Renault to preview next MPV in Frankfurt?

A new report finds that the fifth generation of the Renault Espace minivan will be previewed by a thinly-veiled concept that will greet the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show next September.

Renault design chief Laurens van den Acker confirmed that the next Espace will differ from the eleven-year old current model by taking the form of a crossover that will incorporate SUV and minivan styling cues.  The car's overall design will be softer than that of the fourth-gen model, creating a less angular silhouette.

In addition to growing in size, the next Espace will follow Renault's upmarket push and carry a slightly higher base price than the current model.

"The Espace is a respected vehicle.  It is one Renault you'd likely see on a driveway alongside a Volkswagen or a Mercedes," said van den Acker in an interview with trade journal Automotive News.  "We've let it live for too long," he acknowledged.

Following its rumored debut in Germany next fall, the production-bound fifth-generation Espace will make its debut at next year's Geneva Motor Show.  Likely assembled in Douai, France, it will ride on a new modular platform called CMF1 that was developed jointly by Renault and Nissan.