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So instead of being conceived by Matra, this new one comes from Sandouville - the same factory that gives birth to the Renault Vel Satis and Laguna. This also means that the Grand Espace is constructed with a conventional bodyshell that is easier to build, and satisfies extra sales for Renault
Appearances, Safety and Equipment
Yes, the Grand Espace is a full 8 inches longer than the "normal" version, and definitely less unusual in construction, but it's design would hardly lead you to believe so. Close to outlandish in its radical new look, it comes with the world's biggest glass sunroof.
Full-length runners are now standard issue for for the rearmost seat pair, everything's just built better - much, much better than when compared to older versions of the Espace, which could never quite shake off the plasticky, creaky history of the first few versions.
A full complement of properly fitted panels are absolutely rattle and creak free. Everything feels solid and as well engineered as a tunnel digger, which really is a good thing. The only mismatch might be the land of hard plastics in the cabin's lower half - more so than in the older model.
The switchgear is clear and smooth-acting, and the automatic parking brake works without a hitch. We particularly loved the digital, LCD instrument cluster in the middle which was highly legible by means of peripheral vision.
All three rows of seats have curtain airbags, with the ones in front varying in terms of inflation according to severity of impact. The front two seat rows have side bags, and all rear seats are identical. They are a little heavy to lift because of built-in, three-point belts, but we had little to complain of, really.
Other things that you might expect are all there - from the ESP that applies individual pressure to the wheels to straighten things out, to traction control and anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist and electronic brake-force distribution. There's even a tyre pressure monitoring system and bi-xenon headlights.
Door locks are shielded and cable-controlled, while the hands-free 'key card' exchanges data with the ECU before actually starting the engine. At the same time, it unlocks the steering, which by the way, is fitted with a declutching system. This makes it impossible to break with one of those violent, sledgehammer blows.
As a final deterrent to being stolen, ten parts are marked with the car's vehicle identification number, making it harder to conceal their origin.
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Impressions
Sit in the Espace and the first thing you'll notice is the enormous windscreen and accurate steering when you back it out of the drive way, of which together make the hefty people carrier feel smaller than it really is.
It's easy to thread through traffic than you might expect, and best of all, the driving position is very car-like, with a lower, much more vertical wheel that is adjustable for both height and reach.
The seat is positioned lower down in relation to the pedals, although you can't exactly escape the MPV-ish feeling of it all.
As we've mentioned before, the extra length and weight do not make the Grand Espace much harder to drive through tight spots, but chuck it into a corner and it does start to feel less agile than a regular Espace.
The steering wheel is both positive and well-weighted, and best of all, all those electronics work very unobtrusively, effectively curbing any tendency for the car's nose to run wide. The five speed automatic works proactively (well, it is called the "Pro-active") and enthusiastically with the upshifts and downshifts, and makes the Espace more fun than it would otherwise be.
The turbocharged 2.0 petrol develops 170 horses at 5000rpm, while 270Nm of torque can be found at 3250rpm. Real 0-100km/h figures are impressive too - we scored an average of 10.7 seconds after three tries with an empty car and a half full tank of petrol!
Alright, so it doesn't race for the horizon, but the engine provides more than adequate overtaking power should you need it, especially so on B-roads with a full load of family and luggage packed for Tioman Island!
The claimed fuel economy figures look impressive for an MPV of it's size, although it might just be the 83 litre fuel tank playing tricks on us. The Espace's offbeat shape probably contributed to the car's aerodynamics. It is cheaper to repair after an accident too, thanks to a more conventional front bumper structure which absorbs impacts of up to 15km/h without damage to the radiator, chassis rails and front wings, which are made of flexible, bash-proof Noryl plastic, as in several other Renaults.
Is it any good?
With prices starting from $137,000, you can bet on your horses that it isn't exactly a budget MPV with offerings like the Honda Odyssey, Citroen C4 Picasso and the recent spate of 7 seater SUVs going around. Also, the supply of used full-size MPVs seems to be exceeding demand because many past buyers have now moved to Scenic-sized cars.
But do consider that there hasn't been, for years, a Renault that retains decent residual value, except maybe for this one. That said, the Espace, without a doubt, does it job admirably well, in fact a little too well, and the breed's status for originality still holds very true in a non-conformist sort of way, and will bring it on for miles when it comes to long-term desirability.
