Sunday, December 25, 2016

Renault Scenic IV

2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Renault Scenic MPV and for its fourth-generation, the all-new Renault Scenic, in five-seater and seven-seater Grand Scenic variants, promises to be a family friendly multipurpose vehicle fit for all sorts of national lampoons across Europe, be it a road trip to Spain, the Cheddar Gorge, Swiss Alps, any destination would the family want to go as long as this MPV's ready to accommodate the whole family.

2017 Renault Scenic
2017 Renault Grand Scenic

First, let's take a closer look on the design and for this fourth-generation model, the new Scenic draws inspiration from 2011's R-Space concept while incorporating Renault's new signature design that traces back to the Espace, the Talisman, and of course, the latest Renault Megane it was based upon. While the design is basically an improvement compared to the previous model, the new Scenic still retains its MPV character inside out, meaning even it exciting looks, it's still a dad's car for dads who had a wife and kids loaded to their hectic schedules without all the free days for himself.

2017 Renault Grand Scenic interior
2017 Renault Scenic interior

Because of Renault's new design language, the new Scenic now became a victim to Renault's uniform interior design that the Espace, Talisman, and the Megane now had. Step inside and you can never tell the difference from the other cars because this is Renault's future, whether you like it or not, and it's going to succumb like what happened to the BMW interiors of the past bringing that same interior look over and over again until the 7-Series changed all that. On the upside, you have some lots of thingamajigs you can toy around, especially that touchscreen on the dashboard that tells what you are doing right now.

Whether you are in a five-seater Scenic or in a family-friendly seven-seater Grand Scenic, it's great to know that the interior still has the same practicality as the previous Scenic models but with a bit more unfinished businesses. Whether if you're going for a family picnic or a night out with your mates, the new interior really packs some comfort and convenience for both driver and passenger alike. There's even lots of compartment to store your stuff elsewhere, too. After twenty years of focusing more on practicality, the new Scenic really knows how to accommodate very well with the trends of today and who can blame but the customers who really demand more for this two-decade-long MPV in the European market.

2017 Renault Grand Scenic
2017 Renault Scenic

Checking under the hood, the Scenic and the Grand Scenic comes with different choice of petrol or diesel engines to choose from. In the normal five-seater Scenic, the most powerful variant is obviously either a 1.2L turbocharged petrol or a 1.6L diesel engine each producing 130PS of power while the most fuel efficient is the Energy dCi 110 engine with 3.9L/100km of fuel consumption. In the seven-seater Grand Scenic, meanwhile, the most powerful is the 1.6L dCi engine with 160PS of power while mated with a double-clutch gearbox. Well, you get the idea but if you're driving one in Paris, those diesel variants will soon be banned from entering the French capital for environmental reasons we don't really understand.

While it uses the same new platform as the new Megane, the Scenic feels more relaxed and more civilized for a people carrier but for enjoyment, it's pretty much average and you can't feel the fun factor when you drive it on the open road with the family. It maybe good to drive on the streets but out on the open, it's a tad regular car with a regular taste that is way beyond normal standards.

Safety wise, the new Scenic comes with an array of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems that will keep them safe on the road such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Emergency Braking System, Lane Departure Warning, Safe Distance Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition with Over Speed Prevention, Blind Spot Warning, reversing camera, automatic dipped and main beam headlights, Easy Park Assist, and so much more in store for the new model.

The price? The new Scenic starts at 24,000 Euros while the Grand Scenic starts at 25,300 Euros, making these a reasonable value for money, although cars like the Kia Carens can undercut these two in terms of pricing, but don't get too rough on this one because while it lacks enjoyment on the open road, the new Scenic still offers some practicality, some tech, and good driving feel on the street fit for a family mover. The Scenic has been around with the European families for two decades and the latest version will surely want to do something to get it written to the history of Renault's iconic MPV.

Photo: Renault

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