Renault's stunning DeZir revealed

Text: Paul Bond / Photos: Pete Gibson

10th September 2010

No wonder he’s looking so proud... Renault design chief Axel Breun couldn’t conceal his excitement when Auto Express was invited to an exclusive session with the new DeZir in a Paris studio. Breun gave us the inside line on his sensational show car, which is set to inspire a whole new look for the brand.

 

There’s a lot riding on the electric DeZir. It’s the first of six new Renaults to be overseen by new design head Laurens van den Acker in the next two years – and as befits the first model in the new era, it’s all about style.  

It has proper supercar proportions, at nearly two metres wide and just over a metre high. The featherweight 830kg Kevlar body sits low on 21-inch wheels, and a dramatic red glow – created by LED lights – pulses along the spine of the car. This represents a heartbeat, and starts at the huge badge at the front, before passing through the back of the driver’s seat and exiting via the polished aluminium air intakes in the doors.

Axel Breun – appointed by van den Acker as the new concept car design director – explained the thinking behind the DeZir. “Clearly, we want the message to be ‘Wow, I can fall in love with that’,” he said. “It’s a huge change.’”

While the model looks forward to Renault’s design future, its profile takes styling cues from Europe’s rich sports car heritage. “We had pictures of old Maseratis and Ferraris, and also Alpines – not only the Berlinette, but also the beautiful Le Mans cars from the Sixties. That’s where the panoramic screen came from.”  

But while the DeZir looks futuristic, there are glimpses of more practical models in there. The sculpted exterior took its shape from a sketch by Yann Jarsalle, who is currently styling the next Clio; the supermini will take inspiration from the concept. In fact, the enlarged logo and full-length slatted grille will become the face of all future Renaults.

And the DeZir’s powertrain – a 148bhp electric motor with mid-mounted lithium-ion batteries – is shared with the forthcoming mass-market Fluence Z.E. and Twizy electric cars. Renault says the DeZir could go into limited production. Breun said: “I could imagine this car for half the price of a Tesla. Why not? Our factory in Dieppe has produced super sports cars in the past.”

The site was the original Alpine plant, and built low-volume models such as the Renault Sport Spider and GTA supercar; the DeZir would follow in their footsteps, with a claimed five-second 0-62mph sprint time.

Parisians lucky enough to catch it driving through the streets of the city for a recent promotional video would certainly agree. “It was amazing to see it moving,” said Breun. “We got a lot of attention.”