Car Test
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R0255 | |
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See also
R0158
August 2002 |
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| Renault Scenic | ||
| Printer Friendly Page | Featured model: 1.9dCi Fidji | |
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Five years on and still going strong, Renault’s clever, trendsetting Scenic, so flattered by imitation, is still a year away from replacement. This gives us the opportunity to test the current turbo-diesel model – the one version that’s so far eluded us.
A wide range of engines is on offer, from the 1.4/95bhp “starter” to the lively 140bhp two-litre, but this 105bhp common-rail turbo-diesel is the newest. It’s by no means the sweetest, though. Certainly it has the performance and economy to match or better those of its derv-drinking rivals, but, for a supposedly up-to-the-minute motor, it’s neither as smooth nor as quiet-revving as it should be. It isn’t very tractable in top gear, either, so the somewhat clingy gearchange is no stranger to the driver. Top slot’s highish gearing results in a long-legged lope on a motorway – which is welcome. There’s nothing sporty about the Scenic’s handling; it feels rolly when cornered enthusiastically, and the rather low-geared steering doesn’t help matters. Instead, a comfortable ride takes precedence over spirited bend-swinging – which is the way it should be for an easy-going family ferry, if one has to choose between one or the other. We would have liked a cushion-tilt setting on the height-adjustable front seats, but even so, they’re comfortable and include modest lumbar adjustment for the driver. Pity the steering wheel doesn’t telescope as well as tilt, though. All-round vision is very good, however, and convenient stalk controls, clear dials, a trip computer and a single CD player ease the driver’s lot. Storage spaces abound throughout the air-conditioned interior, which, in the case of the Fidji, boasts a generous equipment list, based on the mid-range Dynamique specification. Despite its maturity, the Scenic is still a force to be reckoned with among its rivals, even though Multipla and Zafira can offer a seat or two more for the school run. For those in the back, there’s ample leg-stretching space and headroom, but the seats (particularly the centre one) aren’t very wide and will be overspilt by three big blokes. All three seats flip-fold, slide and are easily removable, and each sports a head restraint and a three-point seatbelt. Removing the centre chair and man-handling the remaining pair on to an inboard set of floor mounts transforms the Scenic into a superbly spacious four-seater with extra, limo-like legroom. Thanks to good height under the two-position parcel shelf and the absence of wheelarch intrusion, the large, flat-sided load area has a healthy appetite for all manner of cargo. The opening tailgate window proves an additional convenience. |
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