Showing posts with label Renault. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Renault. Show all posts
11:08 PM
Former Ford Motor and Mazda designer Laurens van den Acker will succeed Patrick le Quement as head of design at French automaker Renault.
Van den Acker, 43, quit as head of design at Mazda earlier this month. He will join Renault on May 15 and assume le Quement's full responsibilities starting on Nov. 1.
Van den Acker, a Dutch native, is an experienced designer who had led Mazda's corporate design since 2006.
Before taking the Mazda post, van den Acker was chief designer for Ford's Escape platform and was based at Ford's design center in Dearborn, Mich. He has also done exterior design work for Audi in Germany and worked with specialist design companies in Turin, Italy and California.
Le Quement, 64, who is retiring, leaves a contrasting history after 22 years steering Renault's design activities.
On the positive side, the French designer was responsible for some of Renault's design successes such as the Twingo city car and the first-generation Scenic, which launched the European compact minivan segment.
But some of le Quement's designs won fans and critics in equal numbers. His second-generation Megane compact hatchback had a bulging rear end that horrified many people, but the car still sold well.
Le Quement's Avantime and Vel Satis luxury cars had distinctive designs that did not go down well with buyers.
Le Quement likely will be most clearly remembered for creating a global network of design centers to help Renault tailor the design of its cars to local markets. He also implemented digital design at the carmaker.
Van den Acker, 43, quit as head of design at Mazda earlier this month. He will join Renault on May 15 and assume le Quement's full responsibilities starting on Nov. 1.
Van den Acker, a Dutch native, is an experienced designer who had led Mazda's corporate design since 2006.
Before taking the Mazda post, van den Acker was chief designer for Ford's Escape platform and was based at Ford's design center in Dearborn, Mich. He has also done exterior design work for Audi in Germany and worked with specialist design companies in Turin, Italy and California.
Le Quement, 64, who is retiring, leaves a contrasting history after 22 years steering Renault's design activities.
On the positive side, the French designer was responsible for some of Renault's design successes such as the Twingo city car and the first-generation Scenic, which launched the European compact minivan segment.
But some of le Quement's designs won fans and critics in equal numbers. His second-generation Megane compact hatchback had a bulging rear end that horrified many people, but the car still sold well.
Le Quement's Avantime and Vel Satis luxury cars had distinctive designs that did not go down well with buyers.
Le Quement likely will be most clearly remembered for creating a global network of design centers to help Renault tailor the design of its cars to local markets. He also implemented digital design at the carmaker.
6:01 PM
The Renaultsport name has built up a strong reputation thanks to its performance versions of the Clio and Megane. The Twingo is the entry-level car into Renaultsport ownership and is designed to be an authentic hot hatch at an affordable price. It's powered by a 1.6-litre engine with a modest 133bhp but thanks to the Twingo's light weight it's impressively nippy and great fun to drive. It's certainly not as hardcore as its larger counterparts, however a Cup chassis is available which lowers the ride height and stiffens the suspension. Thanks to an affordable price tag and a low insurance rating, it's a good choice for younger drivers after a decent performance car that won't cost the earth to run.
Performance
The Twingo Renaultsport comes with one engine - a 1.6-litre which produces 133bhp without using any turbochargers. This means that it does need to be worked hard in order to get meaningful performance and low down the Twingo lacks pulling response. Power peaks high up the rev range and here the Twingo feels at its most responsive and enjoyable - but it's also noisy and makes for a frantic driving experience. The standard sports exhaust emits a nice note, but this can only disguise the lack of engine refinement to a certain point and the harder you push the Twingo, the more coarse it sounds. That's not to say it's slow though - a 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds is on a par with similar sporty hatches, while the uprated brakes offer excellent stopping power. It's a shame then that the overly light gearchange lacks the snappy action you'd expect in a junior hot hatch.
Handling
There are two different handling set-ups available in the Twingo Renaultsport - a standard model and an optional Cup chassis. The standard car is a good balance between comfort and handling - it corners sharply while the ride is forgiving over rough surfaces, albeit far from smooth. The Cup chassis is the more popular choice however. It adds a lower ride height, firmer suspension springs plus 17-inch alloys (the standard model has 16-inch wheels) and this is instantly noticeable on the move. Bodyroll is reduced to a minimum in corners and it feels more reassuring in tighter bends thanks to higher grip levels and precise steering. It's not all good news though, as the trade off is an incredibly stiff ride, making the Twingo fidget over rough roads. Potholes transmit shocks through the cabin and on long journeys on anything but motorways, the Twingo Renaultsport can quickly become tiring and uncomfortable.
Comfort
The range-topping Twingo comes with Renaultsport front seats which offer better side support than the seats in the standard car. They're certainly more comfortable, although the sporty Twingo isn't a car you'd want to spend an extended length of time in. Opt for the Cup chassis and you'll find the ride stiff and unforgiving over uneven surfaces - and this is especially noticeable on city streets. The two seperate rear seats are very cramped and not very comfortable for adults - although on the plus side they do slide forward and back.
Practicality
Like the standard car the Renaultsport version of the Twingo offers the choice of maximising rear passenger space for one or both occupants, or increasing luggage space. The minimum luggage space available is 165 litres - on a par with a MINI and slightly more than a Toyota Aygo - and this can be increased to 285 litres up to window height with the rear seats slid forward. This is comparable with a Clio or Vauxhall Corsa. It can be increased to 959 litres up to roof height with both rear seats folded.
Equipment
The Twingo hot hatch comes well equipped with air conditioning, electric front windows, CD stereo, 16-inch alloy wheels, stability control (ESP) which can be fully switched off, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers, remote central locking, alarm and immobiliser, a Renaultsport rev counter with gearchange reminder light, heated and electrically adjustable mirrors, front fog lights, sports seats plus a Renaultsport leather steering wheel and gearknob. The Renaultsport model also has a wider front and rear track than the standard car, plus a lower ride height and stiffened suspension. The £650 optional Cup chassis adds 17-inch anthracite alloys, even stiffer suspension and a further lowered suspension. Options include a Cool Pack which includes climate control and an electric panoramic sunroof and there are plenty of optional graphics and stripes allowing you to personalise your Twingo.
Behind the wheel
The Twingo has a very modern feel inside, thanks in part to the central instrument binnacle with orange LED read-outs. A conventional analogue rev-counter pod is situated on top of the steering column - this has a white dial and read needle, adding to the sporty feel. Quality is fairly good, although there are some low-rent plastics in areas out of view, plus the dated stereo is housed almost vertically in an awkward bulge in front of the gear lever. For a hot hatch the cabin is disappointingly plain (although this does help keep the price down) but at least you can make it feel more special by opting for the Renaultsport gear lever knob, gaiter and handbrake, which costs an extra £150.
10:44 AM
First Official Pictures
This is the new Renault Ondelios concept, a top-of-the-range environmentally friendly crossover vehicle that will be unveiled at the Paris motor show in October 2008. The Ondelios isn't Renault's first upmarket concept though, and we've seen posh production cars from the company before – remember the Vel Satis, the Avantime and the Safrane? None of them succeeded, but Renault persists...
Designed as a long-range cruiser, the Ondelios features a hybrid diesel powertrain, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and dramatic gullwing doors.
Just what is the Renault Ondelios all about?
The Ondelios has been designed to provide a serene travelling experience, says Renault. The body has been designed to look like a singular smooth shape, so the glass appears to merge seamlessly with the body panels.
Renault also claims the Ondelios's shape enhances the car’s other raison-d’etre: streamlined efficiency (and hence eco-friendliness). Those huge 23-inch aluminium alloys are designed to prevent turbulence and the car has been engineered to be a slippery as possible, boasting a drag coefficient of 0.29Cd. That’ll be why it looks like a fish then
And this hybrid powertrain?
Power comes from a 202bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine, mated to two 20kW electric motors front and rear. The two electric motors provide extra boost when the car is accelerating, while the rear motor also drives the rear wheels, making the Ondelios four-wheel drive.
Mated to a seven-speed double-clutch transmission, the Ondelios is claimed to reach 62mph in 7.8 seconds, but only puff out 120g/km. Well, that's what the computer simulations claim.
This is the new Renault Ondelios concept, a top-of-the-range environmentally friendly crossover vehicle that will be unveiled at the Paris motor show in October 2008. The Ondelios isn't Renault's first upmarket concept though, and we've seen posh production cars from the company before – remember the Vel Satis, the Avantime and the Safrane? None of them succeeded, but Renault persists...
Designed as a long-range cruiser, the Ondelios features a hybrid diesel powertrain, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and dramatic gullwing doors.
Just what is the Renault Ondelios all about?
The Ondelios has been designed to provide a serene travelling experience, says Renault. The body has been designed to look like a singular smooth shape, so the glass appears to merge seamlessly with the body panels.
Renault also claims the Ondelios's shape enhances the car’s other raison-d’etre: streamlined efficiency (and hence eco-friendliness). Those huge 23-inch aluminium alloys are designed to prevent turbulence and the car has been engineered to be a slippery as possible, boasting a drag coefficient of 0.29Cd. That’ll be why it looks like a fish then
And this hybrid powertrain?
Power comes from a 202bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine, mated to two 20kW electric motors front and rear. The two electric motors provide extra boost when the car is accelerating, while the rear motor also drives the rear wheels, making the Ondelios four-wheel drive.
Mated to a seven-speed double-clutch transmission, the Ondelios is claimed to reach 62mph in 7.8 seconds, but only puff out 120g/km. Well, that's what the computer simulations claim.
