Price as tested: €32,390
+ Looks good, spacious, comfy, punchy, cracking stereo
– Quite pricey, mushy steering
= Proves that MPVs don’t have to be a fun-free zone
You know that old cliche about buying a people carrier being the equivalent of social death? An admission that your youth is gone and your virility has crumbled to dust? I have felt the icy hand of that concept close to the hairs on the back of my neck. Once, a decade or more ago, I found my (still single and child-less) self in the car park of a major out of town driving centre driving a large, practical, mumsy people carrier. You should have heard the silent scream that went off in my head. It was quite something.
These days, things have changed somewhat. I’ve changed for a start. Married. Two kids. House in the ‘burbs. I can see now the appeal, even the necessity of a people carrier. People carriers have changed too. The Ford S-Max proved that a tall roof and seven seats was not inimical to driving enjoyment and others have at least attempted to follow suit.
And when the Renault Scenic Bose Edition rocked up on my driveway, it seemed to be almost purpose designed to appeal to me. With white coachwork set off by gorgeous (and faintly seventies in style) alloy wheels, the Scenic was looking pretty tasty for Soccer Mom transport. And that badge on the flank; Bose. Now, techie geek that I am, I know at first hand that no-one, and I do mean no-one, makes stereos quite like Bose. They may not have the whizz-bang design elements of some other hi-fis, but those deceptively simple grey and white boxes can provide sound like nothing else. Rich, warm, crisp, perfect. A family motor with that kind of sound system can really tickle my fancy.
Before we get to that though, there’s the small matter of the engine to deal with. Renault’s old range-topping 1.9 dCi diesel is now dead and it’s been replaced by this all-new 1.6-litre unit which matches the outgoing one for power with 130bhp yet manages just 114g/km on the Co2 emissions cycle and claims an average of 4.4-litres per 100km fuel consumption. Now, as is so often the case, that claim is pure bunkum and I managed to eke around 6.0-litres per 100km out of it, but that’s still not bad considering that a lot of that mileage was four-up with luggage and much of it was on the motorway. It’s also reasonably refined (especially at cruising speed, less so at low speeds) and pulls strongly. 0-100kmh in 11secs doesn’t sound too brisk, but it feels punchier than that through the gears.
Inside, thanks to the Bose Edition upgrades, the Scenic is looking better than ever before. The TFT digital instrument display is rather nice, and you can theoretically customise the display to your taste. I say theoretically because I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to do it. My six year old son did it in an instant, so I may hire him out as an aid to befuddled Scenic owners.
The seats, wrapped in an enticing mix of black leather and Alcantara, are really lovely, firmly supportive on a long run but with just enough of that classic Renault squidge to feel luxurious. Space is decent, but not exceptional. Kids will be more than happy in the middle row, but bulky child seats will eat quickly into the available space and adults will find the seats themselves a touch narrow. It’s a common failing amongst compact seven-seat MPVs, but it’s partly compensated for by a boot that’s a massive 564-litres if you keep the third-row seats folded into the floor. That’s one thing I do love about MPVs; that pleasant feeling of not having to plan the packing up. Just fling everything into the boot with gay abandon.
To drive, the Scenic is as it ever was; not great but not bad either. On first re-acquaintance, it still has the mushy steering and generous roll angles that it’s always had. Such things are anathema to the driving enthusiast, of course, but the payoff is a ride quality that soaks up all but the very worst excesses of Irish roads, so it’s an acceptable trade-off. Better yet, when the kids are asleep and your wife’s not paying attention, you’ll find that you can push through the mush and get the Scenic a bit more up and at ‘em in the corners. Do that, and you’ll find plenty of front end bite and also that the roll stops and holds pretty quickly. Once learned you’ll find that the Scenic can be hustled along quite nicely.
Now for the Bose bit. As far as I can tell, Bose’s contribution to the Scenic is just the front speakers. There were no Bose logos on the rear ones, and no indication that Bose has been tinkering with the internals of the standard-fit Renault stereo. Now, my standard stereo test (John Barry’s theme from Zulu, played LOUD) showed that the Scenic’s sound system is pretty terrific, but I had been expecting awesome. Perhaps the boomy, echo-y surrounds of a big monobox shape are just too much for even Bose to overcome? Or maybe the budget didn’t allow more than a few simple tweaks to the sound. Whatever, it’s still head and shoulders above a standard car stereo, just not quite the enveloping experience I had been hoping for.
Speaking of budgets, your own will have to be pretty generous. Clocking in at €32k (there is a cheaper 1.5 dCi Bose edition) makes the Scenic Bose pretty pricey for a family car. Far be it from me to make assumptions about other families’ finances, but I certainly couldn’t afford the repayments on that.
Which is a shame as the Scenic Bose strikes just about the ideal family car balance. It’s got all the big, spacious, comfy and practical stuff down pat. It’s decently economical and rides well. Yet, in the precise spec of our test car, it looked pretty cool, had an inviting interior, a kick-ass stereo and a modicum of driving fun in its chassis. Thank you, Renault, for proving that family motoring really can be a phrase, not a sentence. Just make it a bit more affordable next time, eh?
Renault Grand Scenic 1.6 dCi Bose Edition
Price: €32,390
Range price: €23,990 to €32,390
Capacity: 1,598cc
Power: 130bhp
Torque: 320Nm
Top speed: 183kmh
0-100kmh: 11.1sec
Economy: 4.4-100km (62mpg)
CO2 emissions: 114g/km
Tax Band: A. €160 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 91% adult, 76% child, 42% pedestrian, 99% safety assist
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