Renault Grand Modus Range : A GRAND IN THE HAND

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A supermini MPV with character, the Renault Grand Modus is a smarter city car. Andy Enright reports

With an extra 16cm of length over its originator, the Grand Modus will appeal to those who need a compact car but have kids that have gone beyond the toddler stage. As we have come to take for granted from Renault, the Grand Modus features an excellent range of engines and safety provision.

It's rare that car manufacturers come up with a class of car that's completely new but it hasn't stopped them trying. Renault has long been at the forefront of trying to plunder new market niches and for every success like the original Espace and the Megane Scenic models, there have been some spectacular failures like the Vel Satis and Avantime. Such is the congestion of car types that a more profitable strategy in recent years has been to take existing vehicles and just tweak them slightly. It's worked with the Grand Scenic and the coupe-cabriolet version of the Megane. A similar tactic has been reprised with the Modus, Renault's big selling supermini-MPV. In Grand Modus guise, it's a bit longer but no less appealing. Based on a stretched version of the Renault-Nissan Alliance B platform shared with Nissan's Micra and Note models, the Grand Modus is a car expertly attuned to the requirements of modern family motorists. It's surprising what the extra 93mm in the Grand Modus' wheelbase does to the ride quality. More in this case is less: on typically rutted city streets the longer car feels less nervous and there's less of an abrupt jolt when negotiating speed humps. There's a wide range of engine choices, the Grand range doing without the Modus' entry level diesel powerplant and instead getting the punchier 86 and 106bhp 1.5-litre dCi units. The petrol engines comprise two 1.2-litre units: a 75bhp 1.2-litre and a 100bhp 1.2-litre turbo and a 111bhp 1.6-litre VVT powerplant that's twinned with an automatic gearbox. The 5-speed manual gearbox most will choose is taken from the Megane II, with gear ratios adapted to the Modus, but there's an optional Quickshift5 clutchless set-up for the dCi86. Renault has worked hard to ensure low noise levels and the Modus features a significant amount of noise insulation material. Normally the diesel engines would get the nod in a car of this type, but such is the excellence of the 1.2-litre Turbo Control Efficiency (TCE) engine that this is the powerplant I'd look to first. It's strong enough to punt the Grand Modus to 60mph in 11.1 seconds on the way to a maximum of 113mph.

"The Grand Modus works out as one of the most cost effective properly family-sized cars it's possible to buyâ€¦."

As well as the additional 16cm of overall length, the Grand Modus can accommodate up to 410 litres of luggage. There's also a clever sliding rear seat that Renault dubs the `Triptic' and it features a folding centre section. With a sliding range of 170mm, the rear of the car can be optimised for passengers, luggage or a compromise between the two. In two seat configuration, it can be set to any one of four positions, whilst in three-seat mode, two positions are available. It can also be folded down to form a completely flat floor area. The interior is exceptionally airy, the huge amount of glass up top and the low waistline brightening the cabin. The driving position feels more like a mini-MPV than a conventional hatch and the centrally mounted instrument panel allows the designers to make a feature of the smooth sweep of the fascia, again giving a clean, minimalist look. The novelties don't stop there either. The rear hatch can open much like a conventional hatchback (that is, hinged at the top) or the lower section opens using hinges at the bottom, thus making it easy to access the luggage bay in cramped conditions. Prices start at £10,420, rising to £13,720. Once you've got a handle on the engine choices available, the Grand Modus range is fairly easy to grasp. There are two trim levels. Expression is the entry-level and includes the less powerful diesel and petrol powerplants where Dynamique includes the punchier engines and leaves off the more economy-biased ones. Both versions get auto adaptive airbags for driver and front passenger, lateral airbags, brake assist, double optic headlights with a `See Me Home' function, ISOFIX seatbelt fixings, a R.A.I.D. (Renault Anti Intruder Device) alarm, remote central locking, height adjustable headrests and a 60:40 split folding and sliding rear seat. The Expression models feature air conditioning, 15" `Aria' wheel trims, a 2 x 15W RDS radio CD with wheel mounted controls, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, a height adjustable driver's seat, electric front windows and a multifunctional trip computer. Go for the Dynamique and you'll get 15" Barioca alloy wheels, curtain airbags, heated/body coloured/electrically folding and adjustable door mirrors, electric rear windows, front fog lights, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearknob, rear seatbelt pretensioners on outer rear seats and a soft touch dashboard. No car in this class can cut it these days without generous safety provision and the Modus adopts a belt and braces philosophy. It benefits from Bosch 8.0 anti-lock brakes with brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist as standard. Buyers can also opt for a new-generation ESP electronic stability control with ASR traction control. The Grand Modus works out as one of the most cost effective properly family-sized cars it's possible to buy. The combined fuel economy figure of the 1.2 TCE100 model is 47.8mpg and will come as a welcome sight to drivers who want to keep fuel bills down but don't want to drive a diesel. Likewise, emissions are pegged at just 140g/km which will mean a cheap road fund licence, while business user choosers will appreciate the low benefit in kind taxation. Don't overlook the diesel-engined Grand Modus models as you'll get well over 60mpg from all three variants of the 1.5dCi engine. The inevitable upshot of this is that residual values are very good. The Modus range as a whole already enjoys some of the healthiest used prices of any supermini MPV models. Insurance is also very reasonable for all models with groupings ranging between 3 and 5. Although it's fair to say that the Grand Modus may not be the most exciting car in Renault's range, it is certainly one of the most useful. The French company has clearly thought long and hard about how cars such as this are used in the real world and the Grand Modus offers just enough space for a growing family without getting so large that it becomes costly to run or unwieldy to navigate the city streets in. Buyers in this sector want low ongoing costs, top notch safety features and interior versatility and the Grand Modus can't be faulted in these respects. Of all the models, the Grand Modus with the 1.2-litre TCE 100 petrol engine looks to be a winner, although the 106bhp diesel engine will make a very satisfactory fitment too. The trouble is the diesel's over £1,500 more. We'd never regret taking the petrol engine, getting better performance and refinement, paying a little more at the pumps and pocketing the price difference.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Renault Grand Modus range
PRICES: £10,420-£13,720 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-4
CO2 EMISSIONS: 119-179g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2 TCE 100] 0-60mph 11.1s / Max Speed 114mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2 TCE 100] (urban) 37.1mpg / (extra urban) 56.4mpg / (combined) 47.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front/side airbags, ABS, brakeforce distribution, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length/Width/Height: 3952/1960/1589mm