Renault has revealed its latest in a long line of concept cars that illustrate its future design language and this one gives us a taste of the next-generation Kangoo.
Billed as a business vehicle that can double up perfectly as a comfortable family car, the Frendzy concept is packed with innovations that aim to make life a little easier in both roles.
For work mode it offers a fabric roof that adapts to the shape of bulky objects, magnetic fixings that allow loads to be secured to the floor and it even sports a 37-inch external digital screen on the rear sliding door for business advertisements and logistical messages.
This van's big on family life too. That's why, in addition to a fold-out rear bench seat, you'll find a slate board in the rear cabin for children to sketch on, a touch-sensitive pad that slides out from the driver's seat for rear passenger movie watching or gaming and even two colour ambient lighting settings to differentiate family and work time.
While we suspect that production versions are going to be a lot more basic than this concept, the design study does highlight the possibility of a vehicle that truly facilitates both work and play.
In Renault's words: “These days, professional and personal lives are so interwoven that drivers constantly find themselves swapping from one world to the other.”
Even the asymmetrical body of the Frendzy, which also has no B-pillars, was designed around this principle. On the passenger's side you'll find no glazing and just one conventional door and one sliding side door with that aforementioned 37-inch widescreen display. The driver's side, which has side windows and centre-opening doors, represents the world of the family.
On the seemingly cute exterior styling, designer Deyan Denkov had this to say: “The concept of an asymmetric body design was the most logical way to express this vehicle's two roles.
“From the very start, I wanted to move away from the traditional format for commercial vehicles and, in doing so, show that this type of vehicle could also be more emotional, more dynamic and more attractive.”
Finally, and in keeping with Renault's electrification ambitions, the Frendzy is powered by the same electric motor as the Kangoo Z.E. The concept will be shown in the flesh for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.