Renault Avantime

Make	Renault - Matra
Years of production	2001 to 2003
produced	8557
Class	Motor Car
Production Assembly	Romorantin-Lanthenay
Engines	Gasoline F :1,998  cm 3 V6 ESL :2,946  cm 3 Diesel turbo G :2 188  cm 3
Engine position	Before
Gearbox	Manual 6 speed Automatic 5 speed
Bodywork	3 doors coupe
Frame	Renault Espace III
Coefficient of drag	0.34
suspensions	Mac Pherson type. Rear type Semi-rigid axle
brakes	front: ventilated discs back: disks
Length	4,642 mm
Width	1,834 mm
Height	1,627 mm
wheelbase	1,720 mm
Trunk volume	530

The Renault Avantime is an automobile produced by Matra on behalf of the Renault manufacturer , between 2001 and 2003. Like the Renault Espace , the concept was proposed by Matra who ensured its development. The Renault design center , participated in the design of the vehicle. Early abandoned by Renault , only 8,557 copies of this model were produced. Marketing and maintenance were provided by the Renault network .

The Avantime model was preceded by a concept car presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999. It innovated by being the first  concept that was at the edge of minivans and high-end coupes like SUVs .

It is proposed by Matra to Renault to renew the load plan of the Romorantin plant, Space being transferred to the assembly plants of Renault . The model was aimed at Renault Espace's historic clientele, freed from the constraints of the family, with a high purchasing power and attracted by the difference and unconventionality of a vehicle .

Its spectacular design was surprised above all by its half-moon rear window, inspired by the Renault Vel Satis concept car , but also by its highly worked taillights, its raw aluminum arches and its fully glazed roof. For its designers, the design of the bow should not let foresee the design of the rear .

Inside, there is a beige and black universe, sleek, airy and very bright, embellished with four individual leather chairs and equipped with high-end equipment with Xenon lights and GPS.

The Avantime concept is powered by a 3.0 V6 24-valve developing 207 hp and associated with a 6-speed manual transmission.

In September 2014, on the occasion of the Paris Motor Show, the Concept car was exhibited in a hall tracing "Automobile and Fashion".

In 1998, Louis Schweitzer, CEO of Renault , and Philippe Guédon , CEO of Matra Automobiles , sign a partnership agreement. It foresees the development by Matra and the commercialization by Renault of a new high-end product, image vehicle forerunner of the design of the future range, which must seduce a well-off clientele, modern and unconventional. It must take over from the Space on the chains of Romorantin and Theillay. It will take again the name of the concept from which it is directly derived: Avantime.

In October 1999, the Avantime Series is on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In June 2001, it is presented to the press. Its very original design remains extremely close to that of the original concept car, but finally differs very little from the Espace III which it takes elements, then the Vel Satis with which it will be often confused.

95% of the design and technical solutions present on the concept are retained, such as the raw aluminum upper structure, the pantographed doors, the integrated belt front seats, the abundance of glazed surfaces and the studless structure embellished by a Panoramic front sunroof and a fixed glazed rear roof. It is the platform of Space III that is used, taking up nearly 50% of its parts. Among its other particularities, the long doors have an opening to eccentric kinematics (from the project Matra P41), which facilitates access on board in a small footprint. The 4 side windows can be opened without a central pillar.
However, suffers from finishing defects. For Le Monde ,"When you closed the door a little hard, all the windows of the first models began to shake. Glass junctions cause whistling, the glass roof creaks and interior materials do not sweat the quality .

The launch takes place in September 2001. A very artistic commercial, starring French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier , is airing for the first time the appearance of the slogan: "Renault, automotive designer."

Technical constraints (bodywork devoid of central amounts, double kinematic doors) and some assembly defects delayed its launch  . The Avantime was released at about the same time as the other high-end brand, the Vel Satis , also anti-conformist style but close enough visually to the Avantime, which resulted in a crippling confusion in the public spirit.

Potential buyers, but even more so the distribution network, are baffled by this unusual vehicle. For example, the Avantime is criticized for having only two doors, whereas it is about its very concept: to be a "  minivan coupe   ". At the end of a year, the 3,900 registered registrations are far from the modest objective of 15,000 fixed by Renault. Matra is even less support this failure as other projects, including a car without a license, prove impasses .

In a heavily dieselized French market, a single gasoline engine is then proposed. It is the "  V6 ESL engine  " of 3  liters (type L7X) and only in 6-speed manual transmission, the diesel engine being launched a year later .

Two finishes are in the catalog: Dynamic and Privilege. The Exception Pack can be added to this finish, which gives access to a wide range of colors for upholstery (Blue Tail, Ash Gray, Pearl Gray, Volcano Gray, Inca Red and Amazon Green).

In April 2002, the engine F 2.0 Turbo petrol (type F4RT) is introduced, equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox, and the engine V6 ESL 3  liters (type L7X) becomes available in 5-speed Aisin-Warner Proactive automatic gearbox . The finish Expression comes soon enrich the range from below.

In June 2002, the engine G 2.2 dCi (Diesel) type G9T, equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission, extends the range of motorization by the bottom also.

On February 26 , Matra announced the closure of the Romorantin plant . Renault announces that it will not take over the production of the Avantime.

In May, after only 8,557 Avantime products in 22 months, production is stopped. Around 4,000 vehicles were exported, mostly in Europe.

Despite the exceptional echo of this unusual vehicle in the international trade press, its remarkable comfort and driving pleasure, the Avantime proves a commercial failure, handicapped by its astonishing atypism as much as its high-end positioning as its random finish Yet makes it inaccessible. It remains however a forerunner of a long line of vehicles mixing inspirations, which we will name crossover .

Beyond the aesthetic and practical aspects, it should be noted the very high road qualities of this model  : it was tried in November 2008 on tour by the hosts of the famous English show Top Gear, blown away by the road holding of the Avantime . In an interview in Italy, the engineer Nicola Materazzi who developed high-powered cars (Lancia Stratos and Ferrari F40 among others), explicitly cited the Avantime as having handling and exceptional stability .