Multi Purpose Vehicles (MPV) are mainly practical options as opposed to performance or aesthetic seekers. But this French example blends good looks and practicality like Yin and Yang. Enter the new Renault Grand Scenic, an extension of the Scenic MPV which was unveiled earlier this year.
While the fourth-generation Grand Scenic is wider, longer, and larger than its predecessor, this new MPV looks a lot more attractive than the model it replaces. It rides with the similar fascia found in most modern Renaults, one of which is the Captur. The extra dimensions means it’s now bigger on the inside, with a cavernous boot space that consumes up to 765 litres of cargo via its five-seater configuration. Speaking of seats, two seats can be added at the back too, making it a decent seven-seater MPV.
Apart from the glaring oversized logo up front, the Grand Scenic receives a large panoramic glass roof, 20-inch rims, roof rails and roofline mark. No sliding doors are used in this Grand Scenic, though. In terms of safety, this MPV gets active emergency braking with pedestrian detection as standard. Also included are plus lane keep assist and fatigue monitoring system, safe distance warning, blind spot monitoring and so on. Quite simply, this Grand Scenic should ace the Euro NCAP crash safety test like a walk in the park.
Engine choices for the Grand Scenic consist of four oil burners and two petrol engines. One hybrid diesel engine, the diesel-electric dCi 110 Hybrid Assist is also available for this model. All these engines are mated to a six-speed manual as standard, with some variants receiving the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
While a good looking MPV will certainly appeal to Malaysians, European MPVs are pretty much left-wing choices in this part of the world. Its nearest competitor, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso was unveiled earlier this year at around RM179,888. It’s all up to TC Euro Cars to decide if this huge but gorgeous people carrier from France deserves a fighting chance here. That is, after it goes on sale in Europe by the end of this year.
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