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A long time ago, on a network far, far away, there was a land where Will and Holly Marshall fought the Sleestak, fiddled with a weather matrix and lost their father to a Dick York-style identity swap. All along, the Marshalls were looking for a way to get out of the Land of the Lost--and Renault has finally gotten around to penning a concept for just that in the predatory but family-friendly Ondelios.

Part MPV, part Space Shuttle and part Dyson vacuum, the gullwinged Ondelios takes the notion of a crossover vehicle to otherwordly extremes. It looks ready to challenge the time-space continuum--particularly with its grille, which is either a handsome detail patterned after Japanese washi paper, or the warped cell windowshade left behind by a former tenant who never paid his security deposit. Huge 23-inch wheels instantly date this in archaeological SUV terms to the mid-2000s.

Like a consciously weird Chrysler Pacifica, or a post-gastric-bypass Benz R-Class, the Ondelios' interior has seats for six. The seats are said to be designed like leaves in which passengers can curl up for a comfy ride; fittingly, leather and fabrics blend from grey to purple like a big eggplant. Multi-zone electronics, climate controls, entertainment systems and other "smart" technologies are another nod to the excesses of family transport in the post-postmodern era--as is the casual nod to recyclability.

For real cliches, you need to head to the Ondelios' powertrain specs, where a 205-horsepower diesel engine is mated to electric motors for oil-burning ersatz four-wheel drive. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission handles the shifting. It's a carefully synthesized package of existing ideas in a somewhat daring wrapper. It's Coldplay.

Renault says this is its vision for a high-end car of the near future. We say, um, okay. We also remind you there's a film version of Land of the Lost coming and Will Ferrell is attached, and that sounds like a lot more fun.

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Renault joins the ranks of carmakers thinking about electric vehicles here at the Paris auto show with the Z.E., a Honda Element-like concept that draws power from batteries and its greenhouse, apparently, from a crate full of those inexpensive levels you find at the Home Depot.

Renault actually has a nascent relationship with electric car plans around the world, and along with Nissan, Renault is planning some sort of electric car for release in two years' time. This concept may not be the final form, but it is based on an existing Renault production car--the oddly named Kangoo Be Bop.

The Z.E. gets its EV credentials from a 70-kilowatt electric motor and a set of lithium-ion batteries. An unlikely set of 21-inch wheels puts all the motor's torque to the road via a direct-drive transmission.

Renault's invested energy in reducing the Z.E.'s energy needs. The paint is heat-reflective; headlamps are low-energy LEDs. Even the mirrors have been tweaked to reduce the Z.E.'s drag in the slipstream.

Oddities of the concept include polyurethane-gel bumpers (they feel like wrist-friendy mouse pads), a charge indicator for the batteries that's lifted from cell-phone displays, and a scooter that lives in the Z.E.'s cargo area for even less energy-intensive travel.

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World debuts for three new production cars plus a concept that hints at the future design direction of another – that was the big news from Renault at the Geneva motor show.



The star of the show for the French automaker was undoubtedly the last of these; called the Megane Coupe Concept, with its dramatic two-stage gull-wing doors it gives clues as to what the forthcoming Megane Coupe will look like. Just over 177.2 inches long, one innovation is the use of a Samsung cell phone to lock and unlock the cabin. It reveals a state-of-the-art red and black interior with touch-screen functions and four-zone climate control. The phone is also used to fire up the engine. It’s a 200-hp 2.0-liter gasoline unit linked to a six-speed manual gearbox. Riding on 21-inch Michelin rubber, it will hit 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. Insiders say the prototype is fully drivable.



Renault’s first ever SUV was also at Geneva. Called the Koleos after the two concepts of the same name, it’s a crossover compact 4x4. It’s been developed using technology borrowed from alliance partner Nissan, whose X-Trail off-roader is a similar size and in its second incarnation already. The Koleos goes on sale in Europe this summer, with a 2.0-liter diesel engine likely to be the most popular choice with buyers. Two power variants, with 150 and 175- hp, will be available. A front-wheel drive 4x2 model will also be launched. With Renault among the last volume car makers not to have an SUV of any sort, the Koleos is expected to offer excellent value for money. Insiders say it will be priced to tempt buyers away from the likes of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.



Active Drive is the name of Renault’s newest chassis, and it’s called that because it allows all-wheel steering. The car the technology will first appear on is the Laguna GT, and that too was at the Swiss exhibition. Available as a hatchback or tourer, here’s how the system works. At speeds below 60 kph, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front ones, up to an angle of 3.5 degrees to cut the turning circle by up to 10 percent. At higher speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction to enhance cornering stability. The car goes on sale next month, and the technology will also appear on the Laguna Coupe that’s due for launch at September’s Paris Motor Show.




The French car maker’s final offering was its new pocket rocket, the Renaultsport version of the Twingo city car. Under the bonnet is a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter gasoline engine developing 133 hp. The track has been widened by 2.4 inches over the standard Twingo to improve grip, and the springs have been stiffened and the dampers uprated to give a sportier ride. The car can be ordered with a choice of two chassis; either Sport or Cup. The latter rides 0.16 inches lower, creating an improved center of gravity and better handling. The car will go on sale across Europe later in the year.--Richard Yarrow

The ultimate family testing the ultimate family car – that’s how French manufacturer Renault is describing its new series of adverts for the MkII Kangoo family, which star the Fox network's Simpsons.

Scheduled to appear in 29 countries across Europe from next week, the campaign includes a TV promo as well as newspaper ads and billboards. The tone of the campaign is described in a Renault statement – without a hint of irony – as “thoroughly humorous”.

In the ads, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and grandfather Abraham leave the fictitious town of Springfield and appear in the real world. They put the Kangoo through its paces, trying out the folding rear bench seat and ingenious storage bins.

“Pairing new Kangoo with the irreverent Simpsons brand shows Renault’s desire to adopt a unique, off-beat tone while remaining faithful to its core values: human, reliable and enthusiastic,” added the statement.

The Kangoo has become something of a cult hit in recent years. Originally derived from a small commercial vehicle, and not what you’d call a handsome machine, and it’s hugely popular with owners who love its versatility and practicality.--Richard Yarrow

Israel doesn't have much in the way of petro resources like its neighbors, but it does have money and brainpower--and that's why, the New York Times reports, the country will get behind a California entrepreneur who wants to build out a network to support electric cars.

The Times says that the Israeli government under Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will announce a $200 million effort today to help build an infrastructure for the cars, and that the country will also offer tax incentives to citizens who buy the vehicles.

Israel will get behind an effort from 39-year-old Shai Agassi, an entrepreneur who wants to build electric cars with the Renault/Nissan alliance. Agassi's plan is like that of cellphones - the cars themselves are subsidized, while the monthly charges for, er, charges are paid on expected mileage.

Agassi's efforts are already underway in Palo Alto, Calif., where his company, Project Better Place, is working on lithium-ion batteries claimed to give a range of 124 miles. The cars themselves will be based on Renault/Nissan vehicles, and changing the batteries will be made easier with design and with the network of recharging stations, where batteries will be swapped out when low. Agassi, the Times says, hopes to replicate the model in densely populated, small geographic areas like London and Singapore.

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