Thanks to our well placed...

Thanks to our well placed sources, we"re the first magazine to bring you these official pictures of the Renault MODUS, which is set to go into production later this year. The mini-MPV, which had been expected to be called Twingospace, was the star of Renault"s stand. Bosses billed it as a preview to the showroom car, which will be launched officially at September"s Paris expo.

The "shrunken Scenic" styling is sure to polarise opinion, although it does follow the look of the current Renault range, with a distinctive reverse-raked rear and a nose inspired by the Kangoo.

The MODUS comes with a full-length glass roof, while the cab-forward windscreen gives the interior a great feeling of space. Multi-coloured fabrics dominate the cabin, and are expected to appear in production models, while the dashboard is illuminated with VW-style blue LCD backlighting.

Interior practicality is set to be one of the car"s main selling points, with a sliding seat arrangement called "Triptic". This allows the rear bench to be used as either a two or a three-seater, with two separate splits in the rear to allow it to be folded in numerous different configurations. The tailgate is split in a similar manner to that of Citroen"s C2, with a lower lip that can be folded separately from the upper glass hatch. The rear bumper incorporates a bike rack, which can be erected in seconds and hold two cycles weighing up to 30kg.

Other key features include headlights that turn with the steering - a first on a small car - and door mirrors mounted away from the body to enhance the driver"s peripheral vision. Renault has yet to confirm whether the MODUS name will remain for production versions, which will rival models such as the Vauxhall Meriva and Fiat Idea.