Renault Espace: all generations in a row

We did not always know for sure in recent years whether the Espace model name would continue to exist. After all, MPVs are (almost) dead in Europe and the outgoing generation Espace has already taken a cautious step away from its origins. The fifth generation was no longer a thoroughbred MPV, but a crossover between an MPV and SUV. Partly because of this, it is hardly surprising that his successor nestles entirely between the SUVs. What is somewhat surprising is its model name. The now illustrious ‘Espace’ returns, but this time on a car that conceptually shares almost nothing with its ancestors – except for the number of seats.

If you want to know where it started with those ancestors, we would like to refer you to this article, in which the first generation Renault Espace is already extensively discussed. That car is sometimes wrongly referred to as ‘the first MPV’, but that is incorrect. It was, however, the first MPV from a European brand in the ‘modern era’ (1980s and later). As such, the model only got a lot of competition in the 90s, when Renault already presented the second and third generations. Other European brands, such as Ford (Europe) with the Galaxy, Volkswagen with the Sharan and Citroën with the Evasion, entered the MPV market some 10 years later. A market that Renault had discovered in modern Europe.

From right to left: generations 1 to 4 of the Renault Espace.

Plastic body parts and the Grand Espace

After the first Espace, which came on the market in 1984, the brand did not sit still. In 1991 the French came with the second and in 1996 with the third. What the first three generations have in common is that all three carry a carriage that is largely made of plastic sheet metal parts. From the fourth generation, Renault, like almost all other brands, mainly used metal panels. The fourth also offered a six-cylinder option for the first time for both diesel and petrol-loving customers; with the second and third generation Espace you could only get six cylinders if you wanted to burn petrol.

In addition, the six-cylinder in the Espace was ‘four’ larger than before, which made the Espace burn gasoline even better. A particularly good-sounding 3.5-liter V6, known from the Nissan 350Z, among others, was now available in the front of a 7-seater family car if desired. One in which that family could also sit extra spaciously: the fourth generation could be ordered with a longer carriage, just like its predecessor as the ‘Grand Espace’.

The Grand Espace 3.

The Espace F1, with a V10 from the premier class and a design based on that of the Espace 2.

Due to its wide range of engines and the different body styles, the fourth Espace Renault certainly did not do any harm. In the Netherlands, where a total of just over 41,000 Renault Espaces have been sold since 1984, the fourth generation was by far the most popular. In 2003 and 2004, the brand even sold more than 4,000 copies per year.

Faded glory

The fifth generation, which pleases users moderately positively and only came on the market in 2015, was nowhere near such numbers. In its ‘best’ year, 2016, 763 left the showroom. There was no longer a wide range of engines or choice of body styles, while the MPV-SUV intermediate form may have proved a bit difficult to digest for most potential buyers.

In that respect, the new Renault Espace is a very safe move from the French. The buyer public simply likes to swallow SUVs in 2023. But whether the car can distinguish itself sufficiently from the Austral, what in itself is not already a particularly distinguished model? That remains to be seen. One trump card offers the newcomer – as befits an Espace – in any case: seven seats. And how many competitors do they have now?

Will this car revive the Espace name?