Renault will soon be pulling the curtain off a study model that looks ahead to a new electric crossover from the brand. We are very likely dealing with the Renault brother of the Nissan Ariya here.
According to Renault, we will meet two electric newcomers later this month. The first is the already announced electric Spring, from subsidiary brand Dacia. Since we could already see it in full, the biggest surprise is off. Fortunately, something is still waiting for us; a concept car from Renault itself, with which the brand anticipates a new all-electric crossover. The French leave little about it, except that the car is on the modular CMF-EV platform, with attached a photo of a piece of headlight and ‘grille’.
Nissan Ariya
The platform in question has recently made its debut with the Nissan Ariya. That is also a fully electric crossover. One and one equals two: we are therefore counting on a Renault that takes a similar path as that Nissan. We will probably see a fairly production-ready study model, with the production version about nine months behind it. Nissan showed the Ariya Concept almost a year ago and the actual car was unveiled in July of this year.
On the basis of the first teaser photo, there is little meaningful to say, except that the headlight is not immediately recognizable as that of a Renault. So there is a good chance that the brand will take a fairly new design direction with this car. In terms of technology, it is possible to look less coffee grounds, if we just grab the Ariya. That 4.6 meter long crossover comes in multiple flavors. With four-wheel drive, front-wheel drive (one or two electric motors), power ratings from 218 hp to 306 hp and battery packs with a capacity of 63 kWh and 87 kWh. Depending on the chosen version, that car will travel 360 to about 500 km (WLTP) with a full battery. A CCS connection for fast charging is included as standard. The 87 kWh variants have a 3-phase charger for faster recharging at home.
Previously, Renault already showed a broad preview of its electric future in the form of the Morphoz Concept (also on the CMF-EV platform). The new concept car in question now is a more concrete outlook. From October 15, the news mill will be fully operational at Renault, so we expect to see the total picture around that time.