Photo: Renault
Shown six months ago at the Paris Motor Show as a Concept, the Renault City K-ZE is now much closer to becoming useful. Just revealed at Auto Shanghai, this will become an affordable combination between an EV and a tiny city crossover.
It will be assembled locally by a company called eGT New Energy Automotive Co. Ltd, a joint venture between Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Dongfeng.
The K-ZE has been built to “high European quality standards”, which is probably why it was shown in Paris. But like the Renault Kwid with which it shares its 2,422mm wheelbase, it's unlikely to be offered in the old continent, this having to do with crash test ratings.
The main thing that makes it different from a normal A-segment hatchback is the ground clearance: 150mm. But once again, it's something we see on the Kwid (up to 180mm). Renault never talks about underpinnings for this, its sixth EV model. However, we suspect it's based on the CMF-A and measures under 3.7 meters long and 1.5 meters high.
The battery is supposed to offer you a range of up to 250 km (155 miles) per charge according to the NEDC cycle. This seems a tad ambitious, considering the Zoe had 210 km and actually showed about half of that when we tested it. Still, charging is not going to be a problem with the K-ZE, as it will fill up to 80% in 50 minutes on a fast charger and over four hours on a normal one.
The main cosmetic changes over the Kwid are at the front, where the EV sports a much more serious set of lights and a black shield where the grille would have been. But it keeps the wheel arch cladding, the taillights and most of the rear bumper.
As for the interior, it's still a low-cost one, with a large tray appearing where the gear shifter would have been. Renault promises an 8-inch infotainment system, remote access, 4G Wi-Fi, smart voice recognition and air conditioning. But we can't be impressed with an EV that has turn-key ignition. How does that even work?
The K-ZE has been built to “high European quality standards”, which is probably why it was shown in Paris. But like the Renault Kwid with which it shares its 2,422mm wheelbase, it's unlikely to be offered in the old continent, this having to do with crash test ratings.
The main thing that makes it different from a normal A-segment hatchback is the ground clearance: 150mm. But once again, it's something we see on the Kwid (up to 180mm). Renault never talks about underpinnings for this, its sixth EV model. However, we suspect it's based on the CMF-A and measures under 3.7 meters long and 1.5 meters high.
The battery is supposed to offer you a range of up to 250 km (155 miles) per charge according to the NEDC cycle. This seems a tad ambitious, considering the Zoe had 210 km and actually showed about half of that when we tested it. Still, charging is not going to be a problem with the K-ZE, as it will fill up to 80% in 50 minutes on a fast charger and over four hours on a normal one.
The main cosmetic changes over the Kwid are at the front, where the EV sports a much more serious set of lights and a black shield where the grille would have been. But it keeps the wheel arch cladding, the taillights and most of the rear bumper.
As for the interior, it's still a low-cost one, with a large tray appearing where the gear shifter would have been. Renault promises an 8-inch infotainment system, remote access, 4G Wi-Fi, smart voice recognition and air conditioning. But we can't be impressed with an EV that has turn-key ignition. How does that even work?
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