Renault SCENIC II 1.6 RANGE
If Safety Means As Much To You As Style And Saving, Theres Only One Car In The
Mini-MPV Sector That Scores Top Marks All Round The
Renault Scenic 1.6. Andy Enright Reports
Lee Sheward has a very impressive curriculum vitae. Originally trained as a circus trapeze artist, this man has been set fire to more often than my wifes chip pan, has fallen from buildings, been thrown off horses and thinks nothing of casually diving through a plate glass window. When Top Gear TV needed a human crash test dummy to drive a car into a stationary vehicle at 30mph, Lee was the obvious choice. The other choice was equally obvious.
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They needed something with the full five-star EuroNCAP safety rating, and chose a
Renault Megane, Lee walking away unscathed. The Meganes spacious brother, the Scenic, has also notched a five-star rating, making it one of the safest ways to transport your family. In 1.6-litre guise, it also proves that such safety neednt cost the earth.
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. Had a Scenic been available for destruction, its probable that Lee Sheward would have preferred the larger car. 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 1.6 that sits pristinely uncrumpled before us starts at just £13,910. This includes front, side and curtain airbags and all seats are fitted with five-point
seat belts. The 115bhp 1.
6-litre engine is probably the smoothest in the petrol line up, slotting between the 98bhp 1.4-litre unit and the 136bhp 2.0-litre powerplant. Four trim levels are offered, starting with the Authentique and progressing through Dynamique and Expression up to the range-topping £16,410 Privilege; hardly big money for such a multitalented performer.
Even if you never have cause to utilise the airbags, the Scenic 1.6 is a car that instils a feel good aura of money well spent. With a three-year warranty and 18,000-mile service intervals, its off to a good start. Factor in 39.
2mpg average fuel economy and a modest Group 6 insurance rating and the Scenic 1.6 hammers home the advantage. The final clincher is a residual value thats a good deal more German than French.
"The final clincher is a residual value thats a good deal more German than French"
Its a car with a lot to live up to. The original Scenic was an inspired price of product design and with two clear years of breathing space before
Vauxhall launched the Zafira and three before
Citroen developed the Xsara Picasso, it cleaned up the nascent
mini-MPV market.
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. The Scenic rides on Megane running gear, offering five seats. A long wheelbase seven-seat Grand Scenic is available for a £1,000 premium 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 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. 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. Emerge from a Scenic 1.
6 and even the most pernickety will be confronted with a tiny grumbles list. The stalks are a little fiddly and its possible to switch the headlights on when effecting a hasty indication and the centre-mounted instruments arent the last word in legibility but thats about it. Renault have proved with the Scenic 1.6 that it is possible to make a safe, economical, stylish and affordable mini-MPV.
Its bound to create a big impact.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Scenic 1.6-litre range
PRICES: £13,910£17,410 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 6
CO2 EMISSIONS: 172g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 115mph / 0-60mph 12.5s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 30.1mpg / (extra urban) 47.1mpg / (combined) 39.2mpg
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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