Renault planning two new electric SUVs

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Renault New Zealand's Warren Willmot shows Stuff around the company's virtual showroom.

Renault is working on two electric SUVs to be on the market by 2022, a report from Autocar UK is saying.

One will be around the size of the Kadjar and take after the recent Morphoz concept while the other is a bit less clear cut. Renault's head of EVs, Gilles Normand, told the British publication that the second vehicle “will be crossover or SUV, rather than hatchback” but confirmed there will be more emphasis on aerodynamics compared to other models.

“In the EV world, we are sensitive to drag: air efficiency around the car,” Normand said. “With these new applications, we are up to 550km of driving range.”

The Morphoz concept is set to become a production model, due by 2022.

The high riders will be built on the new CMF-EV platform, which will be shared around the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Normand confirmed it is scalable in width, height and length, though not infinitely. He said it would be limited to compact and mid-size vehicles.

**READ MORE:

It probably won't look exactly the same as this concept but there will be a bigger emphasis on aerodynamics than before.

* Car buyers shun electric vehicles not named Tesla.

* New Zealand's electric vehicle future

* Return of an old friend will boost the Kiwi van market

* What it's like to drive Renault's little electric Zoe

When 2022 rolls around, Renault will offer eight EVs, including vehicles branded Dacia overseas. We won't get all of them, given the Twizy is currently in New Zealand but unable to be registered for the road, but we should get a fair few.

These new SUVs will likely be high on Renault NZ's wishlist, while the next-generation Zoe is a confirmed arrival.

In the meantime, we'll be getting a steady drip of new hybrids. The Captur and Clio are both due for electrification this year while the Megane is also on the list.

All three models come in hybrid form overseas so it's more a matter of hitting sales targets for the local arm.