As is typical with a new car (although it may well get less so in the coming years), the latest Grand Scenic is bigger than the car it replaces – by 62mm in length, 26mm in width and a mere 9mm in height. The wheelbase is up by 34mm too.
The altered proportions have allowed Renault to endow the latest Grand Scenic with a more dynamic visual profile than before. The gently sloping roofline towards the rear, with a rising beltline towards the tail-lights, give the car a more aerodynamic appearance than its predecessor, albeit one that’s slightly at odds with the staid, bug-eyed nose – where the Scenic’s visual links to the Mégane are mostly found.
As with all previous Scenics, the latest Grand Scenic is based on the Mégane hatchback. Specifically, it uses the same platform, engines and suspension, so the Grand Scenic has a torsion beam rear axle, with MacPherson struts at the front, attached to what Renault calls a horned subframe.
In essence it means a front structure that is more rigidly located than in the previous car, to increase the suspension’s consistency and, more significantly, improve steering precision – something modern, electrically power-assisted Renaults particularly lack.
The engine line-up is seven strong, with three petrol units and four diesels, whose sizes stem from 1.4 to 2.0 litres and whose power outputs range from 105 to 158bhp.
The engine in our test Grand Scenic is, as a result of downsizing, the smallest in the range yet has one of the highest power outputs. The all-aluminium, 1.4-litre four-pot unit utilises a single turbocharger to produce its 128bhp at 5500rpm, plus a creditable 140lb ft of torque at just 2250rpm, while returning a claimed 39.2mpg on the combined fuel cycle.
It is, as with all Grand Scenics apart from the CVT-only 2.0-litre petrol, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
