The new sedan will go by the name 'Fluence', taken from a concept that Renault revealed in 2004, and according to the higher ups at Renault the Fluence will be Renault's "big sedan in Europe and other markets from 2009". The electric plug-in Fluence will arrive a couple of years after the 2009 debut of the Fluence. Sales for the electric plug-in version of the car are expected to range between 20,000 to 40,000 units for the electric plug-in's inaugural year, although this figure could rise to as much as 80,000 units if the correct government subsidies are in place.
In addition to this, Renault is developing a compact electric car for Europe for release in 2012, just a year after the electric plug-in Fluence comes out. Renault has previously stated that electric cars are not simply an exercise in design, and that electric-powered vehicles will be playing a very significant role in Renault's future strategy.
The Fluence will be replacing the Megane sedan, of which Renault launched it's third-generation at the Paris Motor Show, and which Renault currently sells in various guises including convertible, coupe, hatch and wagon. The Fluence will also likely be offered in each of these variants eventually, although Renault has kept details about the Fluence limited at this point.