They say fortune favours the brave
What seemed to be a pointless niche number back when it was released, the two door MPV/hatchback from Renault actually seems quite futuristic today, such is the modern enthusiasm for crossovers.
The Avantime was a sales flop however, making it a very rare car. They attract a loyal following from those that did buy them however, and this French fancy is one of the most left-field choices out there and one of the most unique coupes ever devised.
Verdict: The Renault Avantime was everything a car should be, use able, exiting, beautiful, and roomy.
The Avantime was launched in 2001 into a sector which hitherto hadn’t existed. Based on the mechanical and architectural package of the Renault Espace; the firm’s famous offering in the minivan/MPV market, the Avantime was basically an Espace with two doors and only five seats, so you got the practicality of a coupe mixed with the high driving position of a minivan.
The Avantime was the flagship of Renault. It was difficult to see who the car was aimed at, though Phillipe Guedon of Renault affiliate Matra (who, building on their Espace experience, masterminded the new car) reckoned that children who had grown up with an Espace in the family would remain loyal to that car in later life.
This was quite a leap of faith.
"Leading edge design, from front to rear, puts Avantime ahead of every other car”
It was certainly unique. Subjectively, if you were to look at it alongside two-door coupes of similar price-point, it was ridiculously proportioned, inelegant and ugly. Objectively, though, if you were to look at it as the unique proposition it was, it was a thing of beauty.
Of monospace design, the Avantime represented an entirely new way for five people to travel, particularly if you pressed the “open air” button which caused all the side glass to disappear and the panoramic roof to open. Renault proudly boasted that this was the largest sunroof ever fitted to a car.
Of course, making something like this practicable threw up its own host of design challenges. Not least there was the issue of actually getting in and out of something which would require absolutely massive doors.
“You can hardly fail to notice the other major innovation; the ingenious double hinge mechanism for opening the doors. Instead of rotating on a hinge in the conventional manner, the door moves away from the body before pivoting on its own axis and then moving smoothly and effortlessly forward.”
Renault called this mechanism, ambiguously, double-kinematic, and have seen no reason nor had any cause to re-employ the concept. It was certainly validated here, though, making access and egress for the occupants easy even in tight parking spaces and other places where space is at a premium. I know a good many two-door cars where such a system would be incredibly useful, and those whose cars have become the recipients of dents and dings from where a neighbouring coupe has not been so-equipped would doubtless agree.
Almost in focus this time, but it just looks like an Espace anyway, so was hardly worthwhile.
“Even a short test run will take you into a new world”
A world with very few other inhabitants, I’m afraid. The public weren’t exactly bowled over by the concept, even those who had grown up with the Espace seemed to prefer their coupes to be a little more slinky; and for all its surprisingly good handling it proved difficult to convince people that a car as bulky as an Avantime could translate into an entertaining drive.
Compared to the establishment the performance on offer was no more than adequate. The two-litre turbo four offered 165hp and there was a 210hp 3.0 V6 enabling the top-end Avantime to shift at 138mph, which must have been quite an experience. But it took 8.6 seconds to reach sixty, even with the row-your-own gearbox. Should you want all that cog swapping to be done for you, then 9.2 seconds would have to be allocated for the procedure, and you’d have to pay a bit more money, too.
Unfortunately for Renault, there were an awful lot of very good coupes on the market for similar cash, a lot of which came with desirable brand names and well proven handling performance. The Avantime was left to those brave souls who wanted something completely different, and sadly these folk were in short supply. On its discontinuation in 2003 after just two years, Matra pulled out of the automotive business.
Today, the Avantime has a very specific but vocal following among people who assume, probably rightly, that there will never be a car like this again. And if there is, it’s a relatively safe bet that Renault wouldn’t have the bravery or, indeed, the money to make the same gamble again.
They say fortune favours the brave
What seemed to be a pointless niche number back when it was released, the two door MPV/hatchback from Renault actually seems quite futuristic today, such is the modern enthusiasm for crossovers.
The Avantime was a sales flop however, making it a very rare car. They attract a loyal following from those that did buy them however, and this French fancy is one of the most left-field choices out there and one of the most unique coupes ever devised.
Verdict: The Renault Avantime was everything a car should be, use able, exiting, beautiful, and roomy.
The Avantime was launched in 2001 into a sector which hitherto hadn’t existed. Based on the mechanical and architectural package of the Renault Espace; the firm’s famous offering in the minivan/MPV market, the Avantime was basically an Espace with two doors and only five seats, so you got the practicality of a coupe mixed with the high driving position of a minivan.
The Avantime was the flagship of Renault. It was difficult to see who the car was aimed at, though Phillipe Guedon of Renault affiliate Matra (who, building on their Espace experience, masterminded the new car) reckoned that children who had grown up with an Espace in the family would remain loyal to that car in later life.
This was quite a leap of faith.
"Leading edge design, from front to rear, puts Avantime ahead of every other car”
It was certainly unique. Subjectively, if you were to look at it alongside two-door coupes of similar price-point, it was ridiculously proportioned, inelegant and ugly. Objectively, though, if you were to look at it as the unique proposition it was, it was a thing of beauty.
Of monospace design, the Avantime represented an entirely new way for five people to travel, particularly if you pressed the “open air” button which caused all the side glass to disappear and the panoramic roof to open. Renault proudly boasted that this was the largest sunroof ever fitted to a car.
Of course, making something like this practicable threw up its own host of design challenges. Not least there was the issue of actually getting in and out of something which would require absolutely massive doors.
“You can hardly fail to notice the other major innovation; the ingenious double hinge mechanism for opening the doors. Instead of rotating on a hinge in the conventional manner, the door moves away from the body before pivoting on its own axis and then moving smoothly and effortlessly forward.”
Renault called this mechanism, ambiguously, double-kinematic, and have seen no reason nor had any cause to re-employ the concept. It was certainly validated here, though, making access and egress for the occupants easy even in tight parking spaces and other places where space is at a premium. I know a good many two-door cars where such a system would be incredibly useful, and those whose cars have become the recipients of dents and dings from where a neighbouring coupe has not been so-equipped would doubtless agree.
Almost in focus this time, but it just looks like an Espace anyway, so was hardly worthwhile.
“Even a short test run will take you into a new world”
A world with very few other inhabitants, I’m afraid. The public weren’t exactly bowled over by the concept, even those who had grown up with the Espace seemed to prefer their coupes to be a little more slinky; and for all its surprisingly good handling it proved difficult to convince people that a car as bulky as an Avantime could translate into an entertaining drive.
Compared to the establishment the performance on offer was no more than adequate. The two-litre turbo four offered 165hp and there was a 210hp 3.0 V6 enabling the top-end Avantime to shift at 138mph, which must have been quite an experience. But it took 8.6 seconds to reach sixty, even with the row-your-own gearbox. Should you want all that cog swapping to be done for you, then 9.2 seconds would have to be allocated for the procedure, and you’d have to pay a bit more money, too.
Unfortunately for Renault, there were an awful lot of very good coupes on the market for similar cash, a lot of which came with desirable brand names and well proven handling performance. The Avantime was left to those brave souls who wanted something completely different, and sadly these folk were in short supply. On its discontinuation in 2003 after just two years, Matra pulled out of the automotive business.
Today, the Avantime has a very specific but vocal following among people who assume, probably rightly, that there will never be a car like this again. And if there is, it’s a relatively safe bet that Renault wouldn’t have the bravery or, indeed, the money to make the same gamble again.