Renault Trezor - Paris 2016

Well it wouldn't be a Paris show without a lovely French concept, but there's more to this Renault than meets the eye

Now how many times have you seen a lavish motor show concept wheeled out, only for the production car 'inspired' by it to bear no recognition at all? Probably quite a few. Seemingly mindful of that, Renault has detailed the road cars and the concepts they drew upon as part of the Trezor launch.

So the new Espace looks like the Initiale Paris, the Twingo looks like the Twin'Run and the Captur looks like the, er, Captur. While it would be daft to expect a 350hp GT to appear in a Renault showroom soon, don't dismiss it as simply peacocking at the home motor show; there's some tangible stuff here.

The powerplant, for example, is derived from the electric motors used in Renault's successful Formula E car. It has 350hp, a claimed 0-62mph time of less than four seconds and brake energy recovery. The Trezor's pair of batteries is separately located for optimal weight distribution too. The future of motorsport technology being applied to the road perhaps? A central chassis cell made of carbon contributes to a reasonable kerbweight for the 4.7-metre Trezor of 1,600kg.

'Connectivity' and 'autonomous driving' are, as everywhere, the important phrases inside, the Trezor offering a fully autonomous mode as well as 'neutral' and 'sport'. So configured, the Trezor changes its exterior lighting to tell other road users "that driving has been delegated" and gives the driver a panoramic view of the Ultra High Definition dashboard. Renault believes 'hands-off/eyes-off' tech will be in its mainstream cars "beyond 2020". The touchscreen displays are configurable, the L-shaped design is meant to resemble a cockpit and, yes, that is tailored luggage stored in the front.

But none of that is anywhere near as interesting as the Trezor's appearance. Look at it! Renault says the design is "warm, simple and sensual", hailing from the Love 'petal' of its 'Life Flower' design strategy; the other car in that petal is the DeZir, with both intended to be the dynamic influence on Renault's look. It's long, wide and really low (just 1,080mm), with a clamshell roof come door that lifts "much like the lid of a jewellery box."

That's not the end of the motor show glamour either. The rear lights are fibre optic (including a red laser), the rear wheels are 22-inch and that incredible design builds on the "falling in love" stage of life represented by the DeZir to "feelings of maturity and commitment." Let's hope Renault commits to a production car, right? Perhaps that's too far, but any Renault influenced by the design of this is surely off to a very good start!