Renault Design

I think Renault's design is really heading towards a very fluid, pleasingly attractive and elegant design. Their design department is really getting somewhere. They have come up with a wonderful, eye-catching design that will make heads turn.

The new design language began in 2012 with the Renault Alpine A 110-50 Concept, where the headlights merged and integrated seamlessly into the front grille, like a letter "V" with 2 wings at the side that meets the famous lozenge, diamond shaped badge in the middle. It makes the car look aggressive and fast while standing still.

Then came the Clio in 2013, an evolution of the design but moulded into a small, compact hatchback. Nice flowing lines, with 'hidden' rear door handles that blend into the frame of the door.

This was followed by the Captur in 2014, which put the design in a compact crossover SUV format. Now there was an addition of a chrome line at the bottom of the headlines merging to the centre of the grille. Really like the differentiation in the colour between the body and roof of the car, where the roof is in silver, black or white.

Next up, the Kadjar where it was an evolution of the Captur, in a bigger body. It shares the same platform with Nissan's Qashqai. A more relaxed design, which is what most buyers would want. Again, a pronounced 'hump' above the rear wheels show a strong shoulder-line.

This is where it gets interesting, the 2015 Renualt Sport RS01, with its swoopy 'C' and mirrored 'C' shaped LED daytime running lights. All very dramatic. Perfect for a sleek racing sports car. It really makes the car look bold. What a stand-out.

The design now moves on to the Talisman, a large family sedan. The 'C' shaped LED lights are carried forward. The strong shoulder lines from the front headlights, and starting again above the rear door handles to the rear lights give it an athletic stance. Large 19 inch wheels, an overall length of 4.85 metres and a width of 1.87 metres give the Talisman a generous footprint. The third side window enhances the feeling of quality, almost to a premium luxury level.

And finally, Renault's latest car, the new Megane, which is probably the best-selling model in its lineup. The family look remains, with assertive proportions give it a sure-footed stance, and has a 28mm longer wheelbase (2,669mm) compared to its predecesor, improving leg-room in the interior. There are air scoops (similar to the Talisman's) either side at the front, enhancing the sporting nature of the car.

Wind deflectors at the rear and motorised flaps automatically close to reduce drag, increasing the aerodynamic efficiency of new Megane, which should therefore lead towards lower fuel consumption and emissions.

It's good to see car manufacturers fusing form and function together, having a beautiful design as well as improving aerodynamic airflow over the car. Technology in motion!