Renault is previewing its future mini electric crossover with the K-ZE concept revealed at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. Taking a closer look at the K-ZE, it becomes immediately apparent that it is, in fact, just a dressed up Kwid (which Renault already sells in emerging markets) which has had its internal combustion powertrain swapped out for a full-electric one.

The future electric crossover will look much closer to this concept, than it will to the current Kwid, although it will maintain its basic body shape. What will set it apart visually more significantly are the new, redesigned front and rear fascias, as well as various details around the exterior. It also promises to offer “class leading” range for a vehicle in its size-bracket.

Exterior

Its two-tier front fascia, with LED daytime running lights placed separately above the actual lights, and integrated into the grille, it really attracts attention. It is considerably nicer to look at compared to the Kwid, and we’re quite sure most of the design will be carried over into the production variant.

Rear fascia is less boldly styled, but it works with the rest of the design very well and in the case of the concept, it is definitely lifted by the swanky LED rear lights; it also gets a skid plate under both front and rear bumpers, although it looks like they’re purely cosmetic (plastic) pieces that won’t actually protect anything.

Its wheels are also quite intricately designed and, just like the rest of the car, feature blue accents. The roof, for instance, is also painted blue, but instead of abruptly stopping, it flows down the car in a gradient and eventually fades into the car’s paint.

We can’t say whether it will be kept here for the production version, but it will certainly need to have a protective lid to keep dirt, water, and ice out of the socket itself.

Interior

Renault doesn’t show the K-ZE’s interior, so we can assume it’s not designed to be shown off - it’s probably just a Kwid interior with minor modifications - the concept has very dark windows so as not to peer inside.

But in the production version, it will probably remain very similar to that of the Kwid, although materials quality could and should be addressed, especially if Renault wants to sell it in Europe where buyers are not only savvy but also spoiled for choice in all segments.

Drivetrain

Under the new WLTP guidelines, it will definitely drop under 120 miles. This is far less than some other all-electric crossovers (albeit bigger ones and already in production) say they offer.

No performance data is mentioned in the press blurb, but don’t expect the production version of this to be blisteringly quick. It will definitely be brisk off the line, but it’s unlikely that Renault will give it any kind of real power.

Conclusion

The production version of the K-ZE will definitely be eye-catching by significantly improving the design of the Kwid, but it really needs to address the Kwid’s not very good interior and also keep as much of the concept’s exterior detailing as possible. Renault could also increase its battery capacity somehow because while it does call its one-charge range best in class, it’s not that impressive by current standards.

That means no weekend trips to the countryside in this car. It will definitely be priced very competitively for an electric car, that’s certain, but it’s going to face increasingly talented adversaries in the near future.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2015 Renault KWID.