Renault design chief announces: Era of simplicity in cars begins

The design language of almost many cars launched recently is nearly identical to one another. We have started to see this more frequently with electric cars. Renault, on the other hand, announced that it will soon transition into an era of simplicity in design.

According to Renault Group design director Laurens van den Acker, the brand's future models will have a more "measured" design language. More common lines will also be seen among models. This information was included in Renault's recent statements regarding its design direction.

The French brand has recently launched retro electric models such as the 4, 5, and Twingo. Each of these models has its own distinct design. In contrast, Renault continues to follow a more modern line in its internal combustion engine models, including the new Clio.

Van den Acker stated that this dual approach will continue. However, he pointed out that future designs outside of retro icons will be more uniform. The reason for this is cited as a change in direction that came with the group's new CEO, François Provost.

"Legendary icons" and "future icons" will be kept separate

Van den Acker said that Renault will keep its "legendary icon" and "future icon" product groups separate from each other. According to him, the main purpose of legendary icons is, above all, to be an icon and remain recognizable:

"The Twingo and R5 have the Renault logo on them, but we aren't trying to give them the same eyes or the same layout. The form language is completely different. But when someone buys a Twingo, they want a Twingo first. They aren't buying a Renault design language."

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Alexandre Malval joined this year to head the design of the Renault brand. Van den Acker pointed to a more unified design language, saying "we will come together a bit more with future icons."

Pendulum movement in design direction

On the other hand, Acker also touched upon the design history at Renault. He explained that when he joined, the brand created a line stretching from Twingo to Master. He then noted that group CEO Luca de Meo wanted more personality in all vehicles. According to him, this process works like a pendulum:

"We gave all cars a unique identity. Now we are at the other end of the spectrum, and they are all different from each other. Maybe it is just the right time to find a good balance. But our icons need to live their own stories: they must be Twingo first, R5 first, R4 first."

Van den Acker also said that the new E-Space concept vehicle is an example of this approach. The concept takes inspiration from the original Espace MPV, but carries a completely new design approach.

How will new EV platforms affect design?

The French automotive giant now specifically develops its models on electric vehicle platforms. According to Van den Acker, this will make the designs innovative by default. He stated that future platforms will be shaped around electric vehicles. He added that this will create different silhouettes right from the start:

• Longer wheelbase
• Larger wheels
• Short overhangs
• Bodies that are not as high as an SUV, but not as low as a sedan