Times change and so do motorists' tastes. Where the space car emerged in the 1980s, enjoyed great success in the 1990s and then slowly had to relinquish its place to the SUV, one might expect Renault to hang the Espace name on the willows. But the opposite is true.
There are plenty of reasons why Renault chooses the Espace name for the extended version of the Austral. The sixth edition of this 7-seater is trend-following rather than revolutionary. But in terms of comfort and family character, the newcomer does continue a line. The naming didn't come at the last minute, but was reserved early on in the project.
Space, that's what an Espace is all about. At the same time, an SUV cannot offer it in the way we are used to from the first generations of Espace. The seven-seater offers a volume of 159 litres behind the third row of seats. The two rear seats are child's play to fold away after which 477 litres become available. After folding down the second row of seats, this grows to 1,714 litres. Those who prefer to order a five-seater gain 100 litres by doing so. The price then remains identical. Measured from the accelerator pedal to the backrest of the rear seats (second row), the Espace 6 is the most spacious in the model's almost forty-year history.
Until the Espace IV, the seats could be taken out separately. Now, all seats remain in the car. They fold forward to form a flat floor. There is an obvious reason why Renault chose this. For a high safety score in the EuroNCAP crash tests, it is important to install sensors that register that the rear seatbelts are closed. That feature is difficult to combine with separate seats. However, Renault does increase functionality by making the rear seats sliding. That makes for massive legroom in the back with the bench in the rear position. In addition, the backrest can be adjusted to over 30 degrees and the middle seat offers the option of converting into a comfortable centre armrest with cup holders.
Finely, the distance between seat and roof is generously sized, so even taller passengers can sit comfortably. The third row of seats is obviously geared to small children, who only get legroom from accommodating passengers in the second row. For those who want to further equip their new Espace, they can order a non-opening glass roof of a gigantic size.
Motor-wise, the Espace is presented in a variant. A powertrain already known from the Austral. It involves the 1.2-litre 3 cylinder turbo coupled to two electric motors. Both of which provide their own share of propulsion. Renault has tinkered a little with the software to make the whole thing work even smoother. When pulling away and accelerating, the car gives a feeling comparable to an all-electric voiture. Together, the engines produce 200 hp and 230 Nm of torque for the petrol engine and 205 Nm for the electric assist. It is noticeable that the electric motor acts solo under various conditions. Moments when one is far from always expecting it.
On the dashboard, the mention EV then lights up. Yet the Espace has only a 2 kWh battery, on which only a modest distance can be driven electrically. The entire powertrain functions nicely quietly and shifting between gears cannot be felt as the electric motors cushion it nicely. Renault gives a top speed of 175 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds. The Espace has become generously more fuel efficient, more favourable than 1 in 20 according to official figures, and this proved nicely achievable during a varied test drive around Porto.
Renault places the battery under the front seats, so little space is taken away. Behind the steering wheel are two gearshift paddles that can be used to determine how much energy is recovered at throttle release. There are four modes. At maximum regeneration, foot braking is virtually unnecessary.
Renault prefers to compare the new Espace to the previous generation, which was a lot longer, heavier and aerodynamically less refined. Weight is saved in the bottom group, bodywork, powertrain and seats.
At 4.72 metres, the new Espace has shrunk 14 centimetres in length, but actually gains 21 cm over the Austral. Together with all-wheel steering on the two highest trim levels, this makes for excellent handling. The car steers sharply into corners at lower speeds because the rear wheels steer in opposite directions. As a result, as a driver one does not immediately get the feeling of being out and about with a big car. Indeed, the turning circle of 10.40 metres is comparable to a Clio. The all-wheel steering provides more stability at higher speeds. 4Control, combined with the chosen Multisense settings (Eco, Comfort, Sport), offers as many as 13 different settings.
The comparison with the Austral is, of course, legitimate. Both cars share the same base, but also have the necessary spec features. The Espace has a 7.1 cm longer wheelbase (2.73 m), consequently longer rear doors and a larger rear overhang (+14 cm). As a result, the rear side windows are also stretched. The upper part of the tailgate is more upright and the bumper has been aerodynamically optimised in relation to the longer vehicle length. The suspension tuning is more comfortable as the Espace is tuned for family use even more than the Austral.
Like the Austral and the future Rafale, the Espace is built in Palencia, Spain. The car rolls off the assembly line in Techno, Esprit Alpine and Iconic equipment variants. Unlike the Austral, the Esprit Alpine is a separate equipment variant and not an option to two other variants. A lot of attention has been paid to the materials and finishing, as we already saw with the Austral. The Iconic currently has the sand beige leather with brown (cappuccino) stitching and piping as standard. On the right part of the dashboard, a beautiful ash wood panel has been placed, further enhancing the on-board ambience. Here, the Esprit Alpine has Alcantara, a fabric also found on the seats. Sand beige provides an extra spacious effect. At the same time, many customers will want black leather in the top version. Not impossible that that option will become available later. Engine-wise, more variants may also be in the offing, although the 130hp non-hybrid should be kept away. Perhaps sometime next year, the 300 hp plug-in hybrid will hit the price list, the engine announced for the Rafale.
In terms of dashboard and seats, full reference can be made to the Austral. The Espace has the dashboard initially familiar from the Megane E-Tech with the Android/Google operating system including Google Maps. It all works pleasantly intuitively and the car does not appear to be a meddler. Irritating beeps, bells and other warnings are omitted and help determine the peace and quiet on board. With a total of 39 litres of storage space, the new Espace matches its predecessor. A nice addition are the cushions on the headrests of the second row of seats that are filled with memory foam.
Should the question be whether Renault continues the Espace name in the right way, or is it much more important that the new Espace is once again a spacious, comfortable family car? That answer everyone can figure out for themselves. The more favourable pricing compared to the Espace V undoubtedly plays into the new model's hands.