Renault Grand Scenic 1.9 DCI 130 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Renault Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi 130
Prices: £19,495-£21,945 - on the road
Insurance Group: 9
Emissions: 149g/km
Performance: Max Speed 121mph / 0-60mph 10.7s
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 50.4mpg
Safety: Twin front, side & curtain airbags / ESP / ABS with emergency brake assist / ISOFIX child seat mountings.
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height, 4560/2077/1645mm

SCENIC, DONE IT

Our Rating: 7.7 / 10

Renault thinks its got all the family bases covered with its Grand Scenic. Steve Walker reports on the popular 1.9 dCi 130 diesel model.

Marrying sleek looks to a practical interior isn’t an easy thing to achieve and Renault hasn’t really bothered trying with its latest Grand Scenic. Best described as inoffensive from a styling point of view, the car offers a massive interior with a versatile seating system to make the most of it. Ride comfort is first class, as is the quality of the materials and the general cabin environment. This diesel 1.9 dCi variant is the one that arguably makes the most sense

You might think your day to day family car journeys are mind-bogglingly dull but there are numerous cars on the market locked in ferocious competition for the right to come along for the ride. The school run, shopping trips, taking the dog to the vets or the kids to the dentist, this boring stuff is meat and drink to MPVs like Renault’s Grand Scenic. If they can make the daily lives of a large family that bit easier, they’ve fulfilled their purpose. The question is, will this extended Scenic be the best car to take the edge off your daily grind?

Renault has a lot of MPVs and faith in their future. The market for these vehicles has stagnated somewhat since 2005 as the rise of the 4x4 gave families a less frumpy way to get their hit of practicality. Sales have stagnated nice and high, however, and Renault is keen to mop up a big chunk of the total with its six-strong MPV line-up comprised of the Modus, Scenic, Espace and their respective Grand versions. It means customers can get a Renault that precisely fits their requirements with the spacious six spanning 3870mm to 4860mm in length. The Grand Scenic sits below the standard Espace and the nature of the densely packed range is that its abilities and size are very similar to that car. Renault sees it very much as a family vehicle and a vital one in promoting the brand’s family-friendly image. It also expects the Grand to account for 30 per cent of overall Scenic sales.

You automatically approach a seven-seat MPV measuring four and a half meters from nose to tail with certain expectations about how it will drive but it’s worth giving the Grand Scenic the benefit of the doubt. Comfort is the priority and rightly so but Renault has also managed to instil a high degree of poise and manoeuvrability. With its suspension system lifted from the Megane, the Grand Scenic resists cornering roll well and has plenty of grip at the front wheels. The ride quality is first class, the car tiptoeing over poor road surfaces and avoidi

There’s a broad choice of engines. Here, we’re looking at the popular 1.9 dCi 130 diesel, which sits just above the 105bhp 1.5-litre dCi in the line-up and just below the 2.0-litre dCi 150 range-topper. Despite its modest capacity, this turbocharged engine has 130bhp and a silky smooth power delivery. It can take the bulky Scenic to 62mph in 10.7s and although it can get a little loud in the upper reaches of the rev-range, refinement is generally good.

Being very nearly the size of an Espace, the Grand Scenic should be big inside and it is. The front seats are comfortable with plenty of room and a good view out. In the second row, three adults can be accommodated without any difficulty and leg room is as generous as that of anything in the compact MPV class. Slide these second row seats forward a touch and it’s also possible to seat a couple of six-foot adults in the rear. Their knees will be bunched up a little as the chairs are set close to the floor but it’s far from uncomfortable and smaller occupants will have no problem. These third row seats fold into the flat boot floor in a one-touch motion increasing boot space from 208 to as much as 702 litres. The middle row of seats can fold and tumble forwards, enabling reasonably dignified access to the third row, or be removed completely to create a massive 2063-litre space. Seat back trays, a deep glovebox and segmented door pockets add to the Grand Scenic’s strong practicality score.

Many of Renault’s recent efforts have failed to set the world alight from a styling standpoint and the Grand Scenic is another fairly ordinary vehicle to behold. Some nice boomerang-shaped headlights and the wavey line that runs up the lower edge of the headlight clusters don’t stop it looking exactly like you’d imagine a seven-sear Renault MPV would. Inside, the Scenic is massively more successful. The quality of the materials leaps out at you. There’s been competition amongst manufacturers to see who can install the most soft-touc