If you’re the mother or head of a large family, then count the Renault Espace among your best transportation options. Although on the outside it’s just 4.5 metres in length, there’s enough room inside for all the kids and your hubby. You can also remove or maximize more space with the removable and foldable chairs. This review will look into how good of an investment the Renault Espace is for the family.

Pros

A total of seven individuals can fit in the Renault Espace, making it the right vehicle for large families. Whether you have several children or live with your grandparents, the large comfortable seats and expansive space makes it the right match for families that go out regularly as a group. Mothers will be thankful for the ease of getting in and out as they pick up each child from school or after school activities.

Comfort is assured in every aspect. The first two rows provide high seating positions, while back seat passengers can easily access the third row instead of having to duck before getting comfortable. There’s also more than enough leg room, even with all seven individuals going on board. All seats are sculpted accordingly and can fit comfortably under any type of body.

There’s also enough space for everyone’s luggage. Bags and groceries can readily be stored in cubbyholes and storage bins found in the vehicle. There’s even extra storage found on the third seat row’s trim.

Most Espace models feature a four-cylinder diesel engine, such as the 2.2-litre, 2.2 dCi at 150bhp, and the 1.9 dCI at 120 bhp. All of these come with a six-speed manual gearbox. For those after automatic transmission, go for the 2.2 dCi or the V6 petrol and diesel auto-only models. Out of all the available diesels, we recommend the 2.2-litre for its smooth ride and seamless turns. The 2006 Espace comes with two new variations to the 2.0-litre dCi: either in 175bhp or 150bhp. You get more power and torque as well as six-speed automatic transmission for the V6 diesel, while the 2.2 dCi works best with automatic transmission.

The Espace is able to handle motorway speeds and conditions quite well. Bumps and turns are not a problem. A light feel for the steering makes it easy to cut through corners and swerve into different directions.

Complete equipment comes with the Espace: from traction control, ESP, automatic headlamps, automatic parking brake, to the CD player. All these are standard and come with every Espace generation or variation. If you want the full works, go for the top models’ and their front fog lamps, tyre pressure monitors, parking sensors, and rain-sensing wipers. You can even include a satellite navigation system that lets you access a map in 3D.

Cons

Although the Espace promises safety for the family, driving enthusiasts will be disappointed by the instability of the vehicle on twisty roads. Parents won’t mind the stable performance on motorway speeds but it could still use improvement on handling extremely bad road conditions. Overall, however, the Renault Espace guarantees a smooth and comfortable ride for bumps.

There’s very little to dislike about the Renault Espace. It’s definitely a smart choice for families looking for a long-term vehicle investment.

The Renault Grand Espace is produced by Renault, a French car manufacturer. The 1^st three “generations” of this large multi purpose vehicle were put up for sale under the Renault brand but produced by Mantra. The most recent model, the 4^th generation is entirely Renault produced. It is an MVP that can accommodate seven passengers. The Renault Grand Espace, on the other hand, is a long-wheel base model with more leg room at the rear seat, and with a roomier boot.

It was Fergus Pollock, a British designer, who conceived the original design for the Espace in the 70s. It was originally meant to replace the leisure activity vehicle, Matra Rancho, and was supposed to be put on sale as a Talbot. The Mantra model is the progenitor of the Renault Espace launched in 1984 by Renault. The sale of the Espace was slow at first, but it later became very well-accepted.

Espace’s popularity inspired the French car maker to come out with a revamped Escape in 1988 where many of the Simca/Talbot components were changed with Renault pieces. In 1991, the Espace received a serious makeover where it was made to look like a true Renault. It was supposed to take the place of the Talbot.

In 1997, the 3^rd generation Renault was born. It was to be the last Espace built by Mantra for Renault. The next year the Grand Espace with its long wheelbase was introduced to the market. The completely Renault-built Espace was introduced in 2003, and in 2006, it got another thorough make-over with the addition of new 3.0-liter and 2.0-liter dC1 engines.

The Phase IV model of the Espace introduced in 2012 is a totally restyled Espace that is expected to give the Ford Galaxy and Land Rover Discovery a very stiff competition.

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