The release of a new model is done in several phases until the official presentation to the public. Among the stages that punctuate the development of a car, there is an unknown one: the “clinical trial”! Participants are invited to gather their impressions of the work in progress.
The development of a vehicle is a long process with many stages. At Renault, for example, three years before the launch of a model – and just before the freezing of its design – we organize a “Clinic Test”. A little like for a cosmetic product, it is for the brand to collect the impressions of a handful of participants – selected by specialized agencies – according to ” their membership or their proximity to the target clientele and the product studied “. On the sidelines of the launch of the Renault Austral, replacing the Kadjar, the manufacturer with the diamond invites us behind the scenes of these rather special tests.
A crucial step
The reactions of the panel of potential customers (French and foreign) are analyzed using a model that “est generally usable for all business needs explains Renault. So that customers are not influenced, the vehicle is exhibited among other competitors ” as it would be in a showroom » explains Céline, Customer Knowledge Manager, who adds that « theParticipants must be aware of the proportions of the prototype, take ownership of its characteristics with realistic and familiar landmarks to form a reliable first impression. “. Behind the scenes, the builder studies each reaction and exchanged words of the participants. Everything is scrutinized! This gives rise to interesting and lively exchanges between the teams internally, underlines the manufacturer.
“” The clinic test is a strong event, eagerly awaited by the teams of a project and well beyond… It is a moment of truth and validation for a vehicle in development! ” emphasizes the young woman.“
Guiding the Renault teams
The specialized companies in charge of the “Clinic Tests” prepare eight weeks before the event. At the end of the presentation, they have a maximum of six weeks to provide analyzes and comments so that the manufacturer can reassess the vehicle’s development schedule and be able to carry out the modifications. Even if the stage of clinical tests has been advanced at the earliest in the development schedule, Renault specifies that it cannot start from scratch or change the structure of the prototype. However, he arrived at the mark of ” having to resign oneself to purely and simply stopping a project, having to shift a schedule or put it under extreme tension to integrate the essential corrections she explains. This step is a must for all new features. The Customer Knowledge Manager recalls that almost all of the cars launched in 2024 have already seen their model tested in presentation from 2021. ” This gives you an idea of the collective anticipation! she says.
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