After the sporty DeZir rear-wheel drive coupe, the funky Captur three-door crossover and more recently, the practical R-Space minivan, Renault is ready to share its latest concept model with the Frendzy, which was unveiled today ahead of its world premiere at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show later this fall.
The Frendzy is a fresh take on the small van segment where Renault is currently represented by the Kangoo series that is available in both leisure and commercial versions.
Laurens van den Acker, Renault’s head of design, said: “[The] Frendzy is the fourth vehicle to illustrate Renault’s new design strategy, a series which started with DeZir. It takes an original and innovative stance on the world of light commercial vehicles – a key part of Renault’s activities”.
Reflecting its dual role as a vehicle for both pleasure and commercial activities, the Frendzy sports an asymmetric body style.
The passenger’s side is for work as there’s no glazing or centre pillar, just one conventional door and one sliding side door that incorporates a 37-inch widescreen display, which is used to display messages or adverts. The driver’s side is for the family and comes complete with side windows, still no centre pillar, but with centre opening doors.
At the back, there’s a split tailgate with the interior offering as much as 2,250 liters of load space if the rear seats are unoccupied.
On the inside, Renault made extensive use of wood and metal with the cockpit designed around a futuristic theme with plenty of lights that change color depending on the use of the vehicle.
On the more practical side, the Frendzy features a fabric roof that adapts itself to the shape of bulky objects. According to Renault, there are magnetic fixings that allow the load to be secured to the floor while the front seat folds forward in order to free up space.
The concept model is 4,091mm long, 1,872mm wide and 1,743mm tall. Power comes from an electric motor delivering 40kW or 60HP and 226Nm of torque that offers the Frendzy a top speed of 130km/h (81mph).
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