The arrival of SUVs has changed everything, putting many manufacturers against the ropes. One of the most affected has been Renault. The reason for this is very simple: a large part of his sales were achieved thanks to his large family of minivans. The first of them was the Renault Espace who was born in 1984 and who have since followed from the Modus or the Scénic. Still, all of them have perished in favor of the new fashion.
Indeed, the sixth generation of the Renault Espace has had to mutate into an SUV to stay alive. The future strategy of the gala house depends, to a large extent, on his change, but he is not the only one. Next year 2024 there will be another great novelty: the Scénic will go to the SUV "band" but it will do so as pure electric. However, she makes her official debut and does so loaded with arguments to convince those large families who are looking for the best...
The Renault Espace is traced to the Austral although it is shorter and weighs less than before...
As you can see in the pictures, the new Renault Espace is a carbon copy of the Austral which recently debuted. And their reasons have been in the gala house to bet on this format seeing the success that rivals like Peugeot have had with the 3008 and 5008. The fact is that the new Espace is 14 centimeters shorter than the current one and its weight has benefited. Now she is 215 kilos lighter and, in addition, she is shorter with 3,2 centimeters less than before.
The width is 1,84 meters and the height remains at 1,64 meters, placing it in the heart of segment D. With everything its lines are shared with the Austral to a large extent but it also has its own lines. Just take a look at its front to realize that the grill is slightly different. The side view is where it is most different because It is longer than the Austral, changing mainly from the "B" and "C" pillar.
The hip line is more marked, especially as a result of the crease starting in the middle of the rear door and that dies right in the gate under the rear optics. The line of the door also has an upward bend that reduces visibility a little to the interior and helps the custody window is smaller. For its part, at the rear it has the essence of the Austral, being adorned by a discreet spoiler or a slightly revised bumper.
Thanks to its wheelbase, it improves the space of the Austral...
Inside, the new Renault Espace follows the pattern seen abroad. That is, it sports a simple design in which technology embodied by two generous displays prevails. The first is the 12,3-inch instrument panel and the second is the 12-inch central touch screen. It also maintains the physical controls to manage the HAVAC. There is also no lack of wireless charging, 12 V outlets and two USB-C ports for each row of seats.
The big difference of the Espace with respect to its smaller brother Austral is in the configuration. The second is a strict five-seater and the sixth generation of the Espace can have 5 or 7 seats. In addition, thanks to being a user of the Renault CMF-C/D platform, it offers the same space in the third row of seats as before. and more then The capacity of the trunk remains at least respectable levels in all types of use.
Another of the great differences of the Espace compared to the Austral is its panoramic glass roof. A few weeks ago, Renault took the opportunity to publish a teaser and announce that it would be one of the most generous in its segment, and so it is. With more than 1 square meter in size, it offers a great feeling of spaciousness and light for the entire passage. In terms of technology and connectivity, it is at a high level with the operating system Android Automotive.
Thanks to the integrated Google system, the Espace has applications such as Google Maps or Spotify. And not only that, since it allows the download of other apps such as games. It also has Over the Air (OTA) updates to be regularly updated. For the rest, the feeling of quality and use of materials is at the same level as the Austral.
Trunk dimensions...
| Trunk | 5 Places | 7 Places |
|---|---|---|
| Trunk | 5 Places | 7 Places |
| minimum trunk | 581 liters | 477 liters |
| maximum trunk | 777 liters | 677 liters |
| Luggage compartment with second row of seats folded | 1.818 liters | |
| Trunk with second and third row of seats folded | 1.714 liters | |
| Trunk with all three rows of seats in use | 159 liters |
Mechanical offer limited, for now, to a single hybrid version...
As it's usual, the new Espace will do without diesel engines. There will no longer be any in its range and not only that, from the beginning it has opted for electrification. From the beginning the only option available, for now, is a E-Tech pure hybrid train that combines a 1.2 TCe gasoline block with three cylinders and turbo with two electric motors and a lithium ion battery with a 400 V electrical network and a capacity of 2 kWh.
The maximum performance is 200 CV and like the Austral, the gearbox does not have a clutch. According to Renault, the approved average consumption is 40% lower, staying at 4,7 liters per 100 kilometers and CO2 emissions of 105 grams per kilometer. Regarding performance, he is not and will not be a sprinter, he signs a step from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 8,8 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 175 kilometers per hour.
As a curious fact, and to take into account, use a sophisticated multi-link rear axle. And this allows you to have a effective steering to the rear wheels that allow you to lower the turning radius to only 10,4 meters, the same as the Clio. To do this, at speeds up to 50 kilometers per hour, it turns the wheels 5 degrees in the opposite direction to those of the front axle. On the other hand, if we go faster, it will turn them by 1 degree in the same direction as the front ones.
When will the Renault Espace hit the market... with a Spanish passport...?
Indeed. Thanks to the use of the modern CMF-C/D platform of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance It will be mounted in the technical center that the gala house has in Palencia. The Austral comes out of it and since both models are essentially the same, the easiest thing to do has been to group their manufacture to save costs. With everything to know prices, it is not long since the first units are expected to reach customers from September…
Source - Renault
More information about this model
- Plazas 5 - 7
- Power 200 cv
- Consumer goods 4,6. - 4,8 l/100km
- Assessment 4,4