RENAULT R-SPACE DEBUTS AT GENEVA 2011

The Renault R-Space Concept measures 4.25 metres long, which makes it just about the same size as the current Scenic III MPV. Difference is that this one features something that could be said to be a miniature engine, one that’s normally found in motorbikes, albeit super ones.

At the centre of the R-Space is a 900cc (0.9-litre) three-cylinder turbo petrol engine making 80kW and 160Nm of torque. They say the car can accelerate from 0 – 100km/h in 11 seconds and make a top end of 200km/h. Average fuel consumption is said to be 3.7 litres per 100km.

The concept reflects Renault’s upcoming new face which was first seen in the Dezir Concept, and more recently in the Captur.

At the rear, the world revolves around children. This is a play space, flexible and infinitely versatile, and formed from a simple and universal shape – the cube. Twenty-seven miniature motors power an array of height-adjustable hexahedrons, allowing four settings to be programmed, from an all-flat surface, to a booster seat, a table or a random configuration (only when the vehicle is parked) for children's games.

The R-Space, now at the Geneva Motor Show, previews not only the new face of Renault but also the new TCE turbo engine.