Renault Grand Scenic
SECOND REPORT Seven-seater is proving big MPVS are nothing to be scared of
WHY exactly is our old friend the MPV in such a heap of trouble? A decade ago, Ford Galaxy, Vauxhall Zafira and Renault Scenic were household names that families looked to when their conventional hatchbacks and saloons started to bulge at the seams.
Today, the MPV’S focus on practicality is increasingly seen as frumpy and boring next to the crossover’s chunky charm.
MPV sales are down 33 per cent since 2014, while those of SUVS have rocketed 57 per cent in the other direction. Our Renault Grand Scenic looks more and more like it’ll be one of the last of the high-ceilinged, van-like, seven-seat breed. But are those who’ve deserted the MPV for jacked-up crossovers missing out?
From a practicality point of view, there’s a lot to recommend with our roomy Renault. Five adults can sit comfortably inside, and you even get that higher seating position, which makes entry and exit a little easier. It also helps when fixing child seats. In fact, the biggest issue is the way the trays in the seatbacks eat into legroom for small children in high, forward-facing car seats.
Ironically, adults, or taller kids in booster seats, won’t want for legroom, but those trays mean a toddler might be a little cramped behind a tall driver or front passenger. At least the ISOFIX mounts are easily accessible.
The other important thing to bear in mind with the seven-seat Grand Scenic is that there’s next to no legroom in the third row. These seats are only really suitable for very small children, and probably only on shorter trips. But that’s the case with most seven-seaters today, particularly in the SUV segment.
The Scenic is at its most practical when you fold the rearmost seats down and use it as a five-seater with a huge boot. And huge it is. There’s 765 litres of space, with a flat floor that increases to 1,737 litres with everything folded flat.
Not only can the Grand Scenic fit a family inside, it’ll do a decent job of standing up to wear and tear. We’ve found the leather and cloth trim inside our Dynamique S Nav model easy to clean and resistant to scuffs, while nothing has fallen off, either.
You get loads of storage, too, including big door pockets and a deep central bin that’s good for drinks bottles. It also houses the USB and 12V ports for phone charging. The integrated sun blinds in the rear doors are another nice touch.
Unlike in most SUVS, the thinking behind cars like this is focused entirely on family use, and the little touches do make a difference every day. Of course, the rise of the SUV can be taken as proof that the majority of car buyers will happily swap all of that for something that looks a bit more stylish. Renault has tried to counteract this with a sharper design for the Grand Scenic set off by massive 20-inch wheels. We really like it, and the more dynamic appearance is backed up by decent driving dynamics.
The ride is on the firm side, but the taut set-up maintains the Renault’s composure over undulations and tight corners, so it doesn’t bounce and roll around. It’s certainly a better steer than we’ve come to expect in the MPV sector, and the 128bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine is both willing and refined, especially when cruising on the motorway.
Alongside that jiggly ride, the clunky, grating manual gearbox is the only major fly in the driving experience ointment. As a result, we’d certainly consider the optional EDC automatic. It suits the character of the car better, but, annoyingly, it’s only available with the 108bhp and 158bhp dci diesel engines.
“The Scenic is at its most practical when used as a five-seater with a big boot”