The Egeus is no slouch when it comes to on-road performance, thanks to a 250-horsepower 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel with 406 lb-ft of torque. This new engine delivers its punch through a seven-speed automatic gearbox with paddle-shift manual mode, enabling it to be at the front of its pack in terms of performance and fuel consumption. Like many Renault turbodiesels, the Egeus is fitted with a soot-removing particulate filter, making it one of the cleanest powerplants around, exceeding strict Euro4
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| The Egeus is no slouch when it comes to on-road performance, thanks to a 250 horsepower, 406 lb-ft of torque 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel. (Photo: Renault) |
emission standards. Power is delivered to all four wheels through an automatic four wheel drive system. Renault's clever drivetrain allows for adjustable amounts of power to each of the four wheels, ranging from 0 to 100 percent. This allows the Egeus to get out of sticky, or rather, slippery situations with ease.
In building the Egeus concept, Renault teamed up several other specialist corporations. Montupet crafted the beautiful 22-inch alloy wheels, while Valeo developed the Egeus' ground-breaking LED lighting units. But one of the more important partnerships was with tire-maker Michelin. Special, one of a kind Eden Weiss tires were developed for the Egeus' on and off-road nature. The tires have different tread areas that provide above-average traction on
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| The tires have different tread areas that provide above-average traction on dry, wet and unpaved surfaces. (Photo: Renault) |
dry, wet and unpaved surfaces. Stiff sidewalls and the PAX system allow the Egeus to provide sportier handling characteristics and run-flat protection. Expect to see a variation of the Eden Weiss 'crossover' tire to hit production soon.
With many automobile manufactures cashing in on the lucrative sport utility vehicle marketplace, the Egeus could very well be the gateway to entering this vehicle niche. Insiders suggest that the production version could arrive as soon as late 2007, riding on the 'Alliance C' platform, developed and shared with Nissan. This platform is already in use in Renault's Golf-sized Megane car lineup and will be used to underpin the Nissan Sentra's replacement, foreshadowed by the Sport Concept unveiled at this year's New York show. It is expected that Renault and Nissan will create an off-road ready version equipped with all wheel drive to underpin both it, and the production version of the Nissan Quashqai concept slated to arrive sometime next year. The SUV 'twins' would share many mechanical and aesthetical components, reducing development and production costs.
