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  • Paris 2010: Renault DeZir concept is a stunning lady in red

    In 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Renault / By / / 21 comments

    Motor shows are not motor shows without the concept cars, and one of my personal favourites for Paris 2010 is this – the Renault DeZir concept. With curves in all the right places and wearing a beautiful red dress, I actually enjoyed photographing Mademoiselle DeZir and stayed on for awhile just to admire it after the snapping.

    More than just a flight of fancy, DeZir is the first project to have been led by new design boss Laurens van den Acker and marks the beginning of a sequence of concept cars that will provide an insight into Renault’s new styling vision, like the now dead Nagare movement at Mazda, which van den Acker created when he was with the Zoom-Zoom company.

    This seductress was designed to evoke ‘simple’, ‘sensuous’ and ‘warm’ feelings, according to Renault. Along with the cute Zoe, DeZir “lays the foundations for the brand’s forthcoming vehicles’ design cues”.

    The vertically-mounted 24 kWh lithium-ion battery is located behind the seats and provides the car with a range of 160 km. The electric motor is the same unit used in Renault’s Z.E. range, although it’s located in the middle of the car here and has more go: 150 hp and 226 Nm. The tubular steel frame and suspension of the showcar comes from the Megane Trophy race car while the body is made from Kevlar.

    It looks slippery and it is; drag coefficient (Cd) is rated at 0.25. Renault says that this KERS equipped concept accelerates from 0 to 50 km/h in two seconds flat.

    Gallery after the jump.
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  • Paris 2010: Renault Zoe previews new signature front

    In 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Renault / By / / 18 comments

    The Renault-Nissan Alliance is dead serious about the electric revolution, and with the Nissan Leaf already creating waves, the Paris Motor Show saw Renault opening order books for the Kangoo Express Z.E. and the Fluence Z.E. electric cars. They will go on sale in mid-2011, and the Z.E. range will later expand to include the scooter-like Twizy and this cute Zoe.

    The Zoe Preview is an accurate preview of the car that will debut in mid 2012. How true? Renault says that what you see here is 90% identical to the car that will roll out from Flins, France. This Zoe is also significant because it showcases Renault’s new brand identity for the first time, including the front look, so get used to it.

    The Zoe is a Clio sized supermini that’s electric powered but has “everything expected of a B-segment car” including a roomy interior, spacious boot, manoeuvrable handling in the city and reassuring road holding for longer drives.

    A lithium-ion battery powers the 80 hp/222 Nm electric motor with a combined range of 160 km. 0-100 km/h is done in 8.1 seconds on to a top speed of 135 km/h. Charging from your regular socket takes between 6 and 8 hours via a “Wall-Box” that comes with the car. For emergency situations, a public fast charge point will give 60 km range in less than 10 minutes or 80% battery capacity in 30 minutes.

    The showcar also has some creative highlights. Billed as a “Spa Car”, the Zoe also has anti-dehydrating air con (good for skin), a toxicity sensor for cabin air, a stimulating or relaxing scent diffuser (created in conjunction with Biotherm, L’Oréal) and light therapy courtesy of Philips. Cute, just like the car.

    Live gallery from Paris after the jump. For studio pics, click here.
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  • Renault ZOE Preview – next generation Clio EV?

    In 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Renault / By / / 8 comments

    Renault showcased the new ZOE PREVIEW in Paris recently stating that it will be a realistic glimpse of the forthcoming mass market.

    They go on to say that 90 percent of the vehicle will be carried over to the production model, which will be produced at the Renault Flins plant, France. The ZOE Preview will be a B-segment car that is aimed for city driving, releasing zero emissions. Powering the car will be 80hp electric motor capable of producing a torque figure of 222Nm.

    Powering the motor are Lithium Ion batteries that give the car a range of 161 kilometres. If by any chance juice does run out, it only takes 10 minutes through a fast charge point, which will give you another 60 kilometres. Perhaps enough to get you home? Charging it for 30 minutes on the other hand, recharges 80 percent of the battery capacity.

    In countries where the Quickdrop battery exchange stations are available, customers will be able to change their depleted batteries for a fully charged one, in just three minutes. This service is being planned in Israel and Denmark for the moment. The Zoe measures in at 4.10 metres in length and will sit on 19-inch wheels shod in special Michelin tyres, meant to optimize the range of the vehicle.

    Other special features on the car skin hydrating climate control, a toxicity sensor that closes air vents when harmful substances are detected and stimulating or relaxing scent diffuser. Adding to that, is audio ambiance and light therapy, all meant to create a relaxing environment in the car.

    Some are even speculating that design will be almost identical to that of the upcoming Clio. Hints of these were seen in the company’s press release of the ZOE comparing it to the Clio.

    Picture gallery available after the jump.
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  • Kimi wins his first rally, F1 return won’t be a walk-through

    In Formula 1, Motorsports, Renault / By / / 9 comments

    Kimi Raikkonen has won his first ever rally with the Citroen Junior Team, finishing tops at the Rallye Vosgien which happened over the weekend. The ex-F1 champ and his Citroen C4 WRC was unbeaten on all six stages at the national-level French event.

    It was held in the Strasbourg area, which is close to where the Rally of France, the next round of the WRC, will be held. “This was a good preparation for the Rally of France. From what I am told, the roads on this event were fairly representative of what we will see on the next WRC round, so I am happy. It’s also good to get back into driving the car on asphalt – that’s very useful as well,” said the Iceman. The Citroen Junior Team is unable to test ahead of the Rally of France having pre-assigned all of its 15 test days, so it the outing was fruitful.

    On the Finn’s return to F1 via Renault, whether it goes through or not boils down to commercial reasons. While having Kimi on board will boost the team’s chances to fight for the title, Vitaly Petrov brings sponsorship money from his homeland and is a “window to Russia” for the brand.

    “It’s very important (financial considerations). As I said, we use Formula 1, and we have to push our team to succeed because we use the platform to do business. And you know, it’s a question of image,” team chairman Gerard Lopez told Autosport.

    “It’s not that Vitaly is a paying driver, because he’s not, but certainly the sponsors that he brought or that came, which is Lada, have been very good sponsors. And he’s a good driver. Vitaly was second in the GP2 championship last year and could easily have won that championship if he hadn’t had six failures last year.

    “On top of all that, he is a driver that has 250 million Russian-speaking people that are convinced in him, so we’d be stupid not to assume that there is a business behind that. But we have to build the driver. He is to us a very important element, just as Robert is,” Lopez added.

    Raikkonen vs Petrov is an easy choice if only talent is taken into account, but F1 is a business at the end of the day, which is why it won’t be that straightforward. Let’s see who prevails.

     

  • Daimler to use Renault-Nissan electric vehicle tech

    In Cars, Nissan, Renault, smart / By / / 7 comments

    Here are some updates on the collaboration between Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Back in April when the partnership was announced, the stated scope was focussed on small car development and engine sharing (read our previous post here). In a recent interview with Reuters, Thomas Weber, Head of Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, has confirmed that the German carmaker will broaden the partnership with Renault-Nissan into electric vehicle (EV) development.

    The goal is to cut costs by building scale. “We won’t be able to meet the target of 95 grams CO2 in 2020 without electric vehicles with batteries and fuel cells,” Weber was quoted as saying, adding “it won’t be easy to then also earn money with these cars.”

    Besides that, the partnership will birth a shared RWD architecture for the next smart fortwo, a new smart four-seater and the next-gen Renault Twingo. The first of these cars will roll out from 2013 with the smart plant in France building the two-seater versions and the Renault plant in Slovenia building the four-seater variant. It was announced that there will be EV versions.

    The Renault-Nissan Alliance is one of the main movers of EVs in the motoring world. They have invested an estimated €4 billion into the field and have plans to launch up to eight EVs in at least five key segments – starting with the Nissan Leaf, which will be delivered to European customers early next year. US allotment for the car has been fully spoken for. Next in line are the Renault Fluence ZE saloon and Kangoo Express ZE in mid 2011.

    Alliance boss Carlos Ghosn is very bullish about EVs, saying that they will comprise 10% of all car sales within a decade, and they’re expecting to build 500,000 plug ins by 2012.

     

  • Kimi Raikkonen coming back to Formula 1 via Renault?

    In Formula 1, Motorsports, Renault / By / / 32 comments

    Many observers had expected Kimi Raikkonen to remain in the World Rally Championship next year, but it looks like the Iceman misses Formula 1 and is eyeing a return. Autosport reports that the 2007 F1 champion has approached the Renault team for a 2011 race seat. However, there’s no mention whether the approach was by the man himself or through his agents.

    Apparently, this contact happened after Renault did well to score a podium at the recent Belgian GP at Spa, Kimi’s favourite track. The Finn has gone on record before that he would only return to F1 if he was in a competitive car.

    Renault team principal Eric Boullier confirmed this news. “It is true that the summer has passed and we have had more and more requests – and the guy you mentioned (Kimi) is on the radar now. He is on the radar because he contacted us,” he told the magazine.


    Will Kimi Raikkonen be holding this next season?

    Robert Kubica is a certainty, but rookie Vitaly Petrov isn’t a confirmed goner yet. Boullier said that the team will keep Petrov next year if the Russian can improve his consistency. When asked what Petrov had to do to convince Renault, Boullier said: “He is not very far away to be honest. It is still very complicated for him to have a complete weekend and be faultless, and that is where he needs to work and focus on, and develop clearly his commitment and dedication.

    “We need to think about it. But the priority is Vitaly, and to see how he will develop. If we are convinced then we will keep him definitely. This is the first option,” he added. A decision on Renault’s 2011 line-up will be made before the end of this season.

     

  • Renault releases pictures of facelifted Laguna range

    In Cars, International News, Renault / By / / 16 comments

    Renault has released pictures of the facelifted Laguna sedan and station wagon that will be making their public debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.

    New within the line-up is the 1.5-litre dCi 110 hp, which has better green credentials, emitting only 120g/km of CO2. Renault will also introduce 4Control, which employs all four wheels when steering the car. This will be made available on the 130 hp dCi and 150 hp dCi diesel models.

    Looks have also gone through a minor update as the front end now features a revised bumper, redesigned grille and slanted headlight design. Inside the interior receives a mild revision on the dash and central console.

    The car will be showcased alongside the European version of the Renault Latitude in Paris, which would be a good opportunity to play spot the difference. Pictures are after the jump.
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  • Renault Latitude on show at Moscow Intl Motorshow 2010

    In Cars, International News, Renault / By / / 10 comments

    The Renault Latitude was recently unveiled to the public at the Moscow International Motor Show and is essentially the 2010 Samsung SM5 sedan, with a new grille. The is a D-segment category car. We’ve now got more photos of the car including that of the interior – the initial press reveal in June did not include these.

    Based on the Laguna III chassis, it measures in at 4,890mm long, 1,830 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall. Compared to the Laguna it’s 195mm longer, 19mm wider and 45mm taller. Storage space in the boot comes out at 477 litres, while there is an interesting 9.6 litre glove compartment that is illuminated and cooled.

    Apart from that, there are many other interior comforts that hint towards a more premium segment such as the massaging function for the driver’s seat, triple-zone automatic climate control system, air quality control management system, hands free electronic key card, directional bi-xenon headlights, audio systems by Bose and Arkamys.

    Meant for the Russian market, there will be two power plants available for the country. This will be the 2.5 litre V6 that generates 177hp and 233Nm of torque. Mated to a six speed (AJ0) automatic transmission, it will have a top speed of 209km/h.

    Next on the list is the M4R 2.0 litre engine, which produces 139hp and 191Nm of torque, coupled with a continuous variable transmission (CVT). We’re already quite familiar with this engine as its found in the Sylphy and the recently launched X-Trail, and likely the upcoming Teana as well. Different countries will also have a choice of Renault diesel engines such as the 150hp and 175 hp, 2.0 dCi (M9R), along with the 240 hp V6 dCi (V9X).

    The new model will be manufactured in South Korea in the Busan Renault-Samsung Motors plant. It will go on sale at the end of September in countries like Morocco, Algeria, Russia Ukraine and Africa. A European version will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, available with changes to the engine line up, fascia and exterior detail.

    Picture gallery available after the jump.
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  • Union to protest against Renault Latitude at Paris 2010

    In Cars, International News, Renault / By / / 16 comments

    If you’re one of those lucky enough to be in France for the Paris Motor Show later this year, you might just notice a huge crowd swarming around the Renault stage, focusing on the new (and rather handsome) Samsung SM5-based Renault Latitude.

    This huge crowd will not be people who love the car. On the contrary, these people hate the car and what it stands for – the import of a Renault product that’s not built in France into the continent. The Confédération Générale du Travail or CGT (English: General Confederation of Labour, a union) will be bringing in bus-loads of workers to demonstrate against Renault’s plan to import the Renault Latitude, as well as Renault’s perceived shift towards overseas production. I don’t blame them – Western European labour is expensive!

    The Latitude is car based on the Renault Laguna, but looks quite different and costs less to make, both because of design and the fact that its built at a more affordable site. The Laguna isn’t doing that well in Europe compared to its Volkswagen and Vauxhall/Opel rivals. Renault’s market share in the mid-size car segment that the Laguna competes in have dropped by about half in the past 7 years – it now stands at 3.4% compared to 7.5% in 2003.
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  • Renault DeZir concept to debut at Paris 2010

    In Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Renault / By / / 13 comments

    Renault has unveiled a new concept car which it says symbolises the company’s new design direction for its cars in the future. Design at the front looks similar to a Corvette, while the back and sides seems to remind me of the Audi E-tron concept car.

    Given the designation DeZir, the Z in the name symbolises zero emission which means that this concept is an electric vehicle. The powertrain in question will be an electric motor producing 150hp with 226Nm of torque from its vertically-mounted 24kWh lithium-ion battery, located behind the backseats.

    This provides a driving range of 160km and has three different recharging options when it runs out of juice. This includes a standard charge from a normal household plug, a fast charge using a 400V three-phase current (recharges 80 percent in 20 mins) or a fast battery exchange where you drop your old battery off for a fully charged unit.

    The DeZir uses lightweight materials such as Kevlar and a tubular steel frame. Driving dynamics are further egged on by a full underbody and a rear diffuser which results in a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.25. Other neat features include KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) along with a futuristic driver graphic display.

    This goes hand in hand with the exterior design which will feature gullwing doors that are hinged to different sides of the door frames, full-width front air intake that stretch from the Renault logo, along with Audi-R8-like side intakes.

    Moving on inside, you will find a design synonymous to concept cars which Renault say is supposed to make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud. The new concept is expected to debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show this year. If you can’t make it to the show, have a look for yourself after the jump for a picture gallery.
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