They launched a big push that boosted sales in Europe, and now Renault is preparing a new generation of electric cars.
21/09/2026 13:00
Updated to
21/09/2026 13:00
Renault is already working on the next generation of some of its most important electric and hybrid models. Alexandre Malval, the new design head for the French brand, has confirmed to AutoExpress that the Scenic, Austral, and Rafale are among its top priorities, as part of a strategy aimed at giving even more personality to cars in the C-segment and above.
The three models currently occupy different positions within the brand’s electrification strategy. The Renault Scenic is fully electric, while the Renault Austral and Renault Rafale rely on hybrid systems. Malval wants to use future generations to evolve their design without simply turning them into variations of the current models. His goal is for each one to maintain its own identity and to make Renault more adventurous again.
New electric Scenic and a Rafale based on a different architecture
The electric Scenic will have a successor, but Malval already anticipates it won’t be just a cosmetic update. “We don’t want the next Scenic to look like the last one,” says the designer. Renault aims to retain the model’s historical philosophy as a family car, while adapting it to current needs and focusing on space, ergonomics, and more intuitive interior technology.
There will also be a new generation of the Austral hybrid, another model that Malval claims is being worked on intensively. Renault aims to strengthen its mid-size cars, a more profitable category facing increasing pressure from Chinese manufacturers. The new design head intends to respond with models that offer more attractive proportions and a stronger identity, avoiding the use of exactly the same aesthetic formula across the entire range.
The most interesting technical change will come with the successor to the Rafale. Auto Express claims it will use a new electric architecture called “RG EV Medium 2.0,” designed for both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The current Rafale has a 300 HP plug-in hybrid version with all-wheel drive, which is precisely the model Malval usually drives.
A prototype will soon showcase Renault’s future
Before these production cars arrive, Renault will unveil a prototype that will give insight into its new direction. Malval says it could be revealed “quite soon, perhaps in October,” coinciding with the Paris Motor Show. It won’t yet be a direct preview of its first fully developed model under his leadership, which is expected to appear in about two years.
The concept will focus specifically on a mid-size vehicle and revive one of Renault’s historical ideas: the “car for living.” The original Espace and Scenic models serve as references due to their efficient use of space, modularity, comfort, and practical solutions. The brand aims to apply these principles to a new generation of electric vehicles without relying solely on retro designs.
Electrification will also remain one of Renault’s core design pillars. Malval speaks of cars “powered by passion” and “designed to be loved,” with interiors focused on people rather than just screens. The Scenic, Austral, and Rafale will be among the first models where we can see how this philosophy is put into practice, though it will still be a few years before their new generations hit the roads.