Innovation across the range

Innovation at Renault has three deep and powerful roots:

• Renault R&D, covering in-house work and projects run in partnership with public and private organizations such as laboratories and research centers;
• cooperation with suppliers and automotive equipment manufacturers;
• Interchange with Nissan under the Renault-Nissan Alliance, founded in 1999.   

Since Renault believes everyone should benefit from innovation, it introduces the best in modern technology across the whole range rather than restricting it to luxury models.

Renault Modus, released in 2004, brought in a number of innovations:

• rear bench configurable for two or three seats;
• upmarket safety features such as dual-range xenon headlights, additional cornering lightss, and variable-assist electric power steering.
  

Innovation for safety

Renault today sets the benchmark for safety, with nine vehicles achieving top five-star rating in the Euro NCAP tests. Proven safety performance owes much to Renault’s three-point integral safety approach:

• Prevention, with driver support and information systems;
• Correction, with assistance to ensure the driver responds effectively in emergency situations;
• Protection, to minimize the risk of injury if an accident does happen.  

> Read more about Renault's safety policy 

> Read more about safety equipment 

Maximizing driving pleasure

Renault is constantly improving vehicle features to make motoring the most pleasurable experience possible:

• Acoustics: Renault’s soundproofing work covers all interior and exterior noise sources (engine noise, vibration, tire rolling noise, body resonance, etc.). In 2004, the Modus became the fifth Renault to achieve an outside noise level of 71dB, which is 3dB lower than stipulated by European standards. 
• Air conditioning: Many cars today offer air conditioning as a standard feature, much appreciated for safety as well as comfort reasons. (For example, it prevents the windows from misting up.) 
• Visibility and roominess: Sunroofs are being extended across the Renault range. 
• Ergonomics: Automatic systems reduce the risk of driver distraction by taking charge of certain routine operations such as switching on the headlights. Then advanced design runs hand in hand with technological innovation to produce controls that are intuitive to operate and pleasant to the touch. A good example is the user interface for the Carminat Navigation and Communication System.   

> Read more about comfort and driving pleasure

Protecting the environment

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and energy consumption

CO2 is the main culprit behind the greenhouse effect that threatens climate change. In consuming large amounts of fossil fuel, motor vehicles release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Renault pursues a number of major research initiatives to reduce these emissions. 

• To start with, Renault strives to minimize CO2 emissions from its gasoline and diesel engines. This problem is tackled from many different angles, including optimized fuel combustion, lightweight vehicle design, and reducing friction between moving parts. Improvements in all these areas help reduce fuel consumption, and thereby CO2 emissions. 
• Vehicle aerodynamics also have a bearing on fuel consumption. Recent developments in digital aerodynamic modeling provide engineers with valuable insights into the impact of design choices on fuel consumption. 
• Renault takes part in ambitious research programs on alternative energies capable of eventually taking over from classic petroleum fuels, either in the near future (for biomass fuels) or within a longer time-frame (for fuel cells to power electric vehicles).   

Read more about research programs

Air quality

Automobiles discharge various pollutant gases and particulates into the atmosphere. Thanks to consistent efforts by automotive industry research teams, pollutant emissions are constantly falling (by around 50% every five years). Under its sustainable development policy, Renault is committed to achieving further reductions, and runs in-depth studies into the causes and effects of atmospheric pollutant discharges. 

Modern cars already benefit from recent developments – such as direct injection and exhaust gas recirculation – capable of bringing emission levels down. Many other developments are under way, including alternative fuels (produced from biomass) and new technologies for conventional engines (such as stratified loading and camless camshafts).

With a longer-term outlook, Renault is also working on fuel cells, which discharge nothing more dangerous than water vapor into the atmosphere. Here, Renault is particularly interested in reformer technology, which involves direct on-board production (using a choice of fuels) of the hydrogen needed by the fuel cell.

Recycling

Renault targets a vehicle recyclability rate of 95%, an ambitious objective that requires full allowance for recycling right from the initial vehicle design phase. To pursue this goal, Renault practices a full-life cycle approach to vehicle development.