Renault Grand Scenic Range : PLAYING THE LONG GAME

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The Grand Scenic these days has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Andy Enright reports

Renault has a consistent track record of taking half-formed ideas and making them their own. It wasnt first to market with the full-sized MPV or the mini-MPV but went on to build the Espace and the Scenic, models that came to dominate the sales charts, in Europe at least. In 2004, the French company decided to plug the gap between these two heavyweights with the Grand Scenic, a model which offered seven seats compared to the regular Scenics five. Unlike many other rivals which just about manage to shoehorn in seven seats, the Grand Scenic does it with room to spare.

Now treated to a facelift and engine revisions, this generation Grand Scenic looks set to give the likes of Toyota, Ford, CitroÃ«n, Volkswagen and Vauxhall some serious thinking to do.

So whats changed with this latest model? The most recent weak is a minor front end facelift with a new chrome-effect grille and black headlight surrounds, as seen on the sporty GT versions of MÃ©gane and New Laguna respectively. Should you need to put the emphasis on gear, theres even a five-seat model offered. This neatly solves all of the people or baggage quandaries faced by many mini-MPV owners by offering five adult-sized seats and a 501-litre baggage capacity (up from 104 on the seven seat car). Theres even another 32 litres of underfloor storage where the last row of folding seats once went.

The interiors have been revised in recent times with better quality trims and theres also a different palette of exterior colours and alloy wheel designs. The options list has swelled to include items such as MP3 stereo compatibility, a panoramic sunroof, front passenger seat height adjustment and front and rear parking sensors. The engine and transmission selection has also been augmented with the launch of a powerful 2.0-litre dCi diesel unit with 150bhp and an upgrade to a six-speed gearbox on the 1.

6-litre petrol models. The Grand Scenic is nobodys idea of a rorty sportster, so petrol buyers get the choice of a 111bhp 1.6-litre or a 136bhp 2.0-litre.

The other diesel engine is a 106bhp 1.5-litre dCi unit that majors in economy.

"The Grand Scenic is evidence that Renault has studied the needs of its target customers with painstaking diligence"

Of the petrol engines, the 1.6-litre is a sweeter prospect than the 2.0-litre, while theres something to be said for all of the diesels. A weight increase of around 132kg over this Grand Scenics predecessor takes a little of the edge from performance, but the 2.

0dCi will accelerate to 60mph in under 10 seconds and on to a top speed of 127mph. A combined fuel economy figure of 48mpg and emissions of just over 160g/km make it an affordable long-term proposition. Prices start at £15,745 for the 1.6VVT Team five-seater and rise to £21,955 for the Dynamique S 2.

0dCi 150 seven-seater, although you can tack another £1,000 to that price if you want the six-speed automatic gearbox. Its hard to directly judge whether these prices represent good value for money because the Grand Scenic is a tough car to position against any direct rivals. About the closest we can get is possibly Fords Galaxy or S-MAX, but again, the comparison isnt a close fit in terms of market positioning and target buyer. The car that did start the seven seat craze off, the Vauxhall Zafira, has a lot to answer for.

Its ingenious Flex7 seating system left a host of imitators following in its wake. Some have been good but the majority have been very poor, offering a vestigial pair of seats at the back with dreadful access. Having the kids muddy feet clambering all over the upholstery is never ideal but these are the compromises many such vehicles impose. Renault decided early on in the planning cycle of the Scenic brand that the job wasnt worth doing at all unless it was tackled properly.

Looking at the back of a Scenic theres little doubt that the French company could have adopted a similar tactic and wedged in a pair of flimsy dicky seats but instead theyve used an entirely different chassis that has also doubled up for models like the Megane Sport Saloon. This platform sharing philosophy helps to defray the costs in developing the new models but also means that with an extra 23cm in length, the Grand Scenic is a good deal bigger than many of the early full-sized MPVs we fondly remember. Whats more, at 4.49 metres in length, its a mere 13cm shorter than something contemporary like a Volkswagen Sharan or Ford Galaxy.

Much of that additional length has come about by extending the rear overhang by 18cm. The minimal 5cm grafted into the wheelbase means that the Grand Scenic doesnt look particularly different to its more compact sibling. This is entirely intentional, as Renault didnt want to ruin the Scenics smart lines by creating a crude superstretch version. The two additional rear seats are neat items but suffer the usual problem of the seat squabs being very low to the floor.

The flipside of this if youll excuse the pun is that they can be folded in one motion completely flat into a void beneath the floor. Access to the rear pair of seats is reasonably good, the Grand Scenic featuring jacks beneath the second row to hold them in their folded position, ensuring safe tilting. Because the seats in the second row are separated individually, two passengers can still remain in them while the third is tilted to effect an entry. Legroom in the back is fairly good and two adults can be accommodated if the occupants in the second row arent of basketball star dimensions.

All this multifarious adjustability may give rise to a few arguments between the kids but think of it like this. If they can hold their own in the Grand Scenic, theyll be demons by the time they start flying long haul! When configured in seven seat mode, the Grand Scenic still contrives to offer the largest luggage space in its class with a purposeful 200 litres capacity. Flip the back pair of seats earthwards and youll have between 550 to 605 litres available, depending on how far the second row of seats are slid back. With the second row of seats removed, theres a vast 1,920 litres of room almost enough for a London estate agent to call it a studio flat.

If you fold the front passenger seat down, the Grand Scenic can accommodate items up to 2.75 metres long ideal for weekend trips to the DIY superstore. As well as the seating facility, Renault have ploughed all the benefits of nearly twenty years of MPV expertise into this car with a whole host of family-friendly features that reflect real world situations. The rear window opens on some models for easier loading in cramped situations and theres a full 104-litres of space in assorted cubbies, lockers and boxes.

Is it a safe place to invest your money? With much justification, many owners will tell you so.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Renault Grand Scenic range
PRICES: £15,745£21,955 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 5-10
CO2 EMISSIONS: 138-192g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0dCi 150] Max Speed 127mph / 0-60mph 9.4s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0dCi 150] (combined) 48mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / seatbelt pre-tensioners / ABS with emergency brake assist
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4490/2087/1621mm