At the "Paris Motor Show 2014" the French showed the fifth generation of the Renault Espace minivan. The car not only grew in size and received a modern filling, but also swung at some of the buyers who previously preferred 7-seater crossovers.
How successful the "market expansion" of Renault Espace will be this time - the Russians will be able to assess only "from afar", since the official entry of this minivan into the Russian market is not planned. But, despite this, the "fifth Espace" is an interesting car and, in any case, worthy of attention.
The appearance of the fifth generation of the "family SUV-Van" was designed by Airbus designers, so the presence of "aviation features" in the contours of Renault Espace is quite logical. In comparison with its long-obsolete predecessor (which entered the market in the “distant” 2003), the fifth-generation car has become noticeably more attractive, more modern and more aerodynamic (Cdх - 0.3).
In addition, the dimensions of the minivan have also grown, now its length is 4850 mm, the wheelbase is 2880 mm, the width fits into the frame of 1870 mm, and only the height has sagged by 63 mm (to the level of 1680 mm). Renault specialists emphasized the "crossover" component of the minivan with a plastic "pseudo-off-road" body kit that increased to 160 mm ground clearance (and this is "a lot" in comparison with the previous generation, where the ground clearance was only 120 mm) and the ability to install light-alloy wheels with a diameter of 17 up to 20 inches.
The salon, which has grown in size, as before, will be presented in two versions: a classic 5-seater and a 7-seater with three rows of seats, and, unlike the "roomy crossovers", the Renault Espace family minivan received a full third row - on which not only children, but also adult passengers will be able to accommodate with due comfort.
The interior design of the new generation Renault Espace has become more futuristic, while the quality of the materials used for finishing has significantly increased. Another trump card of the Renault Espace 5 is the ability to fine-tune the interior to suit the needs of the owner - you can change a lot, from the intensity and color of the backlight to the program of massage of the front seats.
Specifications. In European markets, the fifth generation Renault Espace is available with three engines:
- The base is a diesel 4-cylinder unit with a displacement of 1.6 liters, a return of 130 hp. and a torque of 320 N • m.
- Slightly higher in the lineup is a forced version of the same engine, producing 160 hp. power and 380 N • m of the moment.
- At the top is a gasoline engine with the same 4 cylinders and a displacement of 1.6 liters. Its output is declared by the manufacturer at the level of 200 hp, and the peak torque falls at around 260 N • m.
The younger diesel engine is planned to be aggregated only with a 6-speed "mechanics", the more powerful version will receive a 6-band EDC "robot" with two clutches, and the gasoline unit will work in tandem with the new 7-band "robot" EDC (also having two clutches ).
The Renault Espace minivan is a front-wheel drive vehicle, but at the same time the novelty has received a fully-controlled 4Control chassis. The fifth generation car was built on the modular CFM platform, which made it possible to reduce the curb weight of the minivan in the basic configuration by about 250 kg.
Equipment and prices. Already in the base "Espace", which is the flagship of the "Renault" model line, gets a huge number of interesting "chips" (for example, the system of automatic folding of the two rear rows of seats, controlled by a button located in the trunk) ... options that include: Bose audio system with 12 speakers, adaptive cruise control with auto-brake function, car park and head-up display.
European sales of the fifth generation Renault Espace started at the end of 2014. The estimated cost of the basic equipment option is from 38,000 euros. As we have already noted, it is not planned to officially deliver this model to Russia.
