Coupé, MPV, GT?
by Malcolm Baylis (24 Jun 01)

The Renault Avantime may take some getting used to with its off-the-wall design and looks, but it's going to be a real winner. Frankly, if Renault thinks it can draw a line under the 1,500 sales anticipated for the United Kingdom for next year then I think it is in for a jolt - a pleasant one, that is. This car is good. It will sell rapidly, and the Brits will be calling out for more.

Despite having an idea of what to expect after seeing the concept at the Geneva Motor Show a couple of years ago, I found it a car of contrasts and surprises.

Enjoy its smooth and thrusting front lines, Stealth bomber-like with V-shaped headlamps, then trot around to the back and, really, it is like no other, with a huge rear window set forward from the luggage compartment. If there has to be a comparison, then the back of the Avantime leans towards the front of the Fiat Multipla.

Renault is steering the Avantime into the coupé market because of its two-door design, but it's more MPV to look at. In fact I'll go further and say it is more two-door Gran Turismo, blissfully comfortable and quiet, plenty of room for all, and capable of ironing out any aches and pains normally resulting from long-distance driving. Its driving position is Espace-like, but altogether it is more classy.

There are going to be two trim levels available here, the £24,000 two-litre turbo Dynamique and the £27,000 three-litre V6 Privilège, and whichever model is chosen, then driver and passengers will wallow in comfort, and also be reassured by the car's safety features.

Don't be put off by the use of the word "wallow", because it certainly doesn't apply to the car's ride and drive performance. This essential ingredient is excellent, as a 250-mile plus drive demonstrated.

Off To Berlin

Renault chose Germany to launch the vehicle to its European neighbours, mainly because it gave drivers the chance to floor the accelerator on stretches of unrestricted autobahns without fear of copping it with the law. But we also faced challenging and more sobering city driving through the heart of Berlin, its neighbourhoods and even the cobbled streets of far-flung villages. Simply stated, the car behaved magnificently.

Built on the platform used for the Espace, and with a galvanised body shell including an upper structure of weight-saving aluminium, the Avantime has a torsional stiffness 60% greater than found on the Espace. The skin is a composite of resin, glassfibre and calcium carbonate, resilient, tough and if needs be great for easy replacement. The suspension is also taken from the Espace, with a Panhard rod at the back, which goes a long way to controlling roll and body movement, including pitching caused by extra load carrying.

Power for the test vehicle, a Privilège, was through the 24-valve three-litre V6 unit, as developed by Renault with Citroen and Peugeot, with motorised throttle valve and variable inlet valve timing. It develops 210bhp at 6000rpm with a generous torque output of 210lb/ft at 3750rpm, most of it available from 2500rpm. The engine is matched to a new smooth and slick-change six-speed manual gearbox, developed by Renault for the Laguna II.

The pulling power of the engine was clearly demonstrated on the test drive when there was no need to slip into fifth/fourth for overtaking - it took just a dip of the throttle while in sixth to add more surge. Renault figures show that the three-litre Privilège returns a combined fuel economy of 25.0mpg, with city driving around 17.7mpg. There will be a new four-cylinder, 16-valve two-litre turbo developing 165bhp when the model arrives in the UK.

The Strangest Doors

Meantime, Avantime is packed with innovation. Take the twin-stage parallel opening doors. These are big to make entry into the cabin incredibly easy, but instead of having to open the doors to too wide an angle, often a problem in car parks, they are designed to open in two sections.

It's better seen than described, but when the handle is pulled to open the door, a rather large and clever hinge lifts and pushes the door out parallel with the body before finally swinging open in the conventional manner. The interior door panel is also in two sections and folds outwards as the door begins to open.

To make up for the lack of doorframe pillars, the Avantime doors are heavy. They don't need slam shutting but the soft-close mechanism tends to lead to a nervous re-opening of the door to make sure that it has indeed closed. Be reassured it will have done!

There are no window frames either, but another bit of clever mechanism ensures there is always a complete seal between closed windows and roof.

During the test drive there was a bout of serious rainfall. Roads became flooded in minutes and the spray sent out by cars, and especially lorries, caused serious visibility problems. However, not a drop entered the vehicle thanks to that sealing system.

While the Avantime is not actually a fishbowl, there is panoramic vision all-round. Even the roof boasts a record glass area. There is a huge panoramic sliding sunroof over the driver and front passenger, while overlooking those reclining in the back (something, incidentally, you cannot easily do in a coupé) is a fixed window. Both have sun shields.

The driver can transform the car into virtually cabriolet form by pressing a switch which opens all the side windows and sunroof in one movement.

Although the Avantime is able to carry five adults and their luggage in comfort, the seating is so styled that four are more at home. However, there is also a split and fold back seat, which means more luggage room. Then there are a number of other stowage areas which add a few more litres: bins in the front and rear side panels, map pockets and yet more space in the centre armrest with its own sliding cover, which unfortunately got in the way a few times when changing gear.

Buyers will have the chance to personalise their Avantime by asking for the Exception Pack which will offer two levels of choice, mixing and matching colours of upholstery and trim as well as body colours.

Finally, security includes anti-intrusion alarms, engine immobilisers, automatic door and boot locking while on the move, but no keyless entry or card-starter as on the Laguna II.

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