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Renault has pulled off that rare modern trick - the motor show surprise, by using the Paris Motor Show to reveal its new K-ZE affordable electric car.
The K-ZE is a really small crossover, so it's actually smaller than a Renault Captur, and it's been designed to be both cheap to buy and able to be charged from as many different domestic and public charging points as possible.
It won't go very far on a charge, though. Renault has announced that the car has a 250km one-charge range, which sounds pretty good, but that's using the old NEDC test cycle. It's likely to be less than 200km on the new WLTP regime, and could be as little as 100km in realistic everyday conditions.
It's been designed initially for the Chinese car market, and will be made there (in a joint venture between Renault, Nissan, and Dongfeng Motors) and sold first in China, before making its way to Europe.
"Groupe Renault was a pioneer and is the European leader in electric vehicles. We are introducing Renault K-ZE, an affordable, urban, SUV-inspired electric model combining the best of Groupe Renault: our leadership in EV, our expertise in affordable vehicles and in forging strong partnerships", said Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Groupe Renault.
Ghosn also announced in Paris that Renault's regular models will start becoming part-electric from next year. The new Clio is being equipped with a mild-hybrid setup, while the Megane and the Captur will get plugin-hybrid powertrains.
Renault will also show off a new concept car in Paris, a massive, electric, autonomous, luxury saloon. Kind of like a modern-day take on the Vel Satis. It will be shown alongside what Renault calls its Augmented Editorial Experience (AEX), which is basically Renault trying to offer an in-car service for news, streaming movies and even educational videos. "This immersive experience combining content, connectivity services, media and mobility, will turn travel time into a learning experience beyond driving and beyond the car itself. With the advent of connected, autonomous vehicles, customers will expect more of their traveling time. Experimenting with Groupe Challenges, we imagine what tomorrow's connected, personalized mobility experience could be," Ghosn said. "Access to premium content delivered through unique on-board experiences for drivers and passengers will become key differentiators."