Does Renault’s futuristic electric concept car signal a return of the people carrier?
Renault is going great guns with retro revival EVs right now, led by the Renualt 5 and Renault 4 compact duo, so the French firm can’t be blamed for dipping into its back catalogue once again at this year’s Paris Motor Show. The new E-Space Concept is a thoroughly modern riff on the 1980s Espace people carrier – one that seems happy to ignore the demand for SUVs that effectively killed off the original.
The futuristic family hauler has plenty of nods to its predecessors on the exterior, including a heavily raked windscreen and a prominent ‘floating’ spoiler reminiscent of the roof bars seen on 3rd and 4th-gen Espace cars. U-shaped light strips front and much more 2026 than 1986.
Pillarless doors open rearwards, coach-style, making the roof almost appear to be floating over the 4.70m long giant, though this is one aspect I’d be surprised to see make it to an eventual production version.
A flat floor, relatively low ride height and long wheelbase make plenty of room for batteries underneath the passenger area, though it’s still far too early to be talking about capacities, range, or performance figures. Renault’s upcoming RGEV Medium 2.0 architecture could be used as a base, which would bring 800V rapid charging and 450+ miles for EV-only models, or more than 850 as a hybrid.
Inside there’s room for six across three rows, with clever middle seats that can rotate backwards to face the rear passengers, train-style, or fold flat to act as a table for the third row.
Things are even more dramatic up front, with a steer-by-wire yoke instead of a traditional steering wheel and a giant OpenR Panorama infotainment display, which covers the entire width of the dashboard. This isn’t as sci-fi as it initially appears, because Renault has lined it up to appear on the next-gen Scenic due in 2030. A second, smaller infotainment display handles navigation, music playback and climate controls.
Right now it’s purely a concept, with Renault sticking with SUVs for its larger family cars – but if the firm’s recent successes are any indication, leaning on historical models could be the secret to resurrecting the humble MPV.
Renault also used its Paris Motor Show appearance to show off a new glass roof option for the Twingo E-Tech electric supermini. Buyers won’t have to wait nearly as long for that one – orders open in the next few weeks and will add €550 or €600 to the asking price depending on the country.
- Related: Could the Citroen 2 CV Concept be the best retro EV revival yet? Here’s when it will go on sale
