Renault has fully unveiled its electric E-Space Concept at the Paris Motor Show, revealing a futuristic six-seat interior that looks more like a living room than a conventional car.
While the French manufacturer still has no plans to produce the MPV itself, it confirms that one of its most striking innovations, the 1.13-meter-wide OpenR Panorama display, will appear in the next-generation Scenic and Rafale.
As Newmobility.news reported last week, the E-Space revives the philosophy of the original 1984 E-Space: maximizing interior space rather than following the SUV trend. Today’s unveiling provides a much clearer picture of how Renault intends to translate that philosophy into future cars.
A dashboard stretching from pillar to pillar
The most tangible innovation is the OpenR Panorama, a curved display measuring 1,130 mm wide and 110 mm high. Unlike the increasingly common oversized central touchscreens, it is not designed to be touched.
Instead, information is presented across the entire width of the cabin, while two smaller, adjustable touchscreens mounted around the steering column control its functions. Renault claims the arrangement improves ergonomics and keeps information closer to the driver’s natural field of vision.
The French manufacturer explicitly confirms that the future Rafale and Scenic will be the first models to benefit from the panoramic display. However, that does not necessarily mean they will inherit the concept’s complete dashboard architecture.
Another innovation is steer-by-wire technology, which eliminates the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. This allows Renault’s designers to use a compact steering wheel with a fixed central hub and adjustable steering characteristics.
For now, Renault has not confirmed whether this steering system will reach production alongside the panoramic screen.
An electric living room on wheels
The E-Space’s interior takes the original MPV philosophy considerably further. Its six individual seats sit on a completely flat floor beneath an enormous glass roof, with pillarless, opposing doors providing access.
The two second-row seats can rotate through 180 degrees, creating a face-to-face seating arrangement with the rear passengers. Alternatively, they fold down to form a large table. The second-row passengers also have access to 12.3-inch entertainment screens mounted on the front seatbacks.
A remotely controlled central console slides along the length of the passenger compartment. It incorporates a small refrigerator, air purifier, game controllers and even a traditional Connect Four game.
Whether families would actually use such an arrangement is another question. Many features appear more suited to a stationary vehicle than everyday driving, and their compatibility with production safety requirements remains to be demonstrated.
Sustainability meets extravagance
Renault also experiments with unconventional materials. Decorative elements use colored straw instead of wood, the thick carpeting is made entirely from wool, and bio-based resins and castor-oil-derived materials are used elsewhere in the cabin.
These choices underline Renault’s ambition to move beyond traditional automotive luxury, although the company provides no environmental assessment demonstrating the concept’s overall sustainability.
At 4.70 meters long and 2.02 meters wide, the E-Space is hardly compact. Its extensive glazing and enormous wheels also raise questions about cost, thermal efficiency and practicality in a production vehicle.
An MPV revival or simply a technology laboratory?
Crucially, Renault has still revealed no battery capacity, driving range, charging performance or motor specifications. Nor has it announced a production timetable. The E-Space therefore remains a design study rather than a confirmed electric alternative to today’s SUV-shaped Espace.
Nevertheless, its significance extends beyond nostalgia. Renault is preparing a new generation of larger electric vehicles and needs to differentiate them in an increasingly crowded European market.
The concept suggests one possible answer: prioritizing passenger space, flexibility, and comfort rather than simply building another high-riding SUV.
For the time being, the clearest commercial outcome is the next-generation Scenic and Rafale’s new digital cockpit. Whether Renault will eventually bring back a genuine electric Espace remains the bigger unanswered question.
