Laurens Van Den Acker: "The far future is easier to predict than what’s going to happen next year" Chief design officer at Renault Group Laurens Van Den Acker on defining a brand, the warmth of French cars and reinventing iconic vehicles Car Design News
Alexandre Malval appointed design vice president at Renault The new design vice president will report to chief design officer Laurens van den Acker Lucy Abbott
Renault opens first rnlt concept store in London The French carmaker has brought its global rnlt concept store to London’s Battersea Power Station. Car Design News attended the launch and spoke to chief marketing and branding officer Arnaud Belloni Lucy Abbott
“Every new car needs to be a little revolution” – inside Renault’s design mindset Car Design News caught up with Renault’s Gilles Vidal and Sandeep Bhambra at the Goodwood Festival of Speed to talk brand identity, affordable design and why a bit of disruption is essential Lucy Abbott
Renault redesigns the Bigster for emerging markets Renault Group’s global strategy has led the OEM to substantially revamp the Dacia Bigster for the emerging markets. Meet the Renault Boreal Nick Gibbs
“My team is very free to explore” – Stephanie Petit, CMF head at Alpine Car Design News speaks to Stephanie Petit about sustainable materials, 3D-printed finishes, and French craftsmanship – from leather traceability to illuminated triangles James McLachlan
Alpine launches new A390, a racing car in a suit The new electric fastback expands the brand’s product offering and subsequently its customer base. CDN is in France for the official launch to learn more James McLachlan Freddie Holmes
Car Design round-up: Lexus, Rolls-Royce & Auto Shanghai new launches Car Design News takes a look at the news that may have gone under the radar this week, including the latest from Lexus, Rolls-Royce and Auto Shanghai Lucy Abbott
Car Design round-up: Renault, Lucid, Jeep and Get Lost Car Design News takes a look at the news that may have gone under the radar this week, including the latest from Renault, Lucid and Get Lost Lucy Abbott
Activism, OEMs and Car Design From the 1968 student riots to protests over the Iraq war, ‘activism’ has always been with us, but more recently it’s become a standout cultural phenomenon. Why is this and how does it affect OEMs and car design? Aysar Ghassan
Car Design round-up: Ford, Renault and Mahindra Car Design News takes a look at some of the stories that may have gone under the radar this week. Read on for the latest from Ford, Renault and Mahindra Lucy Abbott
First sight: Renault 5 Turbo 3E Car Design News visits Renault in Paris to become acquainted with its new mini supercar and to speak to Renault’s chief design officer Laurens Van Den Acker Lucy Abbott
Car Design round-up: Bentley, Toyota and Lexus Car Design News takes a look at some of the stories that may have gone under the radar this week. Read on for the latest from Bentley, Toyota and Lexus Lucy Abbott
CDN’s highlights from Rétromobile 2025: rare concepts, modern classics and auto merch heaven Guy Bird was in Paris for Retromobile 2025 earlier this month and found an impressive mix of cars, clothes and auto-related curiosities Guy Bird
Laurens van den Acker on the state of Renault design After a stellar 2024, Renault Group has shown that when it comes to navigating choppy waters of the European car industry, it helps to have a clear idea of who you are James McLachlan
Car design round-up: Rezvani, Morgan, Alpine, Jannarelly, BMW, Polestar, Renault, Suzuki, Cadillac This week’s round-up of short design stories covers news from the likes of Cadillac, Suzuki, Morgan, Polestar and more Car Design News
Should Renault thank Peugeot for its recent design success? CDN’s exclusive Q&A with Sandeep Bhambra, Renault’s chief designer, advanced design and concept cars reveals all Guy Bird
Car design round-up: Italdesign, Mazda, Microlino, RAM, Renault Welcome to the first car design news-in-brief for 2025 Car Design News
Car design round-up: Nilu, Jidu, Renault, Rolls Car Design News looks at some of the design stories that may have gone under the radar over the past week. Read on for the latest from Renault, Jidu and more… Car Design News
Renault was the standout of the 2024 Paris Motor Show – but no need for Fl4wer Power In a surprise to nobody, Renault arguably had the most impressive stand at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, displaying a raft of concepts and upcoming production models on home turf. Guy Bird reports on the French brand’s presence this year, which was a real mixed bag – not in the figurative sense – but in the sheer range of models on display, from small city cars to commercial delivery vans Guy Bird
Alpine Alpenglow nods to future endurance racing design Alpine design boss Antony Villain chats to Trinity Francis about the brand’s motorsport ambitions and the challenges of designing around high-pressure hydrogen tanks Trinity Francis
Car design round-up: Paris previews, McLaren’s P1 successor and job news Car Design News looks at some of the design stories that may have gone under the radar over the past week. Read on for the latest from Renault, Ultrafabrics, McLaren and more… Car Design News
In pictures: Renault 4 E-Tech Electric The new Renault 4 E-Tech builds on the revival of iconic nameplates
UX becoming “increasingly versatile” says Renault designer Olivier Daillance discusses the impact of new Euro NCAP guidance on UX, leveraging his skills as a graphic designer and how AI will make for intuitive cockpits Trinity Francis
Renault reimagines iconic 17 with slick prototype The French carmaker has modernised its iconic 70s coupe, but the car is unlikely to make into production. Michael Nash
In pictures: Renault Symbioz, close relative to the Austral The production-ready Symbioz is a far cry from what earlier concepts had promoted, but sits well within the wider family line-up. Car Design News
Alpine design boss Antony Villain on the A290 Car Design News caught up with Alpine head of design, Antony Villain, to learn more about the tough second album that was the A290 Freddie Holmes
Car design round-up: hydrogen, HMI and homages Car Design News looks at some of the design stories that may have gone under the radar over the past week. Read on for the latest from MINI, Lamborghini, Lynk & CO and more… Car Design News
Car design round-up: HMI, hydrogen and high-performance Car Design News looks at some of the design stories that may have gone under the radar over the past week. Read on for the latest from Alpine, Caterham, Skywell and more… Car Design News
Car design round-up: save the dates, bold colours and new names Car Design News looks at some of the design stories that may have gone under the radar over the past week. Read on for the latest from Alpine, Mahindra, Volvo and more… Freddie Holmes
First sight: the new Dacia Spring The refreshed entry-level electric may be the electric car we need now Karl Smith
Vidal on the Renault 5 reborn electric As the all-electric Renault 5 E-Tech breaks cover at the 2024 Geneva Show today, we can share details from our private visit to Renault’s Technocentre design studio in early February, with head of design Gilles Vidal in charge of the show-and-tell Guy Bird
Car design round-up: Mini’s hello-goodbye, big wagons and hatches Car Design News looks at some of the design stories that may have gone under the radar over the past week. Read on for new launches, production cuts and reveals expected at Geneva Car Design News
Pick-up concept previews Renault’s international push The Niagara concept has been designed for markets like Colombia, India and Turkey where rugged off-road capabilities are crucial Freddie Holmes
Alpine reveals stocky new show car Intended to showcase the brand’s move into an electric future, Alpine’s latest show car felt more like a celebration of iconic Renault hot hatches Freddie Holmes
Designer interview: Laurens Van Den Acker on Renault’s revolution Renault’s EVP of Design Laurens Van Den Acker sits down with Michael Nash to discuss brand differentiation and the costs involved in offering more technology Michael Nash
New Renault Clio E-Tech – small, sporty and simplified Laurens van den Acker takes Michael Nash on a walkaround of the new Clio E-Tech, explaining how important the car will be for the Renault brand Michael Nash
In pictures: Pierre Gonalons’ retro Renault 5 Diamant Renowned interior designer and architect Pierre Gonalons has reimagined the classic Renault 5 in art deco form with the Diamant Car Design News
One for all: Renault unveils Scenic Vision concept The stocky SUV is described as the rebirth of a legend following the original family-first Scenic MPV Freddie Holmes
Dacia appoints new VP of Design Experienced Renault designer David Durand takes on a new role at Dacia, replacing Miles Nürnberger, who departs after less than a year in the role Freddie Holmes
Renault collaborates with Mathieu Lehanneur on 4L tribute Product and architectural designer Mathieu Lehanneur works with Renault to create new concept based on iconic 4L Michael Nash
Renault 5 wins Concept Car of the Year in Car Design Review 8 The Renault 5 wins Concept Car of the Year in industry journal Car Design Review, seeing off strong competition from Lexus and Polestar James McLachlan
Renault shows Mobilize Limo designed for ride-hailing A refrigerated centre console and dedicated app make the Mobilize Limo particularly suitable for ride-sharing services Michael Nash
Design review: Renault Megane Renault plays it safe with the design of the latest Megane. Michael Nash takes the new model for a spin Michael Nash
Obituary: The French maestro Robert Opron One of the finest car designers of the 20th Century, Robert Opron, passed away last week, aged 89. Responsible for masterpieces for Simca, Citroen, Renault and Alfa Romeo from the late 1950s to the late-80s – and one of the few recipients of the Car Design News Lifetime Achievement Award – we salute his life and influence, via still vivid memories of visiting his house south of Paris back in 2016 to discuss his career over Scotch and Pringles… Guy Bird
Interior Motives Summer 2020 Digital Edition Check out the summer digital edition of Interior Motives, featuring in-depth interior design trends, interviews, sketches and galleries featuring Renault, Polestar, Tata, Ford and more
Watch: Geely’s Guy Burgoyne, SAIC’s Shao Jingfeng and Hyundai’s Simon Loasby livestream Senior design leaders from China and Korea discuss the impact lock-down has had on their work and offer practical advice on designing in the post-coronavirus landscape
Concept Car of the Month: Gran Turismo Red Bull X1 (2010-19) The lines between virtual and real racing continue to blur; something a Formula 1 team managed to encapsulate with a different sort of concept car… Michael Gooderham
Design Essay: how adversity shapes cars How have automotive designs responded to drastic shifts in society and culture in previous years? We take a timely look back Aidan Walsh
First Sight: Up close with Renault’s shape-shifting Morphoz Renault’s latest concept represents the brand’s Urban Family Mission Guy Bird
Design Essay: Big Screen, Big Problem? Automotive interior design is being subjected to ever tougher screen tests… Aidan Walsh
2020 Trend Report by CnTFactory Trends forecasters CnTFactory catalogue the interesting trends for automotive designers CnTFactory
Concept Car of the Month: Opel GT2 (1975) Opel’s crisp and geometric GT2 concept car was Jean-François Venet’s breakthrough project Karl Smith
Degree Show: Kookmin University 2019 Kookmin University, South Korea’s first private university after it became an independent nation, recently had its second-ever Automotive & Transport Design degree show at their campus in Seoul. Michael Gooderham
Degree Show: Kookmin University 2019 Kookmin University, South Korea’s first private university after it became an independent nation, recently had its second-ever Automotive & Transport Design degree show at their campus in Seoul. Michael Gooderham
CES 2020: Toyota debuts a concept city Mount Fuji is about to become the site of a futuristic mobility experience, thanks to Toyota’s Woven City concept Karl Smith
Design Analysis: Hyundai 45 & H-Space concepts Taking a closer look at Hyundai’s two-stage vision of the future Drew Meehan
Skoda debuts new Octavia for 2020 Cleaner, greener, sleeker and more “emotional” than before. Just don’t call it premium… Nick Gibbs
Suppliers will charge the change: opportunities in the EV value chain While much focus is put on OEM plans to launch more electric vehicles, a great deal of the technology, value, services and even design will come from both existing and emerging suppliers across the value chain. We expect many new opportunities for these companies over the next decade. Daniel Harrison
FCA–PSA fusion: first of the electric shock waves? The merger attempt by FCA and PSA will be complicated but makes economic and operational sense, including for R&D investment. Whether or not it goes ahead, more consolidation is likely as the automotive industry gears up for electrification Daniel Harrison Christopher Ludwig
Car Design Awards China: Q&A with the 2019 Winners CDN caught up with the overall and category winners of the 2019 Car Design Awards China competition… Car Design News
Designer Interview: Antony Villain, Alpine “When we started the A110 project, we were, of course, aware of Alpine as car enthusiasts, but fortunately we were too young to indulge in nostalgia.” Car Design News
Concept of the Month: Renault Radiance (2004) The Renault Radiance is one of design legend Patrick le Quément’s favourite, and more underrated designs Karl Smith
What took the air out of Dyson’s electric car project? The iconic manufacturer of vacuum cleaners has cancelled plans to develop and build an EV. That was probably a smart decision, considering the huge costs, competition and struggling market that Dyson would have been entering. Daniel Harrison
Stricter EU CO2 regulations will reshape vehicle platforms and car design As OEMs try to reduce CO2 and transition to electric vehicles in the face of the high fines, we expect a profound impact on vehicle design. Automotive from Ultima Media
Designer interview: T Jon Mayer, Volvo The car as we know it is changing: it’s becoming more of a device, which doesn’t sound as exciting as a traditional drivers’ car, but it’s exciting on a different front. It’s coming down to the entire experience of using the vehicle while maybe not even owning it. This changes the mindset of how you approach a product, in a new way. Car Design News
Renault opens new Bucharest design facility Could we be about to see some new Dacias to drool over? We certainly hope so as Dacia benefits from a new design centre
Concept Car of the Month: ATNMBL (2009) A radical concept that launched the autonomous car debate Karl Smith
Design interview: Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar “We have to play our role in ensuring that the transition into the new age is a successful one” Tom Phillips
Is the Crossover MPV is the shape of the future? April’s Shanghai motor show made us think hard about the shapes of the future Drew Meehan
First sight: Ford’s new Puma We assess this small SUV with big ambition (and hidden depths) Nick Gibbs
Michelin’s Challenge Design winners announced The theme of this year’s challenge was ‘Inspiring Mobility’, which looked for ideas about how to put emotion and human interaction into focus in the mega cities of 2035 Maxine Morland
Three 1980s economy concepts by Renault, Audi and Citröen The Renault Vesta II, Audi 60 and Citröen Eco 2000 – three concepts from the 1980s that bear revisiting By Richard Gooding
Concept Car of the Month: VW Futura (1989) The once and future Golf? The Volkswagen Futura, introduced at IAA Frankfurt in 1989, was once considered the future of the German marque Karl Smith
Design interview: Kripa Ananthan, Mahindra & Mahindra A deep dive with Mahindra’s chief designer, as seen in our yearbook Car Design News
Design Story: Renault Clio V Fifth-gen Clio comes with upsized screen and details, but smaller dimensions Farah Alkhalisi
SEAT launches Twizy-esque EV quadricycle Quadricycle explores interesting solutions for urban mobility Chris Maillard
Renault Clio V exterior revealed New Clio gets the new family face and evolved bodywork Michael Gooderham
Renault releases Clio V interior images Front seats and full dash appear a day before the full reveal Michael Gooderham
Detroit 2019: Earth tones and warm metals make for cosy cabins Worried your future AV will be too cold and robotic? The colour & trim department have got you covered Lem Bingley
CES 2019: Rinspeed microSNAP clicks into place The Rinspeed microSNAP is the 25th concept car created by Frank Rinderknecht’s Swiss automotive company Karl Smith
CES 2019: Schaeffler Bio-Hybrid – the missing link? Schaeffler has introduced a quadracycle, Bio-Hybrid, in near-production form Karl Smith
Concept Car of the Week: Triumph XL90 (1967) In 1976, British marque Triumph proposed a vision of the year 2000, the XL90, which foreshadowed the modern MPV Karl Smith
The big car design trends for 2019 and beyond Five non-design trends which will influence automotive design this year Karl Smith
Concept Car of the Week: Mazda Shinari (2010) The Mazda Shinari concept car marks the moment Nagare left and Kodo came Karl Smith
Paris 2018: A philosophical finale Paris Motor Show 2018 overview: there were some highlights, but the show asked some big questions too Chris Maillard
Paris 2018: Infiniti Project Black S F1 tech and lots of carbon fibre in a suave Infiniti? Design director Karim Habib explains Maxine Morland
CCotW: Renault BeBop MPV & SUV (2003) These MPV and SUV concepts are two takes on the same ingenious package, with lessons for the future Karl Smith
Design interview: Andreas Wlasak, Faurecia From yearbook 5: How the renowned interior supplier is adapting to the future Car Design News
Byton’s Benoit Jacob on building a brand The new firm’s Design Director on leaving BMW, joining a start-up and creating a design culture from scratch Joe Simpson
Concept Car of the Week: Citroën Xenia (1981) Designed by the mysterious Trevor Fiore, the Citroën Xenia might be the first and only ‘Break Monocorps’? Karl Smith
Car Design Review 5: Antoine Génin, Groupe Renault From the Car Design Review 5 yearbook: the French marque’s interiors lead takes us inside future designs Farah Alkhalisi
Car Design Review 5: Marek Reichman, Aston Martin From Car Design Review 5: a deep dive with Aston Martin’s chief creative officer Maxine Morland
Beijing 2018: The refreshing Chang An Oshan Chang An Oshan launched an out-there EV concept at Beijing 2018 Chris Maillard
Design Essay: Towards a new architecture Two thoughtful, innovative concepts have advanced the discussion on autonomous cars Karl Smith
CCotW: DAF Siluro (1968) Celebrating the Golden Anniversary of a most unusual sports car concept Karl Smith
CCotW: Mercury XM Turnpike Cruiser (1956) A brave but disastrous attempt to reinvent a staid brand Karl Smith
Pickup Trucks: Where Next? What does the expanding remit of the pickup mean for its designers? Aidan Walsh
Geneva 2018: Trend Watch Car Design News picks out the trends from the Geneva Motor Show 2018 Ed Stubbs
Geneva 2018: Car Design Awards winners announced The design industry’s most respected awards, Car Design News’ 2017 yearbook and a great evening in Geneva Car Design News
Performance Specials: Who does it best? Is performance potential best displayed, or hidden? Aidan Walsh
Concept Car of the Week: American Motor Corporation Concept 80 Cars (1977) A brave, but ultimately doomed, attempt to save the American Motor Corporation Karl Smith
Renault Symbioz concept enters Phase 2 Just three months later, Renault’s autonomous connected car concept looks a much more serious production contender Michael Gooderham
Concept Cars of the Week: The ItalDesign ‘M’ Cars (1978-82) Sleek, smooth and enormously influential concepts from Giugiaro including the Lancia Megagamma, the 1978 ItalDesign M8, Lancia Medusa and the Lamborghini Marco Polo, we trace the connections Karl Smith
Concept Car of the Week: Renault Nepta (2006) A land yacht for cruising the Corniche, the Renault Nepta is an open-top grand tourer with classic lines and proportions evoking classic open-topped cars like phaetons, or the classic 1960s Lincoln Continental convertible Karl Smith
Renault Symbioz Revives a Modernist Dream Autonomous EV the Renault Symbioz recalls an old architectural concept of integrated dwelling environments of home and transport Karl Smith
Frankfurt 2017: Stéphane Janin on the Renault Symbioz Stéphane Janin, the man in charge of Renault’s concept cars, talks us through their new bronze, autonomous piece of home decor Farah Alkhalisi
Frankfurt 2017: Renault Symbioz The French manufacturer adds a smart room to its concept car, the Renault Symbioz Farah Alkhalisi
Car Design Review 4 highlights: Stéphane Janin, Renault From the Car Design Review 4 yearbook: Janin discusses Renault’s rise, and how to balance design with innovation Car Design News
Concept Car of the Week: Renault Avantime (1999) A look at Matra’s last car, an automotive portmanteau Karl Smith
Shanghai 2017: Renault R.S. 2027 Vision explores F1’s future More focus on the driver, despite an autonomous function… Michael Gooderham
Geneva 2017: Anthony Lo on Renault’s design progress Car Design News catches up with Anthony Lo as Renault introduced its electric Zoe e-Sport concept Lem Bingley
Q&A with Antony Villain, Alpine Alpine’s first production car for more than 20 years is set to launch at the 2017 Geneva motor show. CDN talks to its design director, Antony Villain Guy Bird
First Sight: Up close with Renault’s Trezor Paris motor show concept Hidden secrets behind Renault’s new treasure revealed Guy Bird
Driven: Renault Mégane We spend some time in Renault’s fourth-gen C-segment hatch, the Renault Megane, to see how it works in the real world Joe Simpson
Design Development: Renault Scénic How Renault’s designers reinvented the mini-MPV for the crossover generation Guy Bird
The Designers Pt 10: Anthony Lo, Renault “In 2010 we had a clean sheet to do whatever we wanted, but now we need to play more carefully” Guy Bird
Geneva 2016: New Renault Scenic trades practicality for looks With falling sales, the definitive small MPV has been thoroughly re-thought Owen Ready
Concept Car of the Week: Renault Scenic (1991) The Renault Scenic concept was designer Anne Asensio’s genre-defining new type of family car Karl Smith
Concept Car of the Week: Renault Ondelios (2008) A forgotten and misunderstood crossover that has clearly had a wider influence Owen Ready
Frankfurt 2015: Renault Megane and Opel Astra face off Renault Megane and Vauxhall Astra face-off across the show hall in Frankfurt 2015 Tom Phillips
The Designers Pt13 – Laurens van den Acker, Renault Group Renault’s VP of design discusses the process of rethinking design icons, and introducing a new lifecycle of concepts Guy Bird
Concept Car of the Week: Renault Altica (2006) The Renault Altica, launched at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, showcased the French brand’s design chops Owen Ready
Renault Megane Coupe concept (2008) Renault has taken the wraps off its Megane Coupe concept, a car which foreshadows a compact production coupe set to be released in the near future. Car Design News
Geneva 2008: Renault Megane Coupe concept (2008) New concept from Renault previews compact production coupe Car Design News
