|  |  | | Renault Altica - a sporty estate with the accent on practicality
Renault Altica is a sporty estate that combines flowing lines with a spacious interior. Its dynamic stance is underpinned by a long bonnet and rounded forms, while its modular interior ensures outstanding load capacity. Renault Altica stands out as a dynamic vision of the estate car, combining the practicality of the latter, the sports appeal of a coupe and a high standard of travelling comfort.
"Altica strikes a successful balance between flowing and sporty lines. This car is an original and futuristic vision of the estate car, while its graphic identity is both bold and innovative," says Renault's Senior Vice President, Corporate Design, Patrick le Quement.
Flowing, sporty lines
The panoramic windscreen and rear window underline the car's fluid aerodynamics. The two-tone paintwork accentuates the side design and also asserts Renault Altica's graphic identity. The car's overall stance - low-slung lines, long bonnet, prominent wings - and proportions express true sports car dynamics.
Renault Altica's interior mirrors its sporty, dynamic exterior design. The suspended drive station is held in place by four profiled rods that hint at the world of Formula 1. The headlamps feature four different modes - daytime running lights (DRL), sidelights, dipped beam and main beam - and function using rows of diodes. They also produce a halo effect when the DRL mode is selected. This is achieved in two ways. First of all, each polycarbonate headlamp module cover is speckled with thousands of small, micro-engraved nicks.
Invisible to the naked eye, these nicks have no effect on the beams and permit light to pass unhindered. In the daytime running mode, however, the surface of the module cover is illuminated from the edge. The light is accordingly trapped inside the mass and spreads out like a fluid over the entire surface to produce an original and effective halo effect for the DRL and sidelight functions.
An estate with the accent on practicality
Renault Altica's sports pedigree is reinforced by its scissor doors, the form of which ensures easy access to this low vehicle. The generous interior volumes of Renault Altica provide a very high standard of travelling comfort despite the car's sporty characteristics. Each of the four individual seats boasts outstanding comfort.
Instead of the driver's seat, which is fixed, it is the drive station and pedal assembly that adjust to match the driver's physique thanks to a motorized mechanism. The height-adjustable centre armrest deploys automatically as the driver sits down.
The dial features two display modes: "comfort" and "sport". The "comfort" mode indicates the car's speed in the centre of the display while the perimeter shows the legal speed limits which turn red if exceeded. In the "sport" mode, the speed continues to be displayed in the middle of the dial but the perimeter becomes a digital rev counter and turbo pressure indicator.
The rear seat backs can be folded into the flat floor which is equipped with straps that permit heavy or bulky loads to be held secure. This layout transforms Renault Altica into a two-seater sports coupe with a vast 1,300-litre boot, while the boot lid provides very easy access and an extremely low loading sill.
Driving pleasure, power and control
Renault Altica is a dynamic sporty estate that combines driving pleasure with a sensation of power and control. With its long bonnet, sporty dimensions (length: 4.27m; width: 1.83m) and very low centre of gravity, Renault Altica offers remarkable performance.
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