Renault Grand Scenic - French comfort
The French are very good at designing above-average comfortable cars. The best example of this is the Renault Grand Scenic. At the moment, this is one of the best offers in the class of 7-seater vans.
The third generation Scenica, which has been on the market since 2009, received a slight update a few months ago. The changes are not significant, but they definitely benefited the French van. The 7-seat version of the Grand described here (just like the “regular” Scenic) received LED daytime running lights at the bottom of the bumper, and the entire front design became more dynamic and modern. It must be admitted that the uniformly white Scenic, mounted on 17-inch rims, decorated with silver roof rails, despite the less compact dimensions in the Grand version, looks quite attractive. This is certainly not an anonymous van like the Peugeot 5008 or VW Sharan.
The bright interior of our Scenica is pleasantly lit by the light coming through the panoramic roof. As a result, the cabin seems even more spacious than it really is. But spaciousness is not its only advantage. Comfort is almost in the DNA of French cars, and the Scenica is no different.
You can go on and on about the headrests themselves. How many times have you seen the head of a sleeping passenger fall limply from the headrest in one direction or the other? There is no such inconvenience in Scenic. The Renault van has the best headrests in this class of vehicle. For an additional PLN 540, you can not only adjust the angle of their inclination, but also bend their edges to better support your head. A simple solution known from Embraer aircraft, but ingenious and effective in its simplicity. It is strange that other manufacturers do not use it yet.
And what else? Excellent seats, luggage space up to 1863 liters and many practical solutions. Monstrous storage space in the movable armrest, drawers under the seats, roomy pockets in the doors, ample opportunity to comfortably arrange a place for 7 people ... The French, like hardly anyone else, know how to design cars that are ideal for long-distance travel, during which passengers simply feel yourself well.
The driver will also be happy. His "workplace" is exemplary. The manual transmission lever is located close to the steering wheel, which is adjustable in both planes. The digital display located in the center of the dashboard, especially the tachometer, certainly takes some getting used to. It also takes some time to find a comfortable position where the steering wheel rim does not interfere with the speed display. I did not succeed!
Digital indicators have the advantage that the way information is displayed is easy to change. We can choose not only different colors, but also different tachometer themes. The gadget is as good as it is not very useful. There are also no problems with controlling the TomTom navigation using the familiar panel from Renault (with a small joystick) located on the armrest.
The driving features of a French van also contribute to a comfortable travel atmosphere. It sits at the opposite extreme of what we might experience driving a Ford or VW. Renault's suspension is just pleasantly soft. It's not a compromise between light sportiness and comfort. Nothing out of this. Scenic focuses on uncompromising comfort and is not shy about it. The first more dynamically passed turn will make it clear that this car is designed for a smooth and quiet ride. And here it works great.
Especially when the 1,6-liter dCi diesel engine with 130 hp is running under the hood. This is a well-known unit, and its advantages and disadvantages are familiar to Nissan users. dCi is economical and can consume just over 5 liters per 100 kilometers. Thanks to this, the real range of the Scenica is about 1000 km. In terms of performance, the bike is unlikely to impress anyone. From 130 hp and 320 Nm it can hit 100 km/h in just over 11 seconds, but when there are more people and luggage on board, the power starts to dwindle a bit. It's not quite below 1700 rpm, up to which the engine remains deaf to all accelerator pedal cues.
In any case, at highway speeds, the unit works culturally and is not imposed by the sounds of its hard work. It must be admitted that the entire cabin of the Scenic is very well soundproofed and does not interfere with unnecessary noise during the journey.
And prices. It cannot be denied that for this great impression made on us by the tested Grand Scenic, you have to pay almost 120 78 zlotys. zloty For this price we get a very well-equipped top-of-the-line Privilege version with numerous additional features such as the aforementioned roof window or a well-functioning keyless system. Prices for the more down-to-earth versions of the Grand Scenica start from PLN 900, making it very good value for money compared to its competitors.
