Renault Takes the Road Less Travelled

Motoring Channel Staff - 6/Feb/2006

Renault has a tradition of creating vehicles that challenge the status-quo in the motoring world, and it's new concept car, the Altica, continues this tradition.

The new concept vehicle, due to be officially unveiled at the '06 Geneva Motor Show, was created for two reasons - the first being to showcase new technologies, such as a powerful but compact diesel engine, polycarbonate headlamp modules and an innovate air jet system that reduces drag at high speeds.

Secondly, and like most concept cars, the Altica is an extension of Renault's design philosophy, which will influence the look of future production models. For example, the next generation Laguna wagon/estate may incorporate the Altica's radical-looking rear end and LED headlights.

"Altica strikes a successful balance between flowing and sporty lines. This car is an original and futuristic vision of the sporty estate car, while its graphic identity is both bold and innovative," said Patrick le Quément, Renault's senior vice president of corporate design.

Renault says that the Altica is a sporty new vision of the estate (a.k.a station wagon), combining the practicality of the latter, the sports appeal of a coupé and a high standard of travelling comfort.

From a design point of view, the Altica is an effectively  bold creation, featuring large 21-inch alloy wheels plus a panoramic windscreen and rear window, which underline the car's fluid aerodynamics. It's overall stance (low-slung lines, long bonnet, prominent wheel arches) and general proportions lean more towards the dynamics of a sports car than a traditional estate, giving the vehicle an original profile.

Another styling feature that sets the Altica apart from most estate vehicles are its scissor doors, activated when the driver nears the vehicle via optical sensors. 

Though such doors rarely make it to production, The vertically hinging doors also ensure easy access to the low-slung vehicle. Once inside the conceptual vehicle, four individual fixed position seats provide ample shoulder room for all occupants. As the seats are fixed, the driver can adjust the 'drive station' and pedal assembly thanks to a motorised mechanism, while a height-adjustable centre armrest deploys automatically as the driver sits down.

Renault insists that the transparent roof and panoramic windscreen erase the boundary between the interior and the outside world (while also ensuring a brightly-lit cabin), while the layout and angling of the window panes ensure good three-quarter rear visibility for the driver.

With its futuristic design and hi-tech features, the Altica still manages to incorporate a number of clever storage spaces, including the shell-like glove box, concertina-style storage compartment in the armrests and a tray situated underneath the floor at the rear.

The Altica concept is also the first Renault vehicle to incorporate an innovative drag-reducing system, called the Active Synthetic Jet system. Positioned at the rear edge of the roof, Renault claims that the system reduces drag by 15% at speeds of over 129km/h (80mph), which would reduce fuel consumption. 

The system - which is now a is a registered Renault patent and expected to reach production vehicles this decade - works by improving the vehicle's aerodynamics via a discreet 2mm wide slit located at the rear extremity of the roof, at the point where the vehicle and the passing air flow separate. This thin slit generates jets of air which are alternately blown and sucked through the tiny cavity, which Renault says actively controls the separation of the air flow according to the vehicle's speed, therefore reducing drag.

As with most concept vehicles these days, the new Renault features hardcore LED headlights that are said to reduce energy consumption and increase low-light visibility. Thepolycarbonate headlamp modules  feature four different modes – daytime running lights (DRL), sidelights, dipped beam and main beam – and function using rows of diodes. Developed in conjunction with French LED lighting giant, Valeo, the LED lighting systems can adapt to changing conditions as well.

Renault has developed a new 132kW (177hp) 2.0-litre diesel engine takes the car from a standing start to 100km/h in just 7.5 seconds. Together with a 6-speed gearbox, Renault explains that its new powerplant – which boasts maximum torque of 380Nm – provides excellent pull-away and mid-range acceleration. And this hasn't been achieved to the detriment of fuel consumption either. 

The Renault-Nissan Alliance engine is very inexpensive to run and fuel consumption is equivalent to 140g of CO2 per kilometre and in terms of both performance and driving pleasure, it stands out as the best diesel engine in its class. The front-wheel drive concept car showcases a number of interesting ideas, most notably the Active Synthetic Jet system, and also  gives Renault fans a hint of what's to come from the creative minds of the powerful French automaker.