The Renault Avantime is a typical contemporary concept vehicle. It was produced to give an indication of Renault's future styling direction, to test public opinion and to grab the attention of the automotive press. However, as with many modern concepts, the manufacturer has no intention of bringing the customer what they see here.


One of the nicest features of this car is the two-tone colour scheme; perhaps because it is rare to see, or perhaps because the colour scheme works well with the window lines. Regardless of this, it will not be taken to manufacture because it would slow down production time.
The use of glass is also very important to the car's success. The vertical curved rear window, the long side window and the glass roof all contribute to the effect. Again, however, these features are lost in production. A window like the rear one here is typically a little too expensive to produce. The structure separating the glass roof and the long side window is feasible but in reality car manufacturers try to avoid having to create clever, strong structures in favour of simpler and cheaper large panels.

The shape of the vehicle is a very clever mix of saloon (sedan) and people-carrier. It doesn't have the typical blob shape of a people-carrier but cannot be described as a typical car either. The c-pillar where the two colous meet is generously sized pointing to a luxury vehicle - as Renault would suggest it is; a luxury family car.

The overall feel of this car is one of clean but well thought-out shapes. As with many contemporary cars the form of the vehicle is actually quite smooth - it's identity comes from the "surface entertainment". Unfortunately, in the production model, almost all the 'concept' from the 'concept car' has disappeared. Perhaps cars like the new Beetle and Prontocruiser will eventually prove the validity of concept vehicles and manufacturers like Renault will feel happier about taking concepts to production.