Renault has provided a preview glimpse of its new concept car, DeZir, ahead of this year's Paris Motor Show. DeZir stands out as an illustration of the brand's commitment to more emotional styling.
DeZir's sensuous lines and bright red finish express passion. Powered by an electric motor, DeZir is proof that environmental concern and a love for cars are by no means incompatible.
The DeZir project is the first to have been led by Laurens van den Acker and marks the start of a sequence of concept cars that will provide an insight into Renault Design's new vision for the future. It also lays the foundations for the styling cues of Renault's forthcoming vehicles.
Dezir: the First Evidence of Renault Design's New Vision for the Future
Under the leadership of Laurens van den Acker, Renault's Design Department has taken its inspiration from the brand's new signature 'Drive the Change!' and explores Renault's styling roots to express the company's powerful human dimension via a new strategy founded on the notion of the "life cycle." This vision also builds on the bonds that are gradually forged between the brand and its customers at watershed moments of their lives, such as when they fall in love, start to explore the world, found a family, begin to work, take time to play and attain wisdom.
This approach coincides with the introduction of a new Renault design language that takes its inspiration from the three keywords which communicate the brand's vision, namely "simple," "sensuous" and "warm."
In keeping with this strategy, Renault's concept cars will progressively express this vision, paving the way for a product plan based on a coherent and clear offer.
To implement this, Renault Design has revised its methodology, and a single team of designers will now be responsible for each new concept car and for the ensuing production model it previews.
Falling in Love
DeZir is the first project to be led by Laurens van den Acker and exemplifies the brand's new philosophy with regard to design. It also marks the implementation of the strategy based on the notion of 'life cycle'. The first step involves falling in love, an experience that is perfectly illustrated by DeZir's powerful, sensuous styling and bright red finish; red being the colour associated with passion.
"DeZir is a statement of our new formal design language which conveys notions such as movement, sensuality and emotion through ideal proportions, in much the same way as an object whose forms have been honed by nature. The result is a warm, stimulating design that says 'Renault'," explained Axel Breun, Renault's Director of Concept Car and Show Car Design. Fluidity was an overriding theme from the initial preliminary sketches, and was expressed by a blend of simple forms and generous volumes. "My early source of inspiration stemmed from the liquid sensation, wave-like movement and contrasts in light associated with certain rippled surfaces," observed Yann Jarsalle, who was in charge of DeZir's exterior styling. "By directly laying out volumes and not just joining together a number of surfaces by lines, I felt more in tune with the world of sculpture than with that of architecture."
The result is a two-seater coupe which is both sculptural in spirit yet perfectly harmonious. DeZir's shape features prominent wheel arches that accommodate 21-inch wheels, the design of which took its inspiration from the notion of movement. Meanwhile, the sides feature a combination of flush and recessed forms that play on contrasting light patterns.
Behind the Beauty, an Electric Car
The "Z" in the name DeZir is a direct reference to Renault's Z.E. signature, and several features of its design are suggestive of two qualities readily associated with electric mobility, namely advanced technology and light weight. Indeed, the recessed, linear styling of the front air intake and the entire rear-end convey an impression of lightness in addition to efficiently channelling battery-cooling air from the front to the rear.
To provide rhythm and balance to the overall package, this smooth, fluid skin contrasts with the ripple effect seen on the aluminium side panels, roof and headlight "eyelids." The design of these features alludes to the ripples which can form when a breeze blows over water, while the geometric pattern adds an unmistakable high-tech feel.
The prevailing bright red colour of the body interacts with the graphical forms of the cross-drilled aluminium side panels which equally exude a sense of light weight and technology.
The geometric forms of the glazed areas also contribute to DeZir's easy-to-read overall design and are reminiscent of a fighter-plane cockpit or certain endurance racing prototypes. The absence of a rear window is overcome by the fitment of two rear-facing cameras which provide the driver with a panoramic view of what is happening behind the car.
The creative thinking behind the design of the front end was aimed at recalling Renault's styling heritage, while at the same time paving the way for the design trends of the brand's forthcoming models.
DeZir's front end features a full-width air-intake which strikes out either side of a large, vertically- positioned Renault logo that proudly displays the car's brand pedigree. Meanwhile, the chrome finish of the lozenge contrasts with the dark aspect of the grille to express the statement still further. The air scoops situated at the outer extremities of the front air intake are a legacy of Renault's formal styling language and form an integral part of the air intake's design, as do the headlights which sit above these scoops.
The front-end design previews the new front-end identity that is poised to become a feature of all Renault models in the future.
The headlights take the form of backlit prisms, which make them a highly graphic feature. The perforated 'eyelids' add to this high-tech feel and contribute to DeZir's specific lighting signature. Rear lighting is provided by an illuminated, seemingly floating strip that extends across the full width of the car. The Renault logo is highlighted by backlighting through the fins of the grille and consequently appears to hover in the middle of this space.
The gull-wing doors are another feature that embody automotive passion and reveal a refined interior, while the fact that the left- and right-hand doors open in opposite directions symbolizes a yin and yang-style amorous harmony.
The interior design also suggests lightness. "Love is a sentiment that lifts you; gives you wings," said Stephane Maïore, who was in charge of DeZir's interior styling. "Inside DeZir, you feel like you're floating on a cloud," added Stephanie Petit, Colours and Materials Designer. The forms are soft and light, while the predominant colour is white, although there are also echoes of the same passion red used for the exterior. The materials employed for the interior, like the senses they awaken, are precious, with white leather upholstery and trimming for the seats, dashboard and floor, along with a red lacquered finish for the console and accessories.
The one-piece, two-seater front benchseat provides cocoon-like comfort. To emphasise the sensation of a shared passion and lightness, it comprises a number of interlocking elements trimmed in white leather, with a quilted pattern on the passenger's side, and a contrasting uniform finish on the driver's side, as if to suggest an inexorable attraction between the two.
The embroidered pattern on the leather is based on a graphical representation of the Renault logo and is an example of refined of couture a la française. This technique also provides an indication of the coming trend for future production models.