Renault Foursome Oozes Gallic Flair

It was Gallic flair and flamboyance at the Renault press conference as the wraps came off the eye-catching Megane Coupe Concept, as well as the new Koleos crossover small SUV, Laguna GT, and Twingo Renault Sport.

Of the foursome, the Megane Coupe Concept is the one to watch. Sleek, curvaceous, and low, it lacks the controversial "bustle" rear of the Megane notchback. Aluminum finish detailing, strip-like headlights and the fine overall balance mean it's a sporty and sophisticated design. Its party piece is the full-length, power-operated horizontally split scissor doors, that open like butterfly wings above the car.

Described by Executive VP of Sales and Marketing Patrick Blain as "a showcar that's much more than meets the eye," the Coupe Concept points the way to "pleasure cars" in Renault's future range. They wouldn't have named it "Megane" unless they were serious about building a car like this, but don't expect the spectacular doors making it to a showroom near you.

One car that will make to showrooms, and possibly much further, is the Koleos, Renault's first 4x4 SUV crossover. Billed as "an escape from everyday routine," it's the fruit of Renault's alliance with Nissan, being built on a Nissan SUV platform and fitted with Nissan's All-Mode four-wheel-drive system.

Friendlier, softer styling than traditional SUVs, combined with a smaller footprint are in tune with the expectations of today's consumers. Renault promise excellent all-round visibility, peripheral vision, and remote-control folding rear seats to make it easy to live with for users.

The Laguna GT is a sportier version of the Laguna midsize sedan and wagon range. Criticized at launch for its ho-hum styling, the latest Laguna range is in need of a boost in charisma, and Renault hopes the GT will provide it.

Heavily modified front styling and sports wheels help with that, while the new Renaultsport developed "Active Drive" four-wheel steer chassis, revised suspension and steering set up certainly give some substance to the style. The engine choices (180 horsepower 2.0-liter diesel or 205 horsepower 2.0-liter 16-valve turbocharged gasoline) offer brisk if not stunning performance, delivering 0-62 mph in under 8 seconds.

Thanks in no small part to Renault's good reputation for sporty cars and its Formula 1 experience, overall Laguna GT makes a credible proposition as a sports tourer. It goes on sale in wagon and sedan form in Europe this spring.

Also on display was the Renault Sport Twingo. The new generation Twingo, launched at Geneva last year, is doing well, and Renault is especially pleased with the way the GT version appeals to male citycar buyers in a way that the cutesy but more idiosyncratic earlier Twingo never did.

Described by Blain as the "enfant terrible" of the citycar range, the Renault Sport Twingo is no cosmetic conversion. It gets a unique 1.6-liter engine, a modified chassis with wider front and rear track, larger tires, stiffer suspension, close-ratio gearbox, and numerous detail tweaks including aluminum pedals, a unique rev counter and leather steering wheel. So fun can come in small packages.