Paris show: Renault opens up with clamshell Trezor

RENAULT has revealed its take on a self-driving future with the all-electric two-seat clamshell Trezor sportscar, a preview of its future interior styling philosophy and the next step in its ‘Life Flower’ design strategy.

Unveiled at the 2016 Paris motor show, the Trezor grand tourer features a striking wrap-around red glasshouse and low-slung metallic coupe design, complete with a long nose and unique one-piece clamshell roof.

According the French car-maker, the Trezor – an evolution of its 2010 DeZir concept, which in turn influenced the current generation Clio – blends “warm, simple and sensual lines with the very latest innovations in interior experience, all-electric powertrain and autonomous driving” and symbolises “feelings of maturity and commitment”.

Opening the clamshell roof, which Renault compares to lifting the lid of a jewellery box, reveals an all-red interior with leather seats, wooden dashboard, rectangle-shaped steering wheel and ultra-high-definition (UHD) OLED instrumentation.

Ingress is aided by automatically reclining headrests and the leather interior extends to the top lip of the Trezor, allowing occupants to straddle the sides of the car without scratching paintwork.

Renault has incorporated storage in the KEIM-cycles-designed dashboard, with luggage compartments and custom-made cases sitting behind user controls, and it has finished the woodwork with imposed thin strips of ash.

The unique L-shaped screen display cockpit is aimed to integrate seamlessly with smartphones, and the touchscreen interface can be customised with apps and widgets including Skype, Whatsapp and Twitter, which Renault says “offers a foretaste of the sleeker, increasingly refined interiors of future Renault models, complete with cutting-edge technology”.

A choice of three driving modes – neutral, sports and autonomous – are available to the driver and switching to the self-driving mode will split the steering wheel in half, extending the rectangle shape to give the occupant in the driver’s seat a better view of the UHD screens.

The Trezor’s exterior lighting will also change in autonomous mode, signalling to other road users that the vehicle is in autopilot mode.

Although no further details were revealed about the car’s sports mode, its inclusion alludes to Renault’s vision of a future where self-driving cars and driving enjoyment are not mutually exclusive.

The Trezor’s sporting ambitions are also revealed in its powertrain, with two batteries positioned front and rear, combining to push 260kW/380Nm to the rear wheels.

Renault says the 1600kg Trezor can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in under four seconds thanks to its wide stance, measuring 2180mm in width, low height (1080mm) and 0.22 drag co-efficient.

Measuring 4700mm in length, the Trezor is longer, wider, lower and more slippery than BMW’s all-electric i8 sportscar – which measures 4689mm in length, 1942mm in width, 1298mm high and has a drag co-efficient of 0.26.

Performance is also aided by bespoke Continental tyres wrapped around 21-inch wheels up front and 22-inch wheels in the rear, which both feature red highlights along the contact patch.

Up front, the Trezor wears the Renault badge proudly and prominently, centred in the front fascia between two menacing headlights and C-shaped daytime running lights, large brake-cooling air intakes, and a contoured lower air diverter finished with a tessellating hexagonal pattern.

Along the long bonnet, Renault says the Trezor utilises a “honeycomb-form air intake”, which translates to a functional hood scoop that can open and close at speeds and “creates the impression that it is actually breathing”.

The rear features another eye-catching Renault badge, as well as fibre-optic lighting tail-lights which, under braking, “creates an interesting visual effect and increases the intensity of the light”, according to Renault.

Renault senior vice-president of corporate design Laurens van den Acker said the Trezor is where the French brand will push its styling in the years to come.

“The Renault range has now been completely renewed and upgrade with a spectrum of complementary models, each one of which has its own assertive identity,” he said.

“With the Trezor, we have pursued this renewal by introducing a new lifecycle structure. This concept car is the fruit of a freedom of expression and prepares the way for the trends we are likely to see in our upcoming vehicles.”

Renault showed its Trezor grand tourer alongside its upgraded Zoe micro electric car in its Paris motor show stand.