Renault Scenic
Expert Rating:
What is it?
It's another piece of a massive jigsaw called the new Mégane, a jigsaw that's now complete courtesy of five models: three-door coupé, five-door hatchback, Sport Tourer (estate), Scenic and Grand Scenic.
The French maker has something of an obsession with people-carriers - the Scenic is the latest of seven currently to be found in its showrooms, bookended by the Modus mini-MPV and the Espace, which we guess you could call a maxi-MPV. The Scenic is a compact MPV (it was the very first compact MPV, in fact, back in 1996), which makes it medium-sized. Clear?
This a pivotal car for Renault because its combination of relatively small exterior dimensions and plenty of interior space makes it a mummy's favourite, so it's a big seller. In 2008 alone Renault shifted almost a couple of hundred thousand of these, so it would be foolhardy to change a winning formula.
Is it any good?
As we suspected, Renault has played it safe, making the new Scenic very similar to the outgoing car while improving it in pretty much every way. The cabin is brought into line with the rest of the Mégane range, which means it's fashioned from plastics that are pleasingly soft to touch, but which should also withstand a three-to-five-year battering from pre-adolescents. It's well laid out too, and the equipment roster improves over its predecessor, with standard air conditioning and the all-important raft of airbags (including curtain ones) and electronic stability aids present and correct.
The only problem you'll have is choosing which model to go for, because there are 28 separate variations of engine and trim to chose from across five spec grades and eight engines - five of them diesel. Power outputs range from 85bhp to 158bhp. We drove the 1.5-litre dCi 110 with a six-speed manual, which perplexingly won't be available until later in the year - if at all - though the entire engine line-up is already familiar from other Méganes. Any one of the diesels will give you enough shove, even with a full complement of folk on board, while returning fuel economy above 50mpg.
Obviously this is not a car for someone expecting a thrilling drive, but the Scenic isn't the wallowing, detached experience behind the wheel it could have been. Renault's claims of 'saloon handling' are misleading - it is after all a tall, softly sprung people carrier - but there are certainly far less dynamic MPVs around. The Scenic's all-around visibility is excellent and the controls have a weight and feel similar to the Mégane hatch - which means they're both light and precise - but the 'sporty' edges of the ride are smoothed off a little to make it more comfortable. It's stable on the motorway too, though wind noise from the windscreen pillars is too intrusive at high speeds.
It's practicality that Scenic buyers are most concerned with, though, and on that there's little to complain about. The Scenic has grown by a few centimetres, which translates to more cabin and cargo space - and it shows. The boot is a mere two litres down on that of the Mégane estate and there's a full 86 litres of cubbyhole space in the cabin, including a central storage bin that can hold a 1.5-litre bottle. Plus, the rear seats can be moved fore and aft for either more boot or leg space, and they can be folded or removed entirely.
Should I call the bank manager?
Probably the most appealing thing we can say about the Scenic is that Renault has dropped its price by around £2,000 model-for-model compared to the current car, which means it's now meaningfully cheaper than, say, the Ford Focus C-Max. If you don't need the two extra seats offered by the likes of the Toyota Verso and the Vauxhall Zafira, that pricing strategy makes the Scenic even more convincing than it already is, as does the fact there are five diesel-powered versions that qualify for 'eco2' status (Renault's stamp of greenness), all with CO2 emissions below 130g/km.
Its five trim levels are Extreme, Expression, Dynamique, TomTom Edition (which is like Dynamique but gets satnav) and Privilege, with prices starting at £13,595 and rising to £22,295. Most will, Renault thinks, settle for a Dynamique model powered by the 108bhp 1.6-litre VVT petrol engine, which will cost a shade over £16k. That's about the right price-to-spec balance trim wise, but we might suggest you opt for the stronger pulling power of the 105bhp 1.5-litre dCi, if your budget can handle the £1,500 premium. That will get you 16-inch alloys, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control, Bluetooth and a multifunction leather steering wheel.
Summary
We've given the Scenic four stars because there's very little to criticise. However, if we could take half a star away we probably would because, ultimately, and despite its sweeping improvements, it's still a car you'd buy for purely functional reasons. It's bland, frankly, but it's also spacious, well-priced (if you pick the right spec), well-equipped (ditto), and it will probably prove reliable too. Recommended, if you must.
