Renault Twizy
Renault offered two surprises today at Paris Show: a revised version of the Zoë concept and the production version of the electric Twizy, both originally shown at last year's IAA show. Many people wondered if Renault could translate the Twizy 1+1 electric tandem into a credible production vehicle, but the result seen here today appears very successful.
The biggest change is the use of four 13-inch conventional wheels with 145-section tires rather than enclosed wheels, but the rest of the design manages to retain the essence of the concept theme. The other big area of design change is the front face, where the pixelled information screen has been replaced with a miniature version of the new Laurens van den Acker Renault face, with the lozenge logo sitting in a black recess, surmounted by a pair of simple round lamps.
Happily, the rotating doorbars are retained, with the only modification being the addition a Plexiglass panel in the lower area to provide some protection from puddles, although the upper area remains totally open except for a small fixed wind deflector section at the front. There's no window at the rear but instead a highly-visible oblong slot housing the red taillamps, as on the concept, with the direction indicators mounted lower down in the blue-gray chassis area, as at the front.
The three cars shown were still prototype models with mock-up interior parts but it was clear to see the elliptical IP and minimalist instrumentation. While the driver gets a proper seat and seatbelt, the rear passenger gets a more rudimentary seat pad with a surprisingly low seating position behind the driver.
Finally, a big part of the Twizy marketing will focus on the various graphic treatments available. The three examples were finished in graphic schemes entitled Dot Dot, Circuit and Totem, with a further nine liveries shown on the surrounding displays. The Twizy will go on sale late next year.
Renault offered two surprises today at Paris Show: a revised version of the Zoë concept and the production version of the electric Twizy, both originally shown at last year's IAA show. Many people wondered if Renault could translate the Twizy 1+1 electric tandem into a credible production vehicle, but the result seen here today appears very successful.
The biggest change is the use of four 13-inch conventional wheels with 145-section tires rather than enclosed wheels, but the rest of the design manages to retain the essence of the concept theme. The other big area of design change is the front face, where the pixelled information screen has been replaced with a miniature version of the new Laurens van den Acker Renault face, with the lozenge logo sitting in a black recess, surmounted by a pair of simple round lamps.
Happily, the rotating doorbars are retained, with the only modification being the addition a Plexiglass panel in the lower area to provide some protection from puddles, although the upper area remains totally open except for a small fixed wind deflector section at the front. There's no window at the rear but instead a highly-visible oblong slot housing the red taillamps, as on the concept, with the direction indicators mounted lower down in the blue-gray chassis area, as at the front.
The three cars shown were still prototype models with mock-up interior parts but it was clear to see the elliptical IP and minimalist instrumentation. While the driver gets a proper seat and seatbelt, the rear passenger gets a more rudimentary seat pad with a surprisingly low seating position behind the driver.
Finally, a big part of the Twizy marketing will focus on the various graphic treatments available. The three examples were finished in graphic schemes entitled Dot Dot, Circuit and Totem, with a further nine liveries shown on the surrounding displays. The Twizy will go on sale late next year.
