Renault SCENIC II 1.4 RANGE
The
Renault Scenic 1.4 Range Offers Five-Star NCAP Safety Provision For Your Family Without A Big Bill. Andy Enright Reports
There are quite a few key criteria to tick off when selecting a
mini-MPV and Renault think theyve got them all covered. Safety is the key issue, customers prioritising crash protection for their families and the Scenic boasts a full five-star Euro-NCAP crash test result. Next up is practicality and Renault score here too, with years of experience producing this sort of vehicle. The final driver is running costs.
The 1.4-litre version of the Scenic that we examine here not only wears a distinctly friendly sticker price but scores big in terms of fuel economy, insurance bills and spares costs. No wonder Renault have such high hopes for this model.
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Safety first. The EuroNCAP tests are in many ways the Gold Standard of all safety examinations and the Scenic has come out way ahead of the rest, notching 34.12 out of a possible 37 points. To equal the result of the Megane hatch while taking account of differences in its weight and layout, the structure of the Scenic was strengthened in three strategic areas.
The front pillars were made larger to ensure the transfer of longitudinal loads into the door beams and the sill sections. An anti-rotation system was also added to the pillar to limit any risk of the front door separating during an impact. Finally, the stiffening of the sill section with additional reinforcement allowed the maximum transfer of load once the wheel contacted the sill. Its this depth of engineering that can make all the difference in the event of a genuine accident and until fairly recently, this sort of development was too costly for manufacturers to perform.
Renault have invested over 100 million Euros into improving safety and yet the Scenic 1.4 that sits pristinely uncrumpled before us starts at just £13,410. This includes front, side and curtain airbags and all seats are fitted with five-point
seat belts. Practicality is a major plus.
The Scenic rides on Megane running gear, offering five seats. A long wheelbase seven-seat Grand Scenic has also been developed but most will settle for the regular model, offering as it does a usefully larger cabin than its predecessor. The wheelbase is up 105mm and the overall length stretches 125mm. Its a hefty 127mm wider and even stands a good deal taller.
Height-wise its within a centimetre of the first generation Espace, but its a significant degree longer and wider and the cabin is massively more space efficient. How times change.
"The latest Scenic again steals a small but crucial march on its rivals"
The interior feels roomy enough, the clean lines and low dashboard adding to the airy feel. Legroom is especially generous in the back, especially when the rear seats have slid into their rearmost position. The central seating position in the back can be removed and the remaining two seats repositioned to allow more elbowroom but its not quite as slick as Fords diagonally sliding system. Aside from that minor niggle though, theres very little to fault the Scenic interior.
There are storage cubbies in every conceivable nook and cranny as well as some you may need the user manual to find. Even the glovebox is cavernous. With the rear seats in position, luggage capacity has risen by 70-litres to a respectable 410 litres and loading is made simple by a glass tailgate window that opens independently. The original Scenic was an inspired price of product design.
Whilst it certainly wasnt the first car to offer this sort of versatility, it instantly captured the publics imagination. Renaults image as lateral thinking innovators was at its zenith following the success of the astonishing Espace and by scaling down the Espace proposition onto the existing Megane platform, Renault developed an instant class leader at relatively low cost. Rivals were caught on the hop and needed some time to adjust their way of thinking to this new family-friendly format. The 1.
4-litre cars 98bhp engine isnt the most inspiring powerplant weve come across but it does get the job done with a minimum of fuss. Only if you load the Scenic up to the gunwales will it struggle, but under more normal conditions you should be able to average 38mpg. If you can afford another £500 or so, those looking for something a bit peppier can opt for the 1.6-litre models which offer marginally better fuel economy and much better performance figures.
The 1.4-litre will get to 60mph in 14.5 seconds and top out at a fairly academic 114mph, which will be plenty quick enough for most target customers. Ride quality is possibly the best in class with the Scenic making short work of rutted A-roads and poorly surfaced motorways.
Even on the optional seventeen-inch wheels, bump and thump through the suspension remains very muted. There is a trade off when it comes to handling, but Renault have probably judged the ride/handling balance wisely. Those few drivers who feel they need a vaguely sporting
mini-MPV will find the Focus C-MAX and the
Honda Stream more to their liking. That said, the driving position is now much more car like.
With two clear years of breathing space before
Vauxhall launched the Zafira and three before
Citroen developed the Xsara Picasso, the Scenic cleaned up.
Ford and
Volkswagen were caught uncharacteristically a-dither, especially when Vauxhalls seven seater threw them a curve ball. These markets are inherently dynamic, however, and when these two industrial powerhouses finally got their game together, Renault knew it had to respond. Luckily, its product development cycle was again one step ahead and the latest Scenic again steals a small but crucial march on its rivals.
Three trim levels are offered starting with the entry-level Authentique. The well equipped Expression which tacks another £1,000 onto the price, weighing in at £14,410 and the Dynamique, a car with vaguely sporting pretensions, tops the range at £14,910. Each is well equipped and the Scenics equipment levels need to be taken into account when pricing the car against rivals from Ford and Volkswagen. Although it may not major on excitement when it comes to offering what mini-MPV buyers really want, the Renault Scenic 1.
4-litre range looks to have the bases covered.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Scenic 1.4 range
PRICES: £13,410£14,910 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 4
CO2 EMISSIONS: 175g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 114mph / 0-60mph 14.5s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 29.1mpg / (extra urban) 47.1mpg / (combined) 38.7mpg
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, 4259/2087/1621mm
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