Renault Avantime History & Specs
Renault Avantime History & Specs
The Avantime originally appeared as a concept design in 2000. It was designed to fulfil a perceived market need for a vehicle with many of the characteristics of an MPV, such as high seating and good visibility, but without the need for seven seats. The Avantime was first introduced in Europe in September 2001 and was an innovative 3-door pillarless coupé, based on the Renault Espace Series 3. It featured double-hinged doors that allowed easy access to the rear seats by moving outwards and forwards in one movement without the necessity to open the doors wide in confined parking spaces.
The construction was based on the established Matra practice of a steel platform clad with GRP. The aluminium upper structure was left in its natural colour as a design feature. The engines and suspension were taken from the Espace and all models featured high levels of specification and trim. There were three models produced:
Dynamique, with a 2 litre 165 bhp turbo petrol engine and 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic gearboxes.
Helios, with a 2.2 litre 150 bhp common rail diesel and 5-speed manual gearbox or 2.2 litre petrol with manual or automatic gearboxes. Diesels were never produced in right hand drive though.
Privilège, with a 3 litre 24 valve V6 petrol, producing 210 bhp with a choice of 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic gearboxes.