Back in March, Renault->ke72 pulled the sheet off of the all new Renault Scenic based on the R-Space concept. Now, just a couple months later, Renault is pulling the sheet off of its bigger brother – the Grand Scenic.

The Grand Scenic is nine inches longer, almost one inch wider, and just over a half-inch taller than it's smaller sibling. It comes standard with 20-inch wheels, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, full-color heads-up display, parking assistance, and a host of engines that include five diesel options and two gasoline options.

Furthermore, it offers seating for five or seven people, two-tone livery from the second equipment level up, and an all-new color – Vision Brown – that is exclusive to the Grand Scenic. Compared to the outgoing model, the new Grand Scenic has a completely redesigned front end, more fluidic body lines, and a reworked rear end. The end result: Renault just made the compact MPV->ke1149 segment a little sexier.

Needless to say, the new Grand Scenic is a huge departure from the outgoing model. The body flows smoother from front to rear, there’s plenty of interior room, and the standard features are surprising – even on the entry-level model. Even from a quick glance, you can see that the body was designed to have a look of depth from the side and that the roof doesn’t slope downward as aggressively as it did on the outgoing model. All told, it’s one of the better “redesigns” that we’ve seen in a while.

The new Grand Scenic will go on sale before the end of the year, with the full U.K. model lineup, specifications and pricing announced closer to the official launch. So, with that said, let’s take a closer look at Renault’s new Grand Scenic and all the fine details hidden within.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Renault Grand Scenic.

2017 Renault Grand Scenic

Specifications
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  • Model: 2017 Renault Grand Scenic
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Pros
Cons

Exterior

Renault put a lot of time into redesigning the Grand Scenic. Up front, there is an all new fascia, new headlamps, new grille, and a redesigned hood. As you can see, the front grille now extends farther downward around the Renault emblem and features rectangular cutouts. Down below the corner vents have been redesigned and aren’t integrated with the air dam like on the outgoing model. The upper and outer edge of each vent have a chrome strip to add a sense of depth, and the air dam features horizontal slats. The new headlights have a zig-zag bottom edge, with what looks to be an LED strip along the upper and outer edges. The hood is now more muscular and features several character lines that were non-existent on the outgoing model.

Moving back from the hood, things get a little weird compared to the outgoing model. Instead of the A-pillars having a sunk-in upward curve, the A-pillars on the new Grand Scenic are the exact opposite. The windshield is considerably longer, and there are now corner glass panels ahead of the side view mirrors. Along the side, the waistline is rather jagged, dipping in the middle to a point, then traveling upward as it approaches the rear quarter glass.

Down below the waistline, the body is somewhat bubbly and seems to bend the light from certain angles. At the bottom of the doors, the body in sunk in a little bit, giving a 3D effect, and making room for a piece body cladding between to two wheel arches. And, look at those wheels – they come standard as 20-inch units and feature a twisted, five-spoke design. It gives the car a very high-end appearance compared to the wheels on the outgoing model.

As I mentioned before, the roof on the new Grand Scenic doesn’t slope downward as much in the rear because it is a little bit longer than on the outgoing model. There is a small overhang on the rear hatch that is painted in the same color as the roof. The taillights are still boomerang shaped like on the outgoing model, but they are mirrors with the outer curve of the lens wrapping around the rear quarter. The reverse lights are integrated into the bottom of the lens, and the lens itself is well contoured compared to those on the outgoing model. The rear glass is now shaped like a stretched out hexagon as opposed to being rectangular, and the body panel of the hatch is elevated between the two taillights. Down below the rear fascia is a little shorter, and features a grey trim insert that runs the full width of the fascia.

The roof itself is a full panoramic unit without a cross member, which helps to brighten the interior and the model shown here is painted in exclusive Vision Brown. All told, the exterior is fresh, lively, and really raises the bar for the compact MPV segment.

Interior

Looking at the interior, the first word that comes to mind is “wow.” If you had never seen the new Grand Scenic before, you might not recognize it as a Grand Scenic by looking at the inside. With the odd shape of the A-Pillars, the corner class on each side of the windshield clearly eliminates what would be a massive blind spot. The dash is much more refined and takes on the look and feel of most other vehicles.

That weird instrument cluster and a display screen that sat almost in the middle of the dash is gone. Furthermore, the dash isn’t half as long as it used to be. The instrument cluster has been moved to behind the steering wheel and looks to be at least partially digital, and the center stack now features a vertically oriented 8.7-inch touchscreen display. The gear shifter is still just below the center stack, but it is now on more of a slant, making it easier for the driver to reach.

The car is also equipped with what Renault calls an “Easy Life” sliding center console. When pushed all the way forward it locks to the center stack, just below the steering wheel and gives the car more of a “saloon car cockpit feel,” but when slid toward the rear, there is a more open floor plan that provides more room for all passengers. The console features 13 liters of storage space. The front storage area is lit and covered by a sliding door, plus there is an integrated armrest that lifts up to expose two USB ports, an SD card slow, and audio jack, and a 12-volt socket.

The pictures here depict an all-black lower interior, but Renault says higher-end trim levels will feature Club Brown colored trim on the upper part of the dash and the door panels. Surely, this will be above that deep cut that visually connects the door trim to the dash when the doors are closed. The car can be optioned with five or seven seats, with the structure of the front seats similar to those found in the new Espace. They feature eight-way power adjustment, and high-end versions can be optioned with heated seats. Furthermore, the third row of seating is also similar to that found inside the Espace. The rear seats can be folded electronically by a single touch on the infotainment screen display or via a button in the rear cargo area. On the five-seat model, the new Grand Scenic offers 25.36 cubic feet of storage space with the seats in the rearmost position. With the seats moved forward, that space increases to 30.58 cubic feet.

Rear passengers get the comfort of having Easy Life folding tables. When deployed, the tables offer the ability to attach tablets of different sizes, plus the USB ports on the back of the center console offer enough power to keep those devices charged. When the tables are folded away, they offer a small storage compartment for mobile phones or even a gaming console. Furthermore, the pictures here also depict smooth, blue ambient lighting on the doors and below the center stack. All told, the cabin is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and, for a compact MPV, would pleasing to be in even on longer journeys.

Drivetrain

Renault has yet to release engine or performance specs but, depending on the market, the Grand Scenic can be had with one of five diesel engines or one of two gasoline engines. On the diesel front, there are a three 110 horsepower options. There the standard Energy dCi 110 attached to a six-speed manual. That engine is offered in the same configuration with hybrid assist, or with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. There’s the 130-horsepower Energy dCi 130 with a six-speed manual transmission and the Energy dCi 160 EDC with a six-speed dual clutch trans. On the gasoline side of things, there is the 115-horsepower Energy TCe 115 and the 130-horsepower Energy TC3 130, both of which come standard with a six-speed manual gearbox.

As part of the programming for the R-LINK2 system, drivers will be able to select different driving modes in the new Grand Scenic. Options include Neutral, Sport, Comfort, Perso, and Eco. Renault didn’t elaborate on the different modes, but Neutral and Eco will likely yield the best gas mileage, while Perso will probably let the drive configure different settings himself. Comfort will likely soften the suspension a bit and provide smoother shifting, while Sport should yield harsher shifting and stiffer suspension for more spirited driving.

Surely, Renault will divulge more performance related figures closer to the Grand Scenic’s launch later this year, so stay tuned for future updates.

Safety

The new Grand Scenic comes with all of the major driving aids that are also found in the new Espace, Tailsman, and Megane. These systems include adaptive cruise control, active emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, safe distance warning, traffic sign recognition with over-speed prevention, blind spot warning, reverse camera, automatic headlights, a full array of parking sensors and parking assist. These systems can be turned on or off via the R-LINK 2 infotainment system.

The lane keep assist feature is active between 44 and 100 mph and will automatically adjust the steering as needed to keep the car in the proper lane. The lane departure warning will alert you of lane drifting by vibrating the steering wheel, and when driving above 37 mph, the car will automatically visually and audibly alert you if you’re driving in an erratic driving line.

Prices

At this point, official pricing is a bit of a mystery, but should be released closer to the Grand Scenic’s official launch. The current Grand Scenic starts out at £22,860 (about $33,429) and climbs to £23,360 for the range-topping Dynamique Nav Bose + trim. Given the current pricing, expect the new Grand Scenic to start out around £23,500 or about $34,365 before options, taxes, and delivery.

Competition

Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

If the new Renault Scenic competes against the Citroen C4 Picasso, then it’s only right that we talk about the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso as a competitor for the Grand Scenic. The C4 entered its second generation in 2013 and has yet to be refreshed for this life cycle. As such, it is a little outdated compared to the all-new Grand Scenic. It features a center-mounted instrument cluster like the outgoing Grand Scenic and doesn’t have anywhere near as sporty of an exterior. It does, however, offer seating that folds flat into the floor and ample cargo room – just like the new Grand Scenic. It does offer a full hosting of safety and driver assist systems, but the touchscreen infotainment system is a little out of date.

On the engine front, gasoline- and diesel-powered variants are available ranging anywhere between 120 horsepower and 165 horsepower with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The C4 Grand Picasso starts out at £20,715 or $30314.75 at current exchange rates.

Vauxhall Zafira Tourer

The Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is a pretty sporty proposition if you’re looking for something the Grand Scenic would compete with. It has a comfortable and inviting interior with a driver-oriented instrument cluster and a small display screen oriented into the center stack. It is offered in six different trims: Design, Exclusiv, Energy, Sri, SE, and Elite.

Available engines include a 138 horsepower 1.4-liter gasoline engine attached to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. On the diesel front, there is a 135-horsepower 1.6-liter attached to a six-speed manual or a 168-horsepower 2.0-liter that can be equipped with a manual or automatic six-speed transmission. The Zafira Tourer starts out at £17,815 (about $26,061 at current exchange rates) and climbs to as high as £24,245 for the range-topping Elite trim.

Conclusion

You can’t really argue with the fact that Renault really stepped its game up with the new Scenic and Grand Scenic models. In comparison to the competition, it is more stylish and offers better features all the way around – effectively raising the bar for the MPV market. The Vauxhall Zafira Tourer is a little more on par with the new Grand Scenic but, if the competition wants to keep its fair share of the market, they all need to step up their game and come correct. Otherwise, a model like the Grand Scenic is going to start snatching up their corners of the market customer by customers until it dominates the market. Good Job, Renault. You finally made the Scenic and Grand Scenic appealing to even me.