Renault SCENIC II
The
Renault Scenic Was The Car That Made The Whole
Mini-MPV Sector. Its Back And Better Than Ever. Vanessa Hinkley Tries The Latest Version.
Although regular readers will know that Im not exactly overburdened with children, even those women who dont live in a shoe can appreciate the charms of the Renault Scenic. Its sharply styled so no longer will you look as if youve surrendered to the mundanity of middle age plus its got enough toys and surprise and delight features to keep even the most exigent button jabber happy.
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.
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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.
Renault confidently expect a full five star Euro-NCAP crash test result for the Scenic.
Front, side and curtain airbags are fitted as standard to every variant and all berths are fitted with five-point
seat belts.
Petrol buyers get the choice of a 98bhp 1.4-litre entry-level unit, a 115bhp 1.6-litre, a 136bhp 2.0-litre or a 165bhp turbocharged 2.
0-litre. At present three diesel engines are available either 80bhp 1.5-litre, a 100bhp 1.5-litre or the pick of the entire bunch, the 120bhp 1.
9-litre dCi. The 1.9 and 2.0-litre models are fitted with six-speed manual gearboxes as standard while the smaller capacity models make do with a quintet of cogs.
Only the 2.0-litre petrol engines are offered with the option of an automatic gearbox. Of the petrol engines, the 1.6-litre is a sweeter prospect than the 2.
0-litre alternatives, while theres something to be said for all the diesels. A weight increase of around 132kg over its predecessor takes a little of the edge from performance, but the 1.9dCi will accelerate to 60mph in 11.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 117mph.
A combined fuel economy figure of nearly 49mpg and emissions of just 154g/km make it an affordable long-term proposition. 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.
Prices start from £13,410 and, just as before, 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 pick off the bunch is probably the common rail diesel engined dCi120. Three trim levels are on offer Expression, Dynamique and Privilege at prices ranging between £16,910 and £18,410.
All are pretty well equipped, coming complete with automatic headlamps, front foglamps, rain sensitive automatic wipers, an electrochrome rear view mirror, one-touch front and rear electric windows, air conditioning with pollen filter (including a cooled glovebox), front door storage with lid, a 60 Watt single CD/radio with six speakers and fingertip remote control, front and rear reading lights, rear side window sun blinds, body-coloured door handles and door mirrors, lumbar adjustment for drivers seat, adjustable front headrests and Papyrus beige cloth upholstery. Go for the Dynamique version and you also get 16-inch Nervastell alloy wheels, satin chrome door handles, an insurance approved CAT1 alarm, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, and Laser charcoal grey cloth upholstery with grey piping. Finally, at Privilege level, you can expect automatic unlocking and ignition with the Hands-Free Renault Card system, a sliding centre storage unit, 16-inch Reinastella alloy wheels, a 60 Watt underseat mounted six-CD multichanger and RDS Radio with six speakers and fingertip remote control, Wicker Beige part leather/part cloth upholstery, electrically folding door mirrors, drivers sunglasses holder, illuminated vanity mirrors.
Anyone could live with a Renault Scenic its that sort of car. Would you want to though? Given that a DINKY (dual income no kids yet) family like ours got on so well with it, I suppose the answer has to be a measured affirmative. I
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