Discussing The Expressive Exterior Design Of The Renault Clio
We take a look at the Renault Clio's exterior design and sources of inspiration. Laurens van den Acker, head of Groupe Renault’s Corporate Design, and Pierre Sabas, Head of External Design, explain how they based their work on the lines of the previous version to create a new Clio with modern, more expressive and dynamic features.
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Inspired By The Previous Generations
For several years now, design has become the primary factor in purchasing a Renault, a trend that has been particularly noteworthy with the Clio. Based on this success the sensual lines of the fourth generation of this icon have been preserved as the basis for those of the fifth, which has just been revealed.
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Our designers, however, were not satisfied with just one reference point, and have taken the best of each of the previous generations to create the best Clio ever.
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"The new Clio has "tout d’une grande" from the first generation, the habitability and comfort of the second, safety and performance from the third and finally, from the fourth, the design DNA of the Renault brand. " - Laurens van den Acker, Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Groupe Renault
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Work began around the proportions of the new model - the Renault Clio has revised ratings and is more compact (-14 mm in length), lower (up to -30 mm in height), making it both sportier and more efficient.
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But it was also necessary to modernize its design to make it more expressive and dynamic. For that, a few details make all the difference.
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"We visually enhanced the car with a chrome signature on the bottom and around the windows. We also added more precision to the front wing with a graphic design that tightens the volumes and gives more precision to the overall line." - Pierre Sabas, Exterior designer
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Modernity And Expressiveness
The extensive work done on the front of the car gives more expressiveness and quality. The enlarged grille, enlarged logo, bumper air scoops, C-shaped headlamps, etc. have been designed and integrated with extreme precision.
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"The headlamps are ‘full LED’ from the first trim. They incorporate Renault's own C-shaped light signature; with extremely precise treatment, like jewellery." - Pierre Sabas
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In this quest for modernity, there are also some new colours with the Clio's symbolic Orange Valencia to the fore. It is the first tint in the world to be based on an Orange coloured varnish but it is unique in the automotive industry, bringing depth and a new shine to the bodywork.
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By combining this evolution of the exterior design with its revolution in interior design, the Clio is the pioneer of a new generation of Renault.
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