The Renault Siete (from 1979: "Renault 7") is a 4-door saloon version of the Renault 5 supermini, produced and sold in Spain by Renault's subsidiary, FASA-Renault in Valladolid, from 1974 to 1984.Data according to: Automobil Revue, catalogue edition 1979, p. 484-85.
It was very similar to the Renault 5 hatchback (which had been launched two years earlier), and identical mechanically, but offered with a smaller range of engines. The Siete had four doors and a saloon-style boot in place of the original car's three (and later five) doors including hatchback. This involved extending the wheelbase by just under though it retained the wheelbase difference between left and right sides, characteristic of several Renault models, resulting from the use of full-width torsion bars placed one behind the other, ahead of the rear wheels. The Siete's boot volume was , the Renault 5 had a trunk.
Another difference between the Renault Siete and the 5 was the use, on the 7, of 'conventional' chromed metal bumpers instead of off-body colour plastic ones, giving the car a more refined appearance. The dashboard and other interior details were of a different design than in the French hatchback equivalent. Initially powered by a 1037 cc engine (an enlarged version of the 956 cc Renault 5 engine) producing , it was mostly sold in Spain.
Over the years the Siete had small annual updates. In 1979, it was more extensively restyled and amongst others received a new interior and rear lights. On that occasion the name changed to Renault 7 (Siete is Spanish for 7). An engine upgrade to 1108 cc followed in 1980. Claimed maximum power did drop to , but torque went up from at 3000 rpm to at 2000 rpm. A five-door version of the Renault 5 was launched in 1980 using the door pattern of the Spanish Renault 7.
Production ended in 1984, after the Renault 9 & 11 had entered the worldwide market and the Renault 5 had been substantially redesigned as the Supercinq (now based on the Renault 9/11 floorpan). The Renault 7's success outside its home market was limited because Renault offered the larger Renault 12 for a small price premium, and its mainly Spanish sales did not justify the investment necessary to develop a new saloon version based on the Supercinq. A total 159,533 units were produced.
References
External links
Renault Siete7 Club (in Spanish) Renault 7 site (in French) Club Renault 4 5 6 y 7 de España