After baffling the public with the wedgy, MPV-like styling cues of the Vel Satis (and to a lesser extent the Mégane), Renault designer Patrick le Quément has penned a sleek upmarket, four-seater sports coupé called the Fluence.
After baffling the public with the wedgy, MPV-like styling cues of the Vel Satis (and to a lesser extent the Mégane), Renault designer Patrick le Quément has penned a sleek upmarket, four-seater sports coupé called the Fluence.
Le Quément, the senior vice president of Renault corporate design, said the voluptuous concept car was a "continuation of a tradition of outstanding French coachbuilders. Fluence is a drawing and a sculpture. It blends generosity, elegance and fluidity".
Okay… In plain language, the Fluence is 4,6 metres long and has a sloping front and a vertical rear. The front of the car has no radiator grille, narrow indicators and the futuristic triangular headlamps blend with the fluidity of the Fluence’s front styling.
A double strip of LEDs set at different angles is housed behind two transparent curved glass lenses. The diodes illuminate as the steering angle changes to provide multi-directional lighting when cornering. Two air intakes extend and accentuate the headlamps’ form, bridged by a third narrow, horizontal inlet.
In contrast with the flowing front section of the car, the vertical profile of Fluence’s rear is characterised by the contrast between wide wings, highlighted by the elongated, horizontal lights, and a taller central section in a different colour. This section connects the rear window with a twin centre exhaust outlet, framed by an air extractor.
In between its very different front and rear, Fluence is structured around a horizontal plane. Lines of force emerge at the front to converge at the centre of the tailgate. Two run almost symmetrically the length of each side. Two others frame the bonnet, then the roof and the rear window. This V-shaped rear window connects seamlessly to the windscreen by two strips of glass that stretch the length of the roof before dropping down towards the tailgate.
The base of the body shell is finished in aluminium and the 22-inch Montupet Lightweight alloy rims feature with suction fins to reduce drag.
Inside, the Fluence in decked out in Rouge Margaux red leather trim. The seats are mounted on runners and the sides of the seat back and cushion fan out when the doors are opened. The lateral seat supports can be adjusted to suit individual preferences and door armrests adjust their position in conjunction with the seats.
The sweeping leather dashboard is also predominately red with beige accents and features Touch Design controls. Using a joystick, the driver selects the car’s main functions (shown on a fold-away screen in the upper part of the dashboard). Instruments use both digital and analogue display against a black and Rouge Margaux background.
The boot, which includes two side storage units, has a capacity of 396 dm3. The Fluence has a unique tailgate – when it is opened, it slides over the roof thanks to an articulated arm in its centre, doing away with side openings that obstruct access to the boot.
The coupé is powered by a front-mounted, 206 kW 3,5-litre V6 petrol engine that develops 365 N.m of torque. The powerplant, mated with a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential control, is said to accelerate the Fluence from zero to 100 km/h in 6,5 seconds.
