Renault E-Space Concept: the large minivan returns with a neo-retro design!
Surprise! At the World Motor Show, Renault will bring back the large monospace with this concept car featuring a design inspired by the first generation of the Espace!
A few months ago, Renault’s design chief, Laurens van den Acker, said the brand had reached the end of its neo-retro cycle after reinterpreting models like the Twingo, R5, and R4. This was a misleading statement, as nostalgia continues to strongly influence the work of this French brand’s designers.
After imagining a revival of the R8 Gordini, they have now reinterpreted another car that shaped Renault’s history: the Espace. This gives rise to the E-Space concept, which will be displayed at the World Motor Show, with its first official image released on October 6 ahead of a full reveal on Monday, the 12th.
With the E-Space, Renault aims to highlight the spirit of its “cars for living,” with the goal of “reinventing the automotive experience by placing everyday use and life on board at the heart of the design.”
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Nods to the past
At 4.70 meters long, a fairly reasonable size for a family vehicle these days, it draws inspiration from the design of the first generation of the Espace, launched in 1984. Features such as its short, sloping hood, windshield that merges with the side windows, and grille facing forward are all present. The grille features a new lighting design in the shape of a U that follows its contours. The protective elements at the bottom of the body panel have also been redesigned.
Of course, what stands out most is that Renault has returned to the large monospace silhouette, which was abandoned in Europe. Renault had tried to hold onto it with the fifth generation of the Espace before giving up on this design, as the current Espace is merely an extended 7-seater version of the Austral SUV.
While the R-Space Lab concept introduced earlier this year already hinted at a compact monospace, will Renault try its luck again in this category where it was once a leader? Nothing is confirmed for now, especially since the priority remains updating the Scénic, Austral, and Rafale models, with production of their new generations in Spain having just been approved. In fact, expectations were higher for a concept that would preview the style of these models.
So, mark your calendars for October 12 to learn everything about the features of this concept, which undoubtedly promises an electric powertrain under its “E-Space” name, as well as Renault’s plans for the monospace market.
