Speaking to Autocar, Renault chief designer Gilles Vidal said the French automaker will no longer produce “traditional crossovers.” Starting in 2028, when a new generation of battery-powered SUV models appears, the French intend to make a breakthrough and offer customers “fundamentally new and bold solutions that will be attractive and at the same time practical and convenient.”
From the words of the chief designer, it follows that Europeans are dissatisfied with the appearance of modern crossovers – they are often criticized, unlike minivans of comparable size. In addition, there are fewer station wagons on the market, although many miss them. In this regard, Renault intends in the future to offer a line of universal cars that, on the one hand, will be attractive from the outside, on the other hand, practical and comfortable.
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As an example, Vidal cited the Embleme concept car, which was shown at the Paris Motor Show in October this year. This is a hydrogen shooting brake, comparable in size to the BMW 3 Series. It has a streamlined body (air resistance coefficient is 0.25), a long sculpted hood, short overhangs, heavily flared rear pillars and a sloping roof in the style of the Range Rover Evoque.
However, Renault will not refuse large SUVs – at least as long as they are in demand. But the brand will get rid of “boring” crossovers in the foreseeable future.
Today, the European SUV line of the French brand is quite extensive, it includes Captur, Megane E-Tech, Symbioz, Arkana, Scenic, Austral, Espace and Rafale.
Next train: new “battery-powered” products
