Renault Grand Espace Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Renault Grand Espace range
Prices: £24,090-£34,240 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 11-16
Emissions: 211-297g/km
Performance: [2.2 150 dCi] 0-60mph 11.5s / Max Speed 117mph
Fuel Consumption: [2.2 150 dCi] (urban) 27.4mpg/ (extra urban) 44.8mpg/ (combined) 36.7mpg
Safety: Twin front & side airbags, full length curtain bags, lateral airbags, ABS with brake assist, ESP with CSV understeer control
Dimensions: length/width/heightmm 4861/1860/1746

TOP OF THE CLASS

Our Rating: 7.4 / 10

Renault’s long wheel base Espace has been brought up to date but does it still set the pace in the large MPV sector? Steve Ghosley takes a look…

The Renault Espace was the original MPV back in 1984 and has had many imitators over the years. To keep ahead of the game, it’s also had many revisions and the most recent updates attempt to maintain Renault’s leadership in the large People Carrier category. The Grand Espace that we look at here is the long wheel base version, offering seven seats and more room for both passengers and their luggage than its shorter sibling.

So let’s start with the basics. In return for increasing the size of your cheque to your Renault dealer by about £1,200, you get substantially more luggage space. Over 165 litres more to be exact when all the seats are in place, making a total of 456 litres. Which could make the difference between having to use a roof box or trailer and not having to bother. Should you be able to get ride of all the seats bar those at the front, the total carrying capacity rises to removal van standards, up by 190-litres to 3050-litres.

The car has, in various forms, been on the market some time. So what’s changed in the latest models? Not a huge amount to be absolutely honest. There are redesigned headlights, which Renault describe as an integral part of a ‘softer styling theme’, along with a slimmer bumper and a simpler grille design. The lights can feature Bi-Xenon lamps for better illumination and they also pivot, taking into account steering input and vehicle speed. This helps illuminate roadside obstacles such as pedestrians just beyond the apex of a dark corner - or roadside debris that could cause an accident. Opt for any model from Dynamique upwards and chrome-trimmed fog lamps are included. An easy way to transform a vehicle’s appearance is to usher in new designs of alloy wheel and the 17 and 18-inch rims that feature on this model Espace are a bit smarter than the old designs without being too showy. The rear lights have also been revised, while the interior benefits from a revised range of upholstery choices and trim colours.

It’s not all window dressing though. Important safety upgrades have been introduced including rain and light sensors, "See Me Home" lighting, front and rear parking assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system and Emergency Brake Assist to beef up the response of the anti lock brakes. The Electronic Stability Program has also been improved with the addition of understeer control. Otherwise, there are the eight airbags and three-point seatbelts with load limiters that have ensured that the latest Grand Espace attains the coveted Euro NCAP five-star qualification.

The Team version that most customers buy includes air conditioning with separate driver/ front passenger controls, seven individual seats, 4x 30W single CD RDS radio with eight speakers and fingertip remote control, electric/ heated door mirrors, Carbon cloth upholstery and height/ lumbar adjustable Captain’s chairs with armrests.

Move on up to the almost equally popular Dynamique model and you’ll get, 17" alloys, chrome door handles, chrome roof bars and the option of that 175bhp dCi diesel engine along with the 170bhp turbocharged petrol. The plush Dynamique S adds a 4x40W dash mounted six CD multi-changer and remote control, carpet mats, part leather/ part Alcantara sports style seats with carbon trim and red stitiching, blue tinted electric/ heated folding door mirrors, automatic rain activated front windscreen wipers, automatic light sensor activated headlamps, cruise control with speed limiter and six rear sunblinds.

If you’ve got the means to stretch to the range-topping Initiale model, there’s ‘Vogue’ full beige leather upholstery, six captain’s chairs, climate control with separate row two passenger controls, electrically adjustable front seats with memory for driver’s seat and door mirrors, carpet mats (row one to three) and boot mat, electrochrome rear view mirror, Bluetooth Nav-Com system with six CD dash mounted changer and remote control, tyre pressure monitor, variable power assisted steerin