Renault Ondelios
Named after the French word for wave ("onde") and the Greek god of the sun, Helios, the Renault Ondelios concept was designed specifically to put the French automaker at the forefront of the ever expanding luxury crossover segment.
The gullwinged show car, though, has more than just a made up name and unique design to set itself from the rest. Renault's take on the future of CUVs utilizes a revised version of brand's existing 2.0L dCi diesel hybrid engine assisted by two 20 kW electric motors. The motors, one on the front axle and the other on the rear, use regenerative braking to produce and store energy. When pulling from a stop, the front electric motor gets the Ondelios on its way, while the rear kicks on when a loss of traction occurs. An impressive 51 mpg is said to be attained by the next generation diesel-electric hybrid and only 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer is emitted from its exhaust pipes.
The composite (and recyclable) body work was penned a way that minimizes the concept's wind resistance in order to boost its impressive fuel economy. Extensive use of vents on the natural flax and carbon fiber panels assist in the directing of air around the vehicle once in motion. Twenty-three inch propeller shaped wheels wrapped in low-rolling resistance Michelin rubber draw in passing air to reduce turbulence and cool the massive brakes.
Interior designers continued the high-tech theme and integrated a multi-zone climate control system that is adjustable by each of the six passengers. All three rows of powered seats can be reclined and have access to individual Samsung multimedia systems. In the front of the cabin, traditional dashboard features such as ride info, tachometer, speedometer and hybrid engine statistics have been moved onto button-less active display skins depicted on the windshield directly in front of the driver and passenger.