Renault Espace (03-12) - Review

All Espace models come with air conditioning and electric windows. The high seating position makes access to the first two rows easy, and getting into the third row is easier than ducking into the back of a three-door car. One of the options available is a full-length glass roof which helps brighten the already airy interior. The seats are individually sculpted and score well for comfort and can slide to vary the amount of leg room offered.

All models are seven-seaters (with the exception of the Initiale, which has six large chairs). However, unlike models like the Chrysler Grand Voyager (with its Stow n Go system) the seats can't be folded away. To boost carrying capacity you have to remove the chairs and they're heavy and bulky. Plus you need to store them somewhere. On the plus side but there's a low-loading tailgate and a massive interior space with them out - a van-like 2,860 litres to be precise. There are numerous storage bins and cubbyholes inside, including a very clever dashboard, large door bins and extra storage built into the trim alongside the third row of seats.

The Espace has always had a futuristic flavour and the interior of the fourth-generation model is no different. It retains the LED instruments of previous Espace models - although the colour is now predominantly blue-green rather than orange. Early models had the satellite navigation hidden away in a dashboard compartment, but for 2006 the screen has been moved to the dashboard display. The audio system (previously remote control-only with steering wheel buttons and a hand-set) now occupies the space vacated by the satellite navigation screen, but can also be operated from the steering wheel and infra-red remote control as before. The high seating position offers a great view of the road, and unlike many tall cars, where the windscreen pillars seem to be becoming increasingly thick, the Espace has two slender windscreen pillars which do not impair forward visibility.