(continued from above)
R-Space is powered by a turbocharged three-cylinder, 110 hp, 900cc petrol
engine mated to an Efficient Dual Clutch transmission (EDC). This engine
previews the new range of modular TCe engines, 'Energy TCe', that Renault will
begin launching next year.
Design: A Sporty Family Car
The
brief given to the designers was to come up with a simple, sensuous and
welcoming family vehicle to express Renault's new design philosophy in the MPV
class. To achieve this, the designers combined sensuality with a monospace
architecture. The result is a compact people carrier measuring 167.3 inches
(4.25 meters) in length, and with a silhouette that is flowing, powerful and
sporty.
The tapered profile of the side windows emphasizes the dynamic
profile, while the large windscreen and panoramic roof - the thickness of which
gradually changes - transform the passenger compartment into a cosy cocoon of
shade.
The nose of R-Space adapts the new visual identity (centered on
the large, vertically-oriented Renault lozenge) to the proportions of an MPV.
The body panels are shaped as sculptured volumes, meaning that the eye is drawn
much more to reflections and the play of the light than to the lines themselves.
The body design uses strong forms inspired by the human body. "With R-Space,
it was the pent-up energy in tensed muscles that inspired me," reveals Fabrice
Pouille, exterior designer. "I wanted to make people feel the urge to caress the
body, to make it sensuous - despite the fact that this is an MPV aimed at
families."
Renault's strategic sequence of concept car designs brings
with it a parallel progression in their colors: starting with the passionate red
of DeZir, future concept cars will follow the sequence of the chromatic circle.
Coming after the orange employed for Captur, R-Space is clad in honey-gold
bodywork.
The theme being that of the family, it was the image of the
family Sunday breakfast that provided the inspiration for R-Space's colors and
materials. "The tenderness and warmth of these shared moments find their
expression in tones that are hot and 'sweet': the white of the milk, the golden
shades of the honey, the brown of the chocolate," explains Laurence Widmer, Head
of Colours and Materials on the R- Space concept car. The theme of softness and
sweetness is also mirrored in the choice of materials - including suede - which
are lush to look at and pleasing to the touch.
As the pioneer of the MPV,
Renault is putting forward R- Space to take the notion a step further. To
achieve this, the designers took as their starting point the notion that had
made the model such a success in the past: the intelligence of the concept
itself.
Renault R-Space Concept: Review (2/2)
