Once they could not be dragged, but nowadays the market for MPVs is only a shadow of what it once was. Renault CEO Luca de Meo sees the end of, among other things, the Scénic approaching, although that name does not have to disappear immediately.
Renault was one of the brands that made big money selling MPVs in the 90s and 00s. However, in the past decade, attention has shifted from MPVs to crossovers and SUVs, which is why many models have already disappeared from our market. The Renaults Scénic and Espace will also no longer have a long life. A year ago it became clear that those two – in combination with the Talisman – are at the exit of Renault. Now CEO Luca de Meo really doesn’t bother with the Scénic anymore: “As always in life, all the beauty comes to an end. After a cycle of twenty years, we move on to other things”, quotes Caradisiac.
The Meo is very clear what that is: SUVs. “That’s what the market wants. That segment (MPVs, ed.) Is shrinking every year, while that of SUVs is growing.” The Espace and the Scénic were subtly renewed fairly recently, but the end is near. In the case of the Scénic, that does not mean, according to De Meo, that that name will disappear completely. Renault may already apply it to the fully electric crossover that will be marketed next to the Mégane. Last year’s production version of the Mégane eVision Concept. After all, the Scénic also originated as the Mégane Scénic, whose successor was simply called Scénic.
The most successful Scénic
Successes
Here in the Netherlands, Renault’s MPVs were a determining factor in the street scene for years. It all started, of course, with the Espace, which was particularly difficult to get around at the beginning of this century. In the peak year, 2004, 4,477 were registered in the Netherlands. In total, more than 41,000 Renaults Espace have been sold in our country. The Scénic was even more successful. With over 160,000 units, that is even the best-selling Renault in the Netherlands after the Clio, Mégane and Twingo. The Scénic experienced its peak year in 2000, with no fewer than 15,780 units sold. Only in the previous decade sales of the Scénic were significantly marginalized.