Renault Grand Scenic (04-09) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 02 June 2009
The Renault Scenic is one of the most popular people carriers on sale thanks to its blend of sharp looks, comfort and a spacious interior. However the standard model is strictly a five-seater - if you need to carry more then look to the Grand Scenic. Not only is it available with seven seats but as it's longer than the standard car it offers more interior space along with an abundance of storage and some genuinely useful family-friendly features such as Sleep Safe headrests to support the necks of snoozing youngsters. Unfortunately the middle row of seats don't fold flat as they do in some other people carriers like the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso while some of the materials used in the cabin feel a little cheap - but that doesn't prevent the Grand Scenic from being one of the best people carriers around.
4 out of 5

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4 out of 5

Performance

There's a wide range of engines available in the Grand Scenic. The petrol line-up includes a 1.6-litre unit with 115bhp and a 2.0-litre unit with 135bhp (a 165bhp turbocharged version was introduced in 2005 but was dropped in 2006). The diesels are more popular and it's easy to see why - the 1.5 dCi is impressive considering the cars size and provides good in-gear performance while returning a healthy 52mpg. This engine initially had 100bhp but this was boosted to 106bhp in mid-2005. There's also a 1.9 dCi which initially had 120bhp but was replaced by a 130bhp variant. In addition, from 2006 there is a 2.0-litre dCi engine with 150bhp. This is a superb engine with plenty of pull from low revs and a smooth and refined nature. The 2.0-litre petrol engine was available from launch with an automatic alternative to the six-speed manual gearbox, while auto versions of the two larger diesels were available from 2006 onwards.

3.5 out of 5

Handling

The Grand Scenic handles safely and predictably with decent body control and a cushioned ride that irons out road imperfections well. It's great at eating up motorway miles and quite happy bustling along country lanes too. The only drawback is the heavily assisted electronic power steering which doesn't offer much feedback and over rough surfaces there's vibration through the steering column. The Grand Scenic is quiet at low speeds however while the tall windows aid visibility and it's light and easy to drive in town.