Renault's global manufacturing reach, with assembly plants in France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Colombia, Turkey, and Taiwan. Its platform and running gear lived on in the Mégane, extending its technical legacy. The 19's motorsport involvement was limited: Renault Sport entered the 19 in the 1993 British Touring Car Championship, driven by Alain Menu and Tim Harvey, but the car was uncompetitive except in wet conditions and was replaced by the Laguna for 1994. The 19's awards—Car of the Year in Spain and Germany (1989), Ireland (1990), and Argentina (1993)—underscore its broad market acceptance, while its sale in Japan (as the Europa, to avoid confusion with the Daihatsu Charade) and local assembly in Taiwan highlight its international presence.

Did You Know?

• The Renault 19 was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
• The 19 Chamade name was not used in Japan because it was too similar to the Daihatsu Charade; it was sold there as the Europa.
• The 19 16S had a distinctive air inlet on the bonnet, though this did not appear on the earliest models.

Design Philosophy & Engineering Evolution

The Renault 19 arrived in the summer of 1988 as the successor to the ageing Renault 9 and 11, marking a deliberate shift in the French marque's product philosophy. Giorgetto Giugiaro penned the exterior, which reviewers noted as relatively conservative and in the same visual lineage as its predecessors. Yet the car's true strengths lay beneath the surface: interior comfort, refined handling, and a noticeable step up in build quality over earlier Renaults. Under the bonnet, buyers initially chose from OHV Cléon pushrod units in 1.2 and 1.4 litres, while the more desirable trims received the newer fuel-injected E-type 1.4 and F-type 1.7 engines. A turbocharged diesel joined the range in early 1992. The 19 also signalled Renault's final numeric-named model, introducing a new branding approach where the saloon variant carried the Chamade badge and, in some markets after the 1992 facelift, the Europa tag. That facelift brought a thoroughly restyled front and rear, a fresh dashboard for left-hand-drive cars, and the gradual replacement of pushrod engines with the more modern Energy series, topped by a 1.8-litre unit.

Commercial Triumphs & International Reach

For a French manufacturer that historically struggled to gain traction in German showrooms, the Renault 19 represented a remarkable breakthrough. It claimed the title of best-selling imported car in West Germany in 1990 and then held that position across reunited Germany from 1991 through 1994. The car also collected Car of the Year honours in Spain and Germany in 1989, Ireland in 1990, and Argentina in 1993. Beyond Europe, the 19 found niche audiences in Japan, where it was distributed in limited quantities through Yanase import dealerships. In that market, the saloon's Chamade name was deliberately avoided because it sounded too close to the Daihatsu Charade, so the cars were badged Europa instead. In Taiwan, San Fu Motors began local assembly of two R19 variants in early 1990, targeting a monthly production figure of one thousand units. Demographically, the Chamade saloon attracted a distinct buyer profile: predominantly male, married, older, and more rural than the typical hatchback customer. Right-hand-drive versions reached British showrooms in February 1989, broadening the model's European footprint.

The 16S: Renault's Performance Statement

Revealed at the close of 1988 but not added to the sales lineup until autumn 1990, the 19 16S (or 16V in certain markets) stood as the sole sixteen-valve variant in the range. Its heart was the rev-happy F7P engine paired with the advanced Renix electronic control unit, a combination that delivered both greater speed and improved fuel economy over many rivals. Renault claimed a 0-to-100 km/h sprint of 8.2 seconds in the non-catalysed 140 PS guise, while the catalysed 137 PS version reached 215 km/h and posted an 8.9-second hundred. Visually, the car set itself apart with a bonnet air intake, a rear spoiler, 15-inch Speedline SL401 alloy wheels, side skirts, twin headlamps, and Recaro bucket seats with optional leather. Braking was upgraded to 259 mm vented front discs and 237 mm rear discs, complemented by an uprated lower suspension and a front strut bar. Period road tests praised its agility on winding roads but flagged compromised high-speed stability and elevated cabin noise, partly attributable to very low gearing. The final 1995–1996 Executive editions came with leather trim as standard.

Global Production & Lasting Platform Legacy

Although European production of the Renault 19 concluded in 1996, the model's manufacturing life extended well beyond that date in several regions. Turkish assembly at Oyak-Renault's Bursa plant and Argentine production at Santa Isabel in Córdoba both continued until 2000, while Colombian output in Envigado persisted until 2001. In total, the car was built across a network of facilities spanning France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Colombia, Turkey, and Taiwan. Internally, Renault tracked the range under the X53 development code, with specific chassis designations for each bodystyle: B53 for the five-door hatchback, C53 for the three-door, L53 for the Chamade saloon, and D53 for the Karmann-built cabriolet. Perhaps the 19's most enduring contribution was mechanical: its platform and running gear were carried forward into the first-generation Renault Mégane, which remained in production for seven years. Even in motorsport, the car made a brief appearance, fielded by Renault Sport in the 1993 British Touring Car Championship with Alain Menu and Tim Harvey, though it proved uncompetitive in dry conditions and was swapped for the Laguna the following season.