This is the world premiere of Samsung Motors' QM5 crossover, previewed as the Renault Koleos Concept at last year's Paris Auto Show. Although its first appearance in concept form wore a Renault badge, the car's production styling was actually penned at the Samsung design studio in Korea, in conjunction with Renault design.

Renault has released photos of the all-new upper-medium segment Laguna five-door hatchback and estate that will compete with the Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 407 and Volkswagen Passat in European markets.The new Laguna is a conservative evolution of the themes introduced in 2000 with the second generation Laguna: the hatchback moving further towards a sedan-like profile, while the estate model has a more sporting character from its steeply raked wraparound rear screen and horizontal lamps.

The Laguna's most notable design features include the angular front and rear lamp design, and a distinctive plunging shoulder line, which is echoed in the sweeping IP form. The new car is slightly wider, taller and longer than the previous model, and will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
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Renault has shown a production preview of the next Twingo, due to be replaced early next year. The new car eschews the monovolume of the outgoing model for a more conventional two-box, with friendliness being replaced with dynamism in the front graphic. This sporting theme is furthered by the dropped ride-height and large arches, and is complemented by a music theme. This means the obligatory iPod/phone dock in the IP, plus mixing desk for traffic jams. For the first time, the new Twingo will also be available in RHD, and is powered by a 100PS 1.2-liter gasoline engine with turbocharger for low emissions. Key dimensions are: length 3600mm, width 1727mm, height 1411mm.

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Renault has released pictures of the Nepta, a show car to complete the trio of grand tourers from the host manufacturers of the Paris Motor Show. But where PSA uses sedan and station-wagon/coupe templates for the Peugeot 908 RC and Citroen C-Metisse concepts, the Renault Nepta is a luxurious four-seat cabriolet that continues externally lines promoted by the Fluence concept of 2004.

Rear-biased proportions extend fluid surfaces, with simple graphics front and rear. The interior is another evolution of Renault's 'Touch Design' philosophy used in their concept cars and, to a lesser extent, in production models. Notable features include a seemingly afloat dashboard and fixed seats that refer to sailing boats. Under the hood is a longitudinally mounted 3.5-liter V6 petrol engine producing 420PS, which transmits its power via a seven-speed automatic gearbox to give the Renault Nepta a hypothetical 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds.

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Renault has taken the wraps off its Megane Coupe concept, a car which foreshadows a compact production coupe set to be released in the near future.

The concept symbolizes Renault's vision for what a compact sports coupe should deliver, namely dynamism and character - two traits emphasized by the show car's door opening kinematics.

Read more about the Megane Coupe concept and see our own hi-res images in our Geneva Motor Show Highlights.

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Renault Megane Coupe concept - Geneva 2008
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Renault unveiled the coupe version of its third generation Laguna at the Cannes Film Festival this past weekend. Derived from the design of the concept car of the same name shown in Frankfurt last year, the Laguna Coupé is shorter, wider and lower than its hatchback counterpart with a length of 4640mm, width of 1830mm and a height of 1400mm.

The uncluttered aesthetic features a character line which rises along the panels from the grille, underpinning the fender design and extending rearwards to highlight its muscular haunches. The DLO is highlighted by a pure, flowing arc. Typical of a coupé, the rear features a short overhang and broad, slim lights which give the car a distinctive lighting signature suggesting dynamism and power, accentuated by a wheelbase of 2690mm.

The four-seat coupé will be available with two new engines, a 3.5-liter petrol and 3.0-liter diesel V6, a six-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel steering. More details will become available at the official launch at the Paris Motor Show in October.

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As one of the fastest growing automotive markets in the world, Russia and the Moscow Motor Show is gaining its share of the spotlight, with an increasing number of major auto manufacturers choosing to debut new vehicles at the show, just as Renault is with the all-new Symbol/Thalia.

Renault has released photos of the Sandero Stepway, a vehicle the automaker will build for the Mercosur region of South America, which comprises Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Though based on the Sandero hatchback, the new 'urban sports' variant targets sophisticated urban customers looking for a vehicle with assertive and distinctive styling.

These are the first official photos of Renault's new production Mégane, set to make its public debut at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show. Incorporating styling cues suggestive of the world of sport, the new family hatchback measures 4.3m long, has a 2.64m wheelbase and a 1.55m track.

The design is underscored by sharp front-end looks which feature crown lines that sweep across the hood from the A-pillars to converge on the centrally positioned logo. The headlamp forms prolong the fluid lines of the air-intakes, reinforcing the vehicle's dynamic stance. When viewed in profile, the sloping roofline and dynamic proportions of its flanks suggest forward movement, while the steeply-raked screen and two-part light clusters continue the feature line at the rear.

The cabin exudes a sense of driving enjoyment, with an environment that makes use of fluid forms. The dashboard's fully integrated cowl gives the impression of being suspended, an aesthetic aspect enhanced by taut horizontal lines that highlight the curve of the trim. All the controls have been positioned to fall easily to hand, both close to the steering wheel and on the center console.

Photo Gallery: Renault Mégane
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Renault will unveil a hybrid-powered luxury crossover concept called the Onedelios at the French carmaker's home show next month. The six-passenger concept, which has individual bucket seats arranged in three rows of two, features interesting details influenced by aviation design.

Measuring 4805mm long, 1998mm wide and 1605mm high, the rakish concept has a low drag coefficient of just 0.29 and a lightweight carbon body. The aerodynamic design features a steeply raked windscreen - which extends down the hood - an aluminum-finish grille flanked by LED headlights and boomerang-shaped tail lamps nestled near air extractors that control air flow from the wheelarches. The polycarbonate roof glazing reduces weight and features a lattice-type design.

Butterfly-type side doors hinged to the roof provide access to the contemporary interior. Once inside, the cabin is reminiscent of the business class section of passenger jets; with six individually adjustable and reclining seats, complete with footrests. With its 2895mm wheelbase, the layout is claimed to have been designed to profit from all the available space.

Photo Gallery: Renault Ondelios Concept
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This is Renault's new Sand'up concept, developed by Renault Brazil and unveiled today at the 25th Salão Internacional do Automóvel in São Paolo. The modular 2+2 coupé can not only transform into a cabriolet, but it can also be used as a pickup by lowering the rear bench seat.

As most pickups in Brazil are bought for their sporty image and not used for heavy workloads, but rather as an adventurous and fun vehicle, the car makes use of the rear passenger compartment by incorporating a mechanism that lengthens the cargo bed by up to 40cm to accommodate a range of objects. The load area thereby extends to 1.7m long and boasts a payload of 500kg.

Along with the images to the left is a video presentation of the the car showing details of the interior and exterior, its modular rear end design and hard and soft top proposals. Read more about the car in our São Paolo Auto Show Highlights.

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Renault Sand'up concept - São Paolo Auto Show 2008