Motor Show: Renault Altica

The car's stance - featuring low-slung lines, a long bonnet and prominent wings - and proportions have been designed to express sports car dynamics, which is supported by the use of scissor doors.

A transparent roof and panoramic windscreen make for a brightly-lit cabin, the mosaic design of the rear quarter lights also allowing sunlight to filter into the cabin as if through stained glass windows. However, the layout and angling of the panes are still meant to ensure good three-quarter rear visibility for the driver.

The headlamps feature four different modes - daytime running lights (DRL), sidelights, dipped beam and main beam - and function using rows of LEDs.

The interior features four individual seats, the driver's seat also being fixed, with the drive station and pedal assembly adjusting to match the driver's physique thanks to a motorised mechanism. The height-adjustable centre armrest deploys automatically as the driver sits down.

The vertical dashboard is inspired by aircraft cockpits, with a centrally positioned dial featuring two display modes: comfort and sport. The former indicates the car's speed in the centre of the display while the perimeter shows the legal speed limits which turn red if exceeded. In the sport mode, the speed continues to be displayed in the middle of the dial but the perimeter becomes a digital rev counter and turbo pressure indicator.

Altica's storage spaces include a shell-like glove box, a concertina-style storage compartment in the armrests and a tray under the floor at the rear. The rear seat backs can be folded into the flat floor, turning Altica into a two-seater sports coupé with a 1,300-litre boot.

Altica's new 177hp 2.0 dCi particulate filter-equipped diesel engine, generating maximum torque of 280lb-ft, is claimed to take the car from a standing start to 62mph in just 7.5secs.

• Back to Features