• Impressive quality, nice use of materials
• Google-based infotainment good to use
• Family-friendly features abound in the rear

How is the quality and layout?

It’s all rather pleasant, actually. Renault’s gone in big on sustainability with the Scenic, which means there are lots of recycled bits including the seat upholstery. It’s made out of old plastic bottles but it looks and feels top drawer.

There are some cheaper plastics dotted around, true – the top of the door trims, for example, are scratchy and unforgiving – but there are plenty of smarter-looking materials to take your eye off those. Materials like the faux-leather-wrapped steering wheel, glossy black dashboard surfaces and chrome highlights.

We haven’t tried the entry-level Techno trim yet, but Esprit Alpine models have electric blue carpet and door trims to lighten the ambience. The carpeted door bins front and rear stop your bits and bobs rattling and are another nice touch. Compared with price rivals like the Skoda Enyaq and Model Y, the Scenic’s at least on par, if not better, in terms of fit and finish.

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Infotainment and tech 

Push the start button and the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display erupts with hyperactive animations, Google OS branding and that welcome tune from Jean-Michel Jarre. It’s quite the entrance. Both the digital driver’s display and the portrait-style 12.0-inch infotainment screen are high-definition and the latter’s software is snappy. Any future updates can be done over the air, and the functionality includes Google assisted services, Google Assistant voice control and Maps for the sat nav. You can also download an array of apps including stuff like Waze and Spotify.

It’s easy to navigate, responsive and looks good, but we’ve had wireless CarPlay connectivity issues with an iPhone during our long-term test. We’ve also noticed you can’t immediately switch on the heated steering wheel after you’ve turned on the heated seat; you need to give it a couple of seconds before the icon responds to a prod.

We’ve just mentioned the infotainment screen but there are physical buttons to operate the basics, like the climate control. Also, in typical Renault fashion, physical audio controls are laid on for you behind steering wheel – you can’t see them but you learn to use them by feel pretty quickly. If anything there are too many stalks as we’ll still occasionally flick the wipers on instead of selecting reverse. Speaking of the gear selector, this doesn’t like to be rushed which can be annoying when manoeuvring.

Comfort

• Spacious, bright and airy cabin
• Comfortable and supportive front seats
• Rear seats are excellent – with loads of room

The driver’s seat is supportive and has plenty of adjustment. On Esprit Techno trim and above it’s electrically adjustable with a massage function. The steering wheel also has a good range of movement in and out and up and down, plus there’s a big, sliding centre armrest to rest on.

The interior is bright and airy, with a great sense of spaciousness, especially with the panoramic roof. In the rear, the Scenic is especially impressive with enough legroom to offer bags of comfort for our 6ft 3in tester to sit behind a similarly-sized driver without any issues. Long-distance comfort in the rear is also uncommonly good, and the centre-armrest features make using tech in the back seat simple and enjoyable.