Renault and Dacia to join the 180kph speed cap club

PARIS: When Volvo starting the ball rolling by putting a 180kph top speed cap on its new cars for better road safety, it did not gain any traction among manufacturers as "slow" vehicles seemed to be unexciting and difficult to sell.

However, Renault is said to be exploring a move similar to Volvo's on its Renault and Dacia line-up, according to a report by motor1.com.

In the report, Renault CEO Luca de Meo was quoted by Spiegel as saying the French car maker saw high speeds as the main reason for road deaths during a meeting with shareholders last week.

As such, Renault is planning to introduce a Safety Coach system that monitors the road speed limits and road conditions and will adjust the vehicle's speed accordingly.

The report did not say when Renault and Dacia cars will be fitted with the speed control devices.

All new Volvo cars are already fitted with the electronic limiters that cap their top speed at 180kph.

Currently, European car makers capped the top speed of their premium models at 250kph but high performance models are allowed to go up above 300kph.