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Interior Design
The interior design also suggests lightness.
The forms are soft and light, and the predominant color is white, although there
are also echoes of the same passion red used for the exterior. The materials
employed for the interior, like the senses they awaken, are precious, with white
leather upholstery and trimming for the seats, dashboard and floor, along with a
red lacquered finish for the console and accessories.
The one-piece,
two-seater front benchseat provides cocoon-like comfort and comprises a number
of interlocking elements trimmed in white leather, with a quilted pattern on the
passenger's side, and a contrasting uniform finish on the driver's side, as if
to suggest an inexorable attraction between the two.
The interior styling
takes its inspiration from the idea of an amorous encounter and is based on a
coming together of opposites.
The cockpit-style driver's environment
contrasts with the ethereal lightness of the dashboard and the sensuous feel of
the white leather bench seat that seems to float on a red-hued bed of light
which, once again, symbolizes passion. This lighting gently pulses to a rhythm
suggestive of a beating heart.
The dashboard visually mirrors the
sensations felt at the wheel by means of a graphic display of data received from
the accelerometer and speed sensors. The central touch screen display
incorporates a smart navigation system that synchronizes journey information
with the driver's diary in order to optimize task management and itineraries.
Special software provides drivers with a real-time indication of their
energy management ability via a fun interface incorporated in the dashboard that
uses video-game style graphics.
Electric Motor
Renault
DeZir is powered by an electric motor mounted in a mid-rear position to optimize
weight distribution over the front and rear wheels. The vertically-mounted 24kWh
lithium-ion battery is located behind the benchseat and provides the car with a
range of 100 miles.
The basic motor is the same as the unit used for
Renault's production electric cars, although an evolution has enabled its power
and torque to be uprated to 150 hp and 167 lb-ft respectively.
Lightweight Materials
In order to optimize range and dynamic
performance, Renault Design's technical teams have kept DeZir's weight to a
minimum: its body is made from Kevlar, while its tubular steel frame is similar
to that employed for the Megane Trophy race car.
DeZir's suspension also
shares certain features with that of Megane Trophy - including a double wishbone
arrangement - to deliver a particularly high standard of handling precision.
DeZir's aerodynamics have been carefully honed, too, thanks to full
underbody fairing and a rear diffuser. The result of this work is a drag
coefficient (Cd) of 0.25, plus outstanding acceleration.
Kinetic
Energy Recovery System
DeZir's energy efficiency package also
includes the recovery of braking energy. The technology it employs is based on
the same principles as the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) seen in Formula
1. When the car decelerates, kinetic energy is recovered and stored in the
battery. As is the case in F1, this energy can then be employed by the driver to
provide a temporary power boost thanks to a button located on the steering
wheel.
Renault DeZir Concept: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications