Renault Scenic III

	Renault Scenic III
	Debut: 2009 Maker: Renault Predecessor: Scenic II

Published on 30 Jun 2009

Like Macintosh or Palm, the brand effect of Scenic has been fading out as time goes by...

13 years ago, Renault Scenic pioneered a trend of small MPVs, or in its own words, Multi-Activity Vehicles (MAV). The original Scenic sold hot in the European market, attracting more than 200,000 units of sales annually and became a symbol of successful innovation. However, like Macintosh or Palm, the brand effect of Scenic has been fading out as time goes by. Entering the 3rd generation, it can hardly sell by its image. Fortunately, Renault has made enough improvement to the new car. Not only it becomes better to drive, it is also more comfortable, cheaper to buy and to run. The latter is very important to budget buyers. While rivals Citroen C4 Picasso and Peugeot 3008 / 5008 try to go upmarket, Renault makes the Scenic more down-to-earth by reducing its prices, extending service intervals and equipping it with fuel-sipping engines. This sounds right in the current economic recession.

As always, the Scenic is derived from Megane to boost economy of scale. The underpinnings of both cars are basically the same, including powertrains, suspensions, steering and electronics. The bottle is different, of course. Scenic is longer than Megane in both overall length (+50mm) and wheelbase (+62mm). It is also wider (by 37mm), but the most significant difference is height, which is 1471mm vs 1678mm. Unsurprisingly, the latter is put in good use to enhance headroom, to raise seating position hence freeing up legroom for all passengers. In standard 5-seater form, the Scenic offers the best accommodation in the class, especially when the three individual back seats slide to the rearmost position. If you have a big family, you can choose the long-wheelbase 7-seat Grand Scenic, but its second and third row are more compromised.

More so than the Scenic II, Scenic III has a high-quality cabin.

More so than the Scenic II, Scenic III has a high-quality cabin. Soft-touch plastics are standard on the dashboard top, unlike some Japanese MPVs that still employ hard ones. A light color scheme and large glass area brighten the ambience. There are lots of storage cubbies, glovebox, drawers etc., and the luggage area is big. Seats are multi-adjustable, though there are a few ergonomic flaws – just as any typical French cars. The biggest problem are the rear seats, which can flip forward but not fold into the floor. This somewhat limit its luggage carrying ability. Strangely, the pioneer of MAV refused to follow the market trend to adopt fold-flat rear seats. Sometimes French are too ergo.

Renault used to be weak in engines. Following the introduction of a small turbocharged petrol and updated diesels, its weakness has become its strength. The Nissan-sourced 1.4-liter VVT light-pressure turbo engine is a credible replacement for a conventional 2-liter engine, as it provides superior mid-range torque to cope with the extra weight of Scenic. It is refined and frugal too. The homegrown 105hp 1.5dCi turbo diesel is also gusty and refined, while new 2.0dCi offers a surprising 160 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. You don’t need to look beyond these three engines.

For a car so tall, you should admire its limited body roll in corners.

In terms of chassis dynamics, the new Scenic sits between the sporty Ford C-Max and the comfort-oriented C4 Picasso. For a car so tall, you should admire its limited body roll in corners. This is achieved by using stiffer springs, anti-roll bars and bushings. Softer damping compensates part of the loss in ride quality, resulting in a generally compliant ride except on bumpy surfaces. Thanks to a stiffened front subframe, the steering is more precise, although its weighting remains artificial. On highway, the cabin is well insulated from road and wind noise.

All these merits mean the new Scenic remains a credible choice in the ever growing small MPV segment. To me, it is probably too safe, too middle-of-the-road. Without showing any new innovations or distinctive character, the Scenic is unlikely to revive its once sparkling image.

Verdict:

Published on 21 May 2014

Scenic facelift 2013

To keep the aging Scenic III fresh, Renault updated it 2 years in a row. The facelift in 2012 tidied its front-end design and injected some elegance, then in 2013 it was improved further with a new corporate grille which features a big Renault logo. Owing to the ill proportion it is still far from beautiful, but it no longer raises eyebrows as before.

Between these facelifts Renault also replaced old engines with new ones. The 1.5-liter dCi turbo diesel gained 5 horsepower and 15 lbft of torque. The 1.4 TCe turbo petrol was replaced with newly developed “Energy” series 1.2 TCe direct-injection turbo, which is available with 115 hp or 130 hp. Either way, fuel consumption is considerably reduced. A similar downsizing strategy is adopted for the top diesel engine – the 1.9 dCi was replaced with a brand new 130 hp 1.6 dCi 16V. All these engines are equipped with automatic stop & start.

Inside, the cabin gets virtually no improvement except new trims and R-link infotainment system. It is still a nice place to spend time, but the lack of fold-flat rear seats still hampers its luggage convenience and robs it the chance of challenging the best of the class.

Verdict: