Renault lifts wraps from new Scenic 01 | 03 | 2016

RENAULT HAS GIVEN its fourth-generation Scenic — 'leaked' last week — its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show, and the French manufacturer claims it has moved across into a whole new segment which straddles MPV and crossover.

Bigger than the outgoing model, the new Scenic — which is expected to start around £21,000 — sits on 20in alloys, which are standard across the range. The result is a taut-looking model which Renault believes injects flare and style into a the Scenic.

And there's certainly the option for injecting your own personality into the Scenic: there's a choice of 10 colours options list includes several bold colours, plus two-tone paint – which sees the roof painted in a contrasting colour — diamond cut alloys and LED headlights.

Inside, the driver-hugging dashboard creates the feeling of a more cockpit-like interior. Interestingly, part of the centre console can be opened, resulting in a more airy cabin, while there's also a full-length fixed panoramic roof.

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Renault is aiming the new Scenic at drivers who want both style and practicality in their car — there's 572-litres of bootspace, further enhanced by the 60:40 rear seat split — and the cabin certainly has a more premium feel to it with soft touch plastics and high levels of finishing trim.

All models, apart from the base car, get two digital displays: one is an 8.7in vertical touchscreen located on the car’s floating centre console (it houses the car’s R-Link 2 infotainment system), and the other is a 7in horizontal display that sits behind the steering wheel; this takes the place of conventional dials. There's also a head-up display included on these models, plus two USB charging ports.

Power comes from a  choice of two petrols, or six diesels. While the petrols produce 113bhp and 128bhp, the dCi diesels produce between 94bhp and 158bhp: there's also a Hybrid Assist model. No official figures have been released yet, but it's fait to expect around 70mpg from the best diesel.

A six-speed manual gearbox is fit as standard, though a six-speed dual-clutch automatic is available with the mid-spec 108bhp dCi engine. The most potent diesel is mated exclusively to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

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Jim McGill