Renault got design right in 2024

People think being a car designer is glamorous, but it’s not. You can work for years, even decades, without ever having one of your concepts approved for production. That’s a lot of effort and dedication to be met by rejection.

Designs have a vision, but engineers control the reality of execution. The truth is that aerodynamic needs and crash safety structures influence car design – and the results aren’t always wonderful.

Brands are desperately trying to create product differentiation with dramatic designs, from compact cars to three-row SUVs. Some do it better than others, but precious little original and distinctive design is happening anymore.

Too many car companies simply add styling to create a sense of product differentiation instead of creating original designs.

The problem with styling is that it ages quickly. But authentic design – understanding form, proportion and surfacing – looks good forever. And Renault’s the company which got much of that right during the last year.

French designers do this better than most

Compact cars matter a lot more than supercars. Lamborghini and Ferrari can create outrageous designs, because their cars don’t have to be versatile, easy to park, and intuitive to operate and at a reasonably affordable purchase price.

That’s why a compact car with great design is much more valuable than a new limited edition Lamborghini and Ferrari supercar. Compact cars with great packaging and design create a sense of brand affinity and joyous ownership for many more people than a new supercar.

Like all French brands, Renault has a history of making terrific compact cars. With distinctive designs that age very well. And the world desperately needs a compact car revolution, in product investment and design.

There are too few interesting and well-executed compact BEVs amidst all the outrageously styled luxury EVs. But Renault’s strategizing to change that.

Renault Twingo E-Tech

The original Twingo proved that city cars didn’t have to look awkward. Renault’s supermini showed that chic and compact could work, without pastiche detailing.

Renault’s design team has masterfully evoked everything great about the original Twingo, with the new E-tech version.

A mark of great design is simplicity. But for too many designs and car companies, it’s irresistible to try to add more to differentiate. The result is simply an over-styled car, that rapidly ages and depreciates the brand.

The original Twingo still looks great. And the intent with this E-Tech version is to create a proper BEV with all the street presence of a statement car, in a compact EV package.

Alpine A290

The Renault 5 is a forever icon. Designed to counter VW’s Golf1, it proved that the French could push the compact family hatchback design concept even further than the Italian/German team who developed Golf.

Customers are struggling to understand the EV market, with too many outlandish designs creating confusion. But that’s what makes the retro-inspired Alpine A290 so compelling. It’s a modern reimagining of the Renault 5, as an EV hot hatch.

Retro design is risky. It can age unpredictably and often looks pastiche in execution. But Renault’s never going to get design wrong, is it? Especially not when creating something that wears the esteemed Alpine badge.

The A290 is everything that EVs should be but aren’t. It looks distinctive yet relatable. It’s compact. It’s not gimmicky. And it’s configured to be a driver’s car, without silly power outputs.

In essence, it’s true to the original hot hatch formula, which has gone awry in the last decade and a half with a succession of stupidly overpowered cars.

Renault shows supermini EVs can be cool

Some of the greatest compact cars in history, which became sales phenomenons and redefined mobility, had great design.

VW proved that with the original Beetle and Golf1, both are regarded as classic designs despite being affordable. There’s no reason why the design freedom allowed by EV platforms and architectures, without needing a front-mounted engine, can’t create even better compact car designs, desirable and coveted by the market.

And brands with a proven history of excellent compact car design are most likely to create those. As Renault’s proved with its E-Tech and A290.