Renault previews new Scenic 23 | 02 | 2016
RENAULT HAS PREVIEWED its all-new Scenic ahead of its official launch at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
Taking inspiration from 2011's R-Space concept car, the new fourth-generation Scenic has better proportions and larger-diameter wheels.
With a clear nod to morphing into an SUV crossover, rather than the MPV of the previous models, the latest Scenic features a number of new styling cues.
Clearly it has higher ground clearance and the front and rear tracks are wider, giving the car larger proportions, plus there's a new, low roofline, plus those unmissable 20in alloys. The 2016 Scenic also benefits from a longer wheelbase, plus shorter rear overhang than on the previous model.
“It is a sexier and more modern take on the MPV which carries over the outstanding modularity that has been paramount to the success of the model’s three previous generations," Renault design boss Laurens van den Acker said.
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Based on the same platform as the latest Megane, the new Scenic will sit between Renault’s Captur and Kadjar SUVs in terms of overall size and pricing.
There will also be more external differences between the five-seat Scenic and seven-seat Grand Scenic. The Grand will be more upright and practical to fill the void left by the Espace, which is no longer sold in the UK.
While Renault has yet to release any images of the interior of the new Scenic, the wider body will create a roomier and more flexible seating layout: the Grand Scenic will offer more head and legroom in the third row. It's also expected that luggage space will increase in the five and seven-seaters.
Power will come from the engine range first seen in the Megane range. That means, from launch there will be a range of four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, with the entry-level diesel dipping below the 100g/km CO2 barrier. A mild hybrid version is expected to join the range soon after launch.
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Jim McGill