Renault 117 MPG Concept To Debut In Paris

The French government has issued a challenge to all its domestic automakers to build a vehicle that uses just 2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers by 2020. That translates into 117 mpg by American standards, or more than twice the gas mileage of the Toyota Prius, the most efficient car for sale over here..

Peugeot has already stepped up to the plate with its 208 Hybrid Air concept, which it claims hits the 117 mpg target. With a 1.2-litre, 81 hp, three-cylinder petrol engine in conjunction with a pair of hydraulic pumps, total power is rated at 112 horsepower. According to some reports though, the Peugeot actually gets “only” 106 mpg.What a let down, huh?

Now Renault says it will debut its own high mpg concept at the Paris Auto Show, and that it will be a true 117 mpg car. To get there, Renault’s global design chief, Laurens van den Acker, says the automaker had to start with a clean sheet of paper.

“It doesn’t have an existing platform, because the existing platform would be too heavy. To be able to get to these numbers you need a dramatic weight reduction and a dramatic aerodynamic improvement,” he said in an interview with the UK’s AutoCar.

The concept is said to offer hatchback, crossover SUV and sports car design elements. “I think there’s a little of all of those in there,” said van den Acker. About all we can be sure of right now is that it will have the Renault logo on the front when the lights go up in Paris on October 2.

Source:  Gas 2.