Day: Mar 2, 2016

Live (Almost) From Geneva : Day 3

Roving correspondent Robertas Parazitas, continues his reporting from the 86th Geneva International Motor Show.

Renault Stand at Geneva Salon 1965
Renault Stand at Geneva Salon 1965

Wednesday 02 March 2016

Today is mainly a scour of the show for things missed and curiosities. Thankfully the constant noise of industry bullshit has abated.

On the “Whose not there” front, not only Lancia, but also MINI. Nothing to be read into that except that significant manufacturers, or certain of their brands are refusing the motor show circuit – Volvo have expressed their reservations, and Mazda aren’t going to Paris this year. Continue reading “Live (Almost) From Geneva : Day 3”

2016 Renault Scenic at Geneva

The minivan or MPV has been with us for three decades, defined by images of the Chrysler/Dodge minivans (1984) and Renault Espace (1984).

2016 Renault Scenic: source
2016 Renault Scenic: source

According to Renault who have been market leaders in this category, they have redefined the class. Renault have tried this before in their redesign of the current Espace which is aimed not at very large families but at executive motorists looking for something different. Though not for sale in the UK, it has been a quite successful entrant in its price class. This meant a marked increase in the styling quotient and a much less rectilinear look. Continue reading “2016 Renault Scenic at Geneva”

Understanding Blandness

There is a fine line between the severely rational and the bland. The 1997 Toyota Avensis is bland yet there is a hint of something else there too.

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What little character the car has did come from somewhere. So, what inspired the theme? To try to understand this car is to try to guess at what else Toyota had in mind when developing it. If the car was launched in 1997 then the designers were looking at cars launched or on sale in three years before: 1994. What do we find? The Opel Omega and Renault Laguna had the most impact. The Peugeot 406 and Mazda 626 estates also guided the packaging targets. Continue reading “Understanding Blandness”