Renault Grand Scénic 2.0

Renault's Large MPV gets a midlife facelift, not that it really needed one...

What's New
When it was first launched three years ago, the Grand Scénic occupied a somewhat unique niche in the automotive market, being smaller than most full sized Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) available at that time yet still being able to seat seven people. Now that the market is becoming saturated with more compact seven-seater MPVs, Renault has launched the facelifted Grand Scénic to take on the competition. To spot the difference, the most obvious place to look is the front grille. The old rectangular opening has been replaced with a more angular, slightly 'V' shaped opening that leads up to a subtly re-sculpted bonnet. The car is available with either a 110bhp 1.6-litre or 135bhp 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, the same ones that powered the pre-facelift version. Like almost all of Renault's newer cars, starting the engine involves slotting the key card into a slot on the dash and pressing a button.

Three years on, the dashboard still looks amazingly fresh. A large digital speedometer dominates the instrument cluster, which is set in the middle of the front console and spans more than half the length of the windscreen. Proponents of the centrally located dash claim that it helps to keep the driver looking straight ahead instead of at his steering wheel.

How it Performs
The very roomy interior feels even larger than it already is, helped by the vast expanse of the front windscreen and side windows. Visibility is excellent around round, and an additional wide-angle mirror has been placed just above the center rearview mirror to allow the driver to see everyone behind him. This translates into a car that you can drive and park confidently. This is a family runabout and does not try to pretend to be anything else. The 2.0-litre engine puts out enough oomph to get the car off the line very smoothly, but floor the accelerator and you get quite a bit of noise as the engine strains into forward propulsion. Acceleration once on the move is good though, and as long as the car is not fully loaded.

While the four-speed automatic gearbox allows sequential manual shifts, the best use for it is to control speed on long descents. When left in Drive, upshifts are executed cleanly but downshifts have a hint of judder. Renault says that the gearbox is adaptive and is capable of learning the driver's driving style, so expect the gearbox to feel better the more you drive.

How it Stacks Up
Even before the facelift, the Grand Scénic brought a lot to the table. Features such as a refrigerated glove box, underseat drawers and airplane style tables for the second row passengers, made the car a very practical daily driver. The facelifted version updates the styling while retaining all the little things that gives the Grand Scénic all its character. Priced at the upper end of the midsized-MPV segment, the Grand Scénic is pitched against offerings like the Opel Zafira and the Peugeot 307SW. The Grand Scénic achieved a full five star Euro NCAP crash test rating which is a major feather in its cap.

Technical Specifications

MODEL Renault Grand Scénic 2.0 (A) ENGINE Engine: 1998cc in-line 4 Max Power: 135bhp at 5,500rpm Max Torque: 191Nm at 3,750rpm TRANSMISSION 4-speed automatic TOP SPEED 190km/h 0-100km/h 12.1s