Introduced in the US in 1981, the 18i was meant to be Renault’s first “world car”. It was supposed to compete with the lower end Volvos and Audis, along with the VW Jetta. In some ways it did, but in many ways it did not.
The 18i was really nothing more than a rebodied R12. That wasn’t a bad thing. The R12 had a great chassis that was still modern a decade after its introduction.
The R12 had a funky, “only-the-French-can-build-a-car-that-looks-like-this” body. The 18i’s body was more modern, more universally acceptable, but, arguably, somewhat bland. Still, in its day, it wasn’t a bad looking car. Source
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