Also as a five-seater
As a bolt from the blue, Renault announced at the beginning of this year that a new Espace was on the way. It soon became clear that it is not a pure MPV, but an extended Austral, an SUV. It’s 21 inches longer than that crossover and 14 inches shorter than the last Espace.
Highlights Renault Espace
- 14 centimeters shorter than predecessor, 21 cm longer than Austral
- 200 hp hybrid powertrain with 1.2 three-cylinder
- standard as 7-seater, 5-seater also available
- panoramic roof more than one square meter in size
- available from this spring
- probably cheaper than previous Espace
Why was the news about a sixth generation Espace so surprising? Because the MPV is as good as extinct. Which does not alter the fact that there is still a demand for cars with six or seven seats, for example for composite families. And when you, as a brand, are more or less the inventor of that genre and, moreover, have stuck a strong name on your MPV for almost forty years, then the choice for the type name Espace is not only very logical, but also more than justified. It is not without reason that the next Scénic is already in Renault’s nursery. It is on the same platform as the electric Megane E-Tech.
Shorter, lower and lighter than the current Espace
We have known the Austral for a year and the design of the new Espace is no surprise at all. So let’s talk about the dimensions first. With its length of 4.72 meters, it is considerably shorter than its 4.86 meter long predecessor and it loses three centimeters in height. And it is 215 kg lighter. The difference of 21 cm with the Austral can also be seen with the Scénic and Grand Scénic (23 cm) and approximately the same values ​​can be found with the VW Tiguan and the Tiguan Allspace and the Nissan Quashqai and X-Trail. A fun fact: the 7-seater Renault 21 Nevada from the eighties was almost as long as the new Espace at 4.69 meters and even has a longer wheelbase. Despite the reduced exterior dimensions, Renault still speaks of a more spacious interior for the new Espace.
Renault Espace (2023).
Hybrid powertrain with 200 hp
Was it quite a shock for the Espace driver – who could even opt for a fat V6 – that when the previous model was introduced only a 1.6-litre turbo engine (and a 2.0 diesel) was now available? it’s going to suck again. A 1.2-liter three-cylinder fills the engine room, good for 130 hp and 205 Nm of torque. But assisted by two electric motors. The largest electric motor delivers 70 hp, the smaller is a starter/generator and is good for 25 hp, the system power is 200 hp. The battery pack measures 2 kWh, which means that the hybrid Espace is able to drive fully electrically for short distances, something it will often do in the city. With a stated consumption of 4.6 l/100 km, it is immediately the most economical petrol Espace ever.
Familiar interior, available as 5 and 7-seater
The interior of the Espace is no surprise as the dashboard is identical to that of the Austral. A 12.3-inch screen in front of you and a standing, 12-inch screen in the middle. The system runs on Google, so you have services such as Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Play at your disposal. The second row of seats can be moved over a distance of 22 centimeters and thanks to the enormous panoramic roof (1.33 mx 0.84 cm) there is a lot of light in the interior, which also offers 39 liters of storage space. Special UV-resistant coating keeps the heat out and makes a roller screen superfluous. The Espace has five seats and is optionally available with a third row of seats. Each row of seats has two USB-C connections and two reading lights. The luggage space of the five-seater measures 581 liters, in the seven-seater it is 477 liters and with the third row of seats in use, 179 liters remain. And then the key question: can you still sit somewhat on that third row of seats? To get straight to the point: absolutely not as an adult. There is no room for your feet and your legs. If you move the second row of seats slightly forward, there will be enough space for not too big children. But in a Dacia Jogger you have more space, that’s a fact.
Renault Espace (2023).
Three different styles, including four-wheel steering
Renault supplies the new Espace in three different versions: the Techno, the luxurious Iconic and the top model, the sporty Esprit Alpine. The first is the slip-on and can be recognized by the aluminum frames around the side windows and the aluminum roof rails. In the other versions it is black or dark. Things like 19-inch wheels, an electrically operated tailgate and wireless charging of a smartphone are always standard. The Esprit Alpine has a more luxurious interior with blue stitching and alcantara upholstery. In the Iconic you will find real wood on the dashboard and leather upholstery on the electrically adjustable seats. Via the Multi-Sense menu you can choose from the Eco, Sport, Comfort and Personal modes, for different throttle responses, more steering feel and a stiffer chassis. Renault’s four-wheel steering 4control is standard, except on the Techno. The rear wheels can rotate up to 5 degrees in the opposite direction at low speed. This increases the turning circle from 11.6 to 10.4 metres. A total of 32 assistance systems assist the driver.
The new Renault Espace is built in Palencia (Spain), where the Austral and Megane Estate also roll off the line. The Mégane E-Tech Electric is built in France. The order books will open from this spring. We don’t have prices yet, but we can imagine that the new Espace is cheaper than the previous one, based on Austral prices.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl