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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 88

Renault was the first brand to properly meet the needs of mid-sized MPV buyers wanting seven seats. This third generation Grand Scenic model continued to effectively do just that from its launch in 2016, but did so with a much more sophisticated feel. There's styling that borrows from the Crossover sector, along with a classier cabin that's filled with plenty of technology in most models. With engines borrowed from the Megane range, it stacks up on the balance sheet too. In short, it ticks a lot of boxes.

Modelsword count: 19

5dr SUV (1.2 TCe petrol / 1.5 dCi, 1.6 dCi diesel) [Play, Expression+, Iconic, Dynamique Nav, Dynamique S Nav])

Historyword count: 432

The sort of car your family really wants is rarely the kind of car your family really needs. Renault though, reckon it could be - and aimed to prove the point with this contender, the rejuvenated third generation version of their 7-seat Grand Scenic mid-sized MPV launched in 2016. It was Renault who first perfected this class of car back in 2004 with the original version of this model. Before then, the 7-seat People Carriers on offer had, from the point of view of most family buyers, either been over-large or hopelessly cramped for third row folk. Recognising this issue, Renault designed the first generation version of this Grand Scenic around a 'Goldilocks principle' further perfected by a second generation model launched in 2009. Namely, that of an MPV that wasn't too big and wasn't too small, but was just right. Like Renault's previous People Carrying innovations - the Espace of 1985 and the original 5-seat Scenic of 1999 - this one was quickly copied by other MPVs also aiming to offer a better family balance between size and wieldiness, most notably models like Volkswagen's Touran, Ford's Grand C-MAX, Vauxhall's Zafira Tourer and Citroen's Grand C4 Picasso. By 2016, 7-seat models like these hadn't been hit as hard as their 5-seat MPV counterparts by the customer shift towards Qashqai-style Crossovers. That though, was changing as more affordably-priced Crossover contenders began to appear with three seating rows, models like Nissan's X-Trail, Skoda's Kodiaq and Renault's own Koleos. In 2016, it was time then, for the Grand Scenic to set a fresh standard once more, in the form of this smarter, slicker and more seductive MK3 model. It was very different from its predecessors, elements of SUV-ness having crept into the design, hence the 40mm increase in ground clearance, the more muscular bodywork and the shift to huge 20-inch wheels. At the same time, this MPV was wider and longer than before, so inside, there was more rear compartment and luggage space than buyers could get in a comparable 7-seat Crossover. As ever with this model line, most of the underpinnings were shared with Renault's Megane family hatch, which is no bad thing as it means that buyers get sophisticated elements borrowed from that car in its much improved fourth generation form - things like a much higher quality cabin and cutting-edge safety standards. The original engines were replaced by a 1.3-litre TCe petrol and a 1.7-litre diesel in 2018. And mild 'Hybrid Assist' tech was then introduced for the dCi diesels. This MK3 Grand Scenic design sold until early 2020 and wasn't replaced.

What You Getword count: 504

You'd expect the brand that invented the usably-shaped mid-sized seven-seat MPV to define the way it should look. Is that what Renault did here? Many will think so. Laurens van den Acker and his stylists attempted what was in their words 'a more modern and sexier take' on a compact People Carrier of this kind, basing this model on the 'R-Space' concept car that appeared back in 2011. This MK3 Grand Scenic doesn't have the innovative backwards-opening rear doors of that design, but it shares the same curving silhouette, set off by huge standard 20-inch wheels that are intended to make the roofline look lower. They do - and it isn't. In fact, this car sat 40mm higher off the ground than its predecessor as part of Renault's attempt to imbue trendy Crossover cues into its design. But that only goes so far, the heavily raked windscreen still visually positioning this car very much as a People Carrier - and quite a large one by mid-sized MPV standards. The 4.63m total length makes this model not only 228mm longer than its five-seat Scenic stablemate but also notably lengthier than all its most direct rivals. Behind the wheel, what'll you notice? Well the answer's obvious in a top Grand Scenic - the 8.7-inch 'portrait'-style centre dash 'R-Link 2' touchscreen, there to bring a touch of Tesla to this humble family MPV. In the second row, you'll start to appreciate some of the benefits of buying seven-seat MPV, rather than the sort of 7-seat Crossover model you might have had for similar money. That kind of car would give you the same sort of basic rear bench you'd get on any conventional family hatchback, perching the unfortunate middle rear passenger on some hard and narrow piece of bulging foam with legs astride a central transmission tunnel. Here, in contrast, you get a far more comfortable arrangement, with proper space for three adults, decent headroom (even with the optional panoramic glass roof fitted) and an opportunity to stretch your legs that's aided by the body length increase we referenced earlier. So how will it be if you've been banished to the very back? Once you're there, it's very clear that the space provided is intended for children rather than adults, though folk above school age could quite happily be accommodated if they weren't overly tall, the journey wasn't too long and the middle bench ahead was pushed forward. And the boot? There's a 233-litre space provided with all three seating rows in place - which is pretty good by class standards. Flatten the rearmost seats using the 'One-Touch' electric folding mechanism and a 596-litre luggage area is revealed. That's a little more than the previous generation model could offer, but with that car, you had the option of three individual middle-row chairs that could be folded, tumbled forward or even taken out completely. With this MK3 Grand Scenic, there's none of that - just a conventional bench which folds forward to free up 1,737-litres of carriage capacity.

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