while Mercedes-Benz uses satellite and various gizmos to predict the road ahead, French automaker Renault takes the ‘looking forward’ game up a notch by giving its Renault KWID Concept a quadcopter for, you know, actual surveillance of the traffic situation way ahead. this activity car of the future is designed as a lightweight, compact two-wheel drive ride with an outlook of an off-roader (not necessary mean it is one, though) and though unveiled at the Delhi Auto Show, this is by no means design-for-India car only. it is destined, if it ever sees the light of production, for the international markets and designed by an international team, including inputs from Renault Design India.
apart from its striking and somewhat cute proposition resulting from a small body with virtually no overhangs, bulging fenders and massive tires, the star highlight is obviously the included remote quadcopter known as the Flying Companion, stashed away in a hatch at the rear section of the roof. the quadcopter, or drone if you prefer, has two modes of operation; an automatic mode through pre-programmed waypoints, aided by GPS and manual control using the a tablet inside the vehicle. the primary idea of the Flying Companion is to scout out the traffic, which would probably provide information that’s more accurate then your local radio traffic reports, but it could also be use to take stills or perhaps, capturing video selfie of your KWID cruising by the bay.
it might be a concept that could really see fruition, if not for two things. firstly, drone control by the regulating authorities (you know who they are, don’t you?), and secondly, the ‘bird’s nest’ inspired interior that looks almost too futuristic to be true. the interior, presumably sits five, features a bench-like ergonomic seats, both front and back, with the driver’s seat being the center up at the front, thereby giving it a neutral driving position (and perhaps, room to accommodate two fine ladies on each side of the driver?) suited for international roads. the concept is powered the latest generation downsized 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol unit, mated to a dual-clutch gearbox for fuel economy, but is it however, electric-ready too, which means Renault could work out an electric-powered version too, well…, albeit probably a concept too.
other details include an electronically operated front bench seat, electric opening doors, LED lighting, touch shifting on steering (as opposed to paddle or gear shift), and a dashboard in the form of a vertically mounted TFT touchscreen. the Renault KWID Concept with Quadcopter is a bold concept and we would oblige to think it will remain so. making the vehicle and getting people to love the idea will not be a difficult task, but getting the necessary approval to enable drones to fly around freely would be, which is why we think it will remain as concept. who knows? it might crash into one of Amazon’s delivery drones (if that ever takes to the sky at all)? in mean time, scroll down for a concept video and design video to learn more about the KWID.
