New Renault Scenic & Grand Scenic: prices & specs

Ahead of orders opening in the UK on 1 December this year, full prices and specifications for the brand-new Renault Scenic and Renault Grand Scenic people carriers have been announced.

Prices start at £21,445 for the five-seat Scenic, while the seven-seat Grand Scenic range is priced from £23,375. The range will be powered by a familiar line-up of petrol and diesel engines, along with a new ‘Hybrid Assist’ model for better economy and lower CO2 emissions.

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Both cars will be available in a choice of four trim levels – Expression+, Dynamique Nav, Dynamique S Nav and Signature Nav – with more standard safety kit available across the range than the outgoing versions.

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When first new Scenics arrive in the UK in early 2017, they’ll be up against rivals like the Citroen C4 Picasso, Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, Ford C-MAX and Ford S-MAX.

New Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic trim levels & equipment

You’ll be able to specify your Scenic or Grand Scenic in one of four different trim levels. The range starts off with Expression+, followed by Dynamique Nav and Dynamique S Nav, then finishing with Signature Nav.

All models – including the entry-level Expression+ (priced from £21,445 for the Scenic and £23,375 for the Grand Scenic) – come with the likes of 20-inch alloy wheels, automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning. These cars also come with traffic-sign recognition and headlights that automatically switch between high and low beam to avoid dazzling other drivers, as well as LED daytime running lights, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

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Dual-zone climate control is also standard, as is cruise control and a speed limiter. All versions also get an infotainment system controlled from a seven-inch touchscreen on the dash, while the larger Grand Scenic model comes with roof rails as standard, too.

Move up to Dynamique Nav (from £22,945 for the Scenic; £24,875 for the Grand Scenic) and you get satellite navigation as standard. There’s also an uprated sound system, keyless entry and go, four USB ports and 13 extra litres of storage space in the passenger compartment, as well as fold-out tables on the backs of the front seats. There’s also powered folding of the rear seats, controlled from either the R-Link 2 infotainment system in the seven-inch touchscreen or buttons in the boot.

Scenics in this trim level also come with LED reading lights for passengers in the back, sunblinds, front and rear parking sensors and cup-holders. Also standard here is door-mirror mounted ‘puddle lighting’ that illuminates the ground when you open the door, to help you avoid stepping in anything unpleasant when you get out of the car at night.

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In addition, the Dynamique Nav has Renault’s Multi-Sense driving mode selection system. This lets you choose between Neutral, Comfort, Eco, Perso and Sport modes, each of which modifies accelerator pedal and engine response, steering weight, interior lighting and engine sound. Outside, Dynamique Nav cars get extra chrome exterior trim under the window line, around the front grille and on the tailgate.

Next up is Dynamique S Nav, which starts at £24,945 for the Scenic and £26,875 for the Grand Scenic. Choosing this specification adds a head-up display that projects information on the windscreen to help you keep your eyes on the road, a reversing camera and a panoramic sunroof with an electric sunblind. There’s also extra tinting for the rear windows and rear screen, plus an 8.7-inch portrait-orientated touchscreen housing the R-Link 2 infotainment system. If you go for the most powerful diesel model with the automatic gearbox, you also get an 11-speaker BOSE stereo as standard.

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Topping the range is Signature Nav trim, which costs from £26,445 on the Scenic and £28,375 on the Grand Scenic. This adds black leather upholstery for the seats, a Napa leather steering wheel, powered front seats, full LED headlights and front foglights.

Design

It’s clear the new Scenic is part of the latest wave of Renault models, with strong influences from the Kadjar SUV, including a similar front end with a bold diamond badge set into the grille and sleek lights with LEDs, while the swooping roofline, curvy windowline and gloss-black trim pieces along the bottom of the doors are reminiscent of the Captur crossover.

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The black plastic cladding around the bottom of the car is another hint at the Scenic’s SUV influences, while there's also a raised ride height, longer wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) and the front and rear overhangs – the bodywork beyond the wheelarches – have been reduced. All models get large alloy wheels, too, with 20-inch rims available across the range on both the Scenic and Grand Scenic.

Laurens van den Acker, Renault's design boss, said: "It’s a sexier and more modern take on the MPV, which carries over the outstanding modularity that has been paramount to the success of the three previous generations."

The trend for personalisation has hit the new Scenic and, like buyers of the Captur crossover, you’ll be able to spec your Scenic and Grand Scenic with a contrasting black roof and mirrors.

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Unsurprisingly, the Grand Scenic is longer, wider, taller and has a greater ground clearance than the five-seat-only standard Scenic, while both the front and rear overhangs are slightly longer, too.

Actual styling changes for the Grand Scenic over the standard Scenic are minimal. The front end is pretty much unchanged, while the deeply scalloped flanks are carried over from the smaller car, too. The biggest changes are at the back, with larger light clusters that extend up the rear roof support pillar and a reprofiled tailgate window.

Interior

Both the Scenic and Grand Scenic share much of their interior design with the latest Renault Megane, although with added practicality. Renault's latest 8.7-inch R-Link 2 portrait-orientated touchscreen for the infotainment system is present and can be customised in a similar way to your smartphone’s home screen, while a 12-month subscription to TomTom Traffic updates is available on cars fitted with sat nav.

Renault claims the new cars’ interior is more driver-focused than before, thanks to an instrument cluster located directly in front of you instead of the middle of the dashboard , while a moveable centre console/armrest module can be slid backwards and forwards to make the car either more 'open-plan' or more like a traditional saloon.

Practicality

What makes a great MPV is its ability to accommodate passengers and luggage without fuss, and Renault claims the Scenic blends comfort and space with "best-in-class stowage space and smart equipment".

The new Scenic’s boot (in five-seat form) measures 572 litres, which is up there with the best in the small MPV class, while the rear seats in every version (including Grand Scenic models) split 60:40 and slide backwards and forwards individually. On higher-spec models, a switch in the boot or on the R-Link 2 touchscreen system will fold the seats down, while the front passenger seat also folds flat to form a table on some models.

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The seven-seat Grand Scenic model manages an impressive 765 litres of boot space, which can be increased by sliding the front seats forward as far as they’ll go. The second row of seats can be folded flat at the touch of a button to give an almost completely flat load bay, too. Renault has also lengthened the wheelbase significantly on the Grand Scenic compared to the Scenic, meaning considerably more interior space than the smaller model.

Both cars feature a sliding centre console that has 13 litres of space and houses an illuminated storage area with a sliding cover, an armrest and charging and connection points for electrical devices. Rear-seat passengers will also have USB ports, a socket for headphones and a 12v power point.

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Instead of a conventional glovebox, front-seat occupants have a drawer – Renault calls it the ‘Easy Life’ drawer – which is larger than the average glovebox and also chilled, while there are plenty of other storage spaces throughout the rest of the interior.

Engines

As the new Scenic shares its mechanical underpinnings with the Megane, it gets a similar range of petrol and diesel engines.

There'll be 108, 128 and 158bhp diesels and 113 and 128bhp turbocharged petrols to choose from. The two most powerful diesels are available with Renault’s six-speed EDC automatic gearbox. The least powerful diesel is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder that returns 72.4mpg in the Scenic and 70.6mpg in the larger Grand Scenic. This equates to 100 and 104g/km of CO2 respectively, giving them both a £20 annual tax bill (if registered before April 2017, when the VED rules change).

The 128 and 158bhp diesels are 1.6-litre engines and the former manages 62.8 and 61.4mpg in the Scenic and Grand Scenic respectively. This means CO2 emissions of 116 and 119g/km, resulting in £30 road-tax bills every year (again, if bought before April 2017).

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The 158bhp diesel is only available in top-spec Signature Nav trim and comes with the six-speed EDC automatic gearbox as standard, too. In the Scenic, it’ll do 62.8mpg, while in the Grand Scenic it can only manage 60.1mpg. This means higher CO2 emissions of 118g/km in the Scenic and 122g/km in the Grand Scenic, translating to £30 and £110 annual road-tax bills respectively (as long as the car is registered before April 2017). This is, however, the fastest model in the range, completing the 0-62mph sprint in 10.7 seconds.

Arriving in spring 2017 is what Renault calls a ‘Hybrid Assist’ model, which works with a 48v battery linked to an electric motor that supports the conventional diesel engine. This gives the 108bhp diesel stronger acceleration from low speeds, but also lower fuel consumption. It should return around 80mpg regardless of which version of the car it’s in. This equates to CO2 emissions of just 92g/km, which, under the new road tax regime (most won’t arrive until this comes into force) will mean a first-year tax rate of £120 and £140 a year thereafter.

Safety

Safety is key for family buyers, so the new Scenic will come with an active emergency braking system (AEBS) with pedestrian detection as standard. There'll also be lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, lane-departure warning, fatigue detection and various parking systems available. Euro NCAP has already awarded both cars a five-star safety rating.

Price and on-sale date

All versions of the new Scenic except the Hybrid Assist model go on sale on 1 December 2016, with the first cars being delivered before the end of the year. The Hybrid Assist version will arrive in spring 2017.

The five-seat Scenic is priced from £21,445 to £30,645, while the larger Grand Scenic costs from £23,375 to £32,445.