We traveled to Portugal, specifically to Porto, to see the new Renault Espace. It is no longer, as before, a minivan, since it has been converted into a large SUV that has a lot to do with the Renault Austral, which we recently tested.
The new Espace comes with the possibility of having seven seats and is offered exclusively with a non-plug-in hybrid engine, something that few offer.
It has a starting price of €43,500 , which make it competitive against other direct rivals, hybrid SUVs with up to seven seats. In this contact test we have driven a unit with the Iconic finish, which costs €48,000.
These are prices without discounts. At the time of writing this article there is a launch offer for the brand that leaves it at a starting price of 42,200 euros. There are also discounts on the Renault Espace, which you can find in our new car section, published by official dealers of the brand and which further reduce that amount. Also take a look at our car financing section, since we have tools that help you pay for the vehicle you are looking for in installments. Now it’s time to thoroughly analyze this new Renault Espace:
If you see it from the front we see that the new Renault Espace 2024 is almost identical to the Renault Austral. We have in the center the new logo of the brand, recently retouched. The entire grille has a pattern of exactly identical vertical slats and this ensures that it blends visually with the headlights, which feature LED technology, integrated indicators and the classic teardrop-shaped daytime running light.
In the lower part, the bumper is also teardrop-shaped and at the ends it plays with the shape of an arrow that helps to channel the air towards the wheels.
On the side we already see some difference. It is noticeable that it is a larger car, with a longer wheelbase, although the window drop is exactly the same as that of an Austral. Of course, the door is larger than in the compact SUV. One detail: at least at the beginning of its commercial life, it cannot be chosen with a body in two colors, something that does happen in the Austral.
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At the rear the gate changes compared to the Austral, although the pilots are identical, who play to get into it, almost to the logo. Other differences are the upper spoiler, which suits it particularly well, and the lower bumper, which includes cutouts at the ends that simulate air vents.
And no, we do not forget your measurements. The space measures 4.72 meters in length, which means that it is 21 cm longer than the Austral. Of that increase, 8 centimeters correspond to the greatest battle, which remains at 2.74 meters. Both SUVs share the 1.84 width and 18 cm ground clearance, although the Espace is 2 cm taller, it goes to 1.64.
Inside
On the outside it looks quite similar to the Austral and on the inside I have to tell you, between you and me, that too. And this is good. I’m not convinced by the steering wheel flattened at its base and top (call me classic) or the amalgamation of satellite controls on the right side (gear selector, wiper and multimedia system) that make you get confused the first times, but overall it’s a good inside.
The spaciousness is very generous and, above all, it fabulously integrates connectivity technology, which is very easy to use. I would go so far as to say that it is much better than what many premium brands use.
We have behind the wheel a screen for the 12.3-inch instrument panel and it is accompanied by a 12-inch screen in a vertical position that integrates the Android Automotive system and which, as we said, is one of the best on the market. The best thing is that it retains physical controls for functions such as air conditioning, something that we always like.
The center console is identical to that of the Austral. It has a part that can be moved to access the holes below and that at the same time you can use to support your hand when operating the screen (you won’t reach the top, I have to say).
Where are the changes? Well, in the rear seats. People looking for an Espace want, above all one thing, space. And the truth is that there is a lot of legroom, thanks to the longer wheelbase compared to the Austral. The clear upholstery and the spectacular panoramic glass roof (optional, it costs 1,000 euros) help a lot to not have a feeling of being overwhelmed and to increase the spaciousness. Despite not having a blind, it darkens quite well in times of much sun.
We do not have the three usual individual seats of the Espace but we do have a bench divided in two that you can move up to 20 cm (26 to fold them down and be able to enter the third row of seats. Because the capacity does not end there.
To enter the third row you have to make some effort. They are two seats for occasional use or for children or very small people. The seat is in a fairly low position and this forces you to keep your knees somewhat bent when the backrest is in front of you. Also, even though there are wonderful headrests, my head hits a recess in the ceiling first before I can rest it on them.
They are not very skilled squares, but there they are. And the good thing is that Renault gives them to you for free. Yes, because you can choose the Espace with five or seven seats, at no additional cost. And being free, I think that most of the potential clients will choose it with them. Because? Well, since they give them to you, you take them, right?
Trunk
We access the cargo space with an electrically operated gate and the cargo space with seven seats in use is quite testimonial, with 159 liters as we see in the model’s data sheet. It is very easy to bring them down, pulling some pushing tapes.
In this position, which is surely the most common for vehicle owners, with five seats in use, we have 477 liters minimum and up to 677 liters, depending on how far forward or back you place the second row of seats.
It has some interesting detail and I particularly liked that you can place part of the base to separate the space and that there is a space to carry the blind that covers the cargo area and not have to leave it lying around.
Sometimes we all need to carry a large and bulky object. To do this, we can also fold down the backs of the second row of seats and achieve a space of 1,714 liters of capacity in this seven-seat version.
Engine
Curious, to say the least, that a Galician travels to Portugal to see a car with a French license plate, assembled in Palencia, which carries an engine made in Valladolid and a gearbox made in Seville. A very Spanish car, really.
Under the hood we have the hybrid system of 200 hp total combined power which is initially the only propulsion system that can be chosen. It combines a 131 CV 1.2 three-cylinder gasoline engine, combined with two electric ones, one with 68 CV that can move the wheels by itself and another with 34 CV whose mission is to help in electrical regeneration and synchronize the two gearboxes. this car (it does not have a clutch) so that the turns of the combustion and electric motor are matched. It sounds a bit confusing but when it’s running it’s not that complicated.
Behavior
The route that the brand proposed to us was really complete. Both for length and for versatility, since it included different types of car use. We were able to test it in the city, crossing the city of Porto (under a huge downpour), we drove for a while on the highway and also on secondary roads with quite mousetrap curves, an area that, obviously, is not the most suitable for the Espace.
But beware, even there it works quite well. I was very aware of the in-depth test of the Austral, its smaller brother with the same platform and hybrid propulsion system and the truth is that the sensations are very similar. Let me explain: We have a car with a hybrid system that manages to drive for a long time in electric. In the urban part of Porto we obtained figures in the around 5 l/100 km.
The system is designed to regenerate energy in a very simple way. In the city or on secondary roads, as soon as you lift your foot off the accelerator, it begins to regenerate. You can also make use of the cams behind the wheel to increase or reduce this energy regeneration capacity. That is why in these areas consumption can be quite tight.
Another thing is when you move on the highway, when the power delivery is more constant, without continuous acceleration and deceleration, with which consumption is closer to that of a large SUV, between 7 and 8 l/100 km.
The consumption homologation figure for the Renault Espace is excellent, just 4.6 l/100 km. Its performance is correct for a car of this type, as it completes 0 to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds, with a top speed of 175 km/h.
One thing that has caught my attention about this car, given its dimensions, is that it is quite agile. That’s for two reasons, first, it’s fairly light for a hybrid SUV, it’s something less than 1,700 kilos, with a 2 kWh capacity battery –remarkable for a plug-in, more or less double what Toyota uses, the benchmark brand in hybrids–. On the other hand, the 4Control system used by the most complete versions. That makes for slightly more communicative steering (don’t expect much), but the rear-axle steer helps in many ways.
To begin with, it helps when taking corners at high speed, with greater poise, and then also when maneuvering in tight spaces at low speed, when turning up to 5 degrees in the opposite direction, achieving a very good turning radius.
With the 4Control system you also gain a multi-link rear suspension. That makes the car firmer, without becoming uncomfortable. The Espace does not roll excessively, and pitches little when accelerating or braking. It’s poised and firm, thanks in part to the low-profile 20-inch tires on equipped versions. You can also change a little some chassis parameter and engine response with the button on the steering wheel of the Multi Sense driving modes. These programs are Perso, Eco, Confort and Sport.
Is there something I don’t like about the Espace in the dynamic section? Possibly, that the hybrid system, which is still in its infancy, lacks a bit of refinement. You will not notice anything at all on the highway, very rarely in the city, but on secondary roads and you want to get a little involved in driving, playing with the paddles and the holding capacity (not the change), you sometimes notice those transitions between gears and It takes a while for the gear to start because the turns of the motors must be matched.
It does lack in those situations a bit of refinement. And it is almost the only one but that you can put when you are driving dynamically. At quiet rhythms you hardly notice it. Time to see the conclusions.
Opinion cars.com
After having driven the Renault Espace, it is time to have a few small brushstrokes by way of conclusions after the first contact. To begin with, the name of the model. A lot of the criticism I’ve read about the car is that it’s not a minivan like it should be. It is true, but that is not something attributable to the brand as to the buyers, who have launched to buy other formats, for these SUVs with a third row of seats, more or less skillful. Shopping has headed there and you can’t fight the trends.
For the rest, it seems to me a very good car in everything related to technology, finishes and in terms of equipment. Also the consumption that can be achieved in urban driving and on secondary roads, where you can squeeze a lot out of the electrical system, and the dynamism if you choose the high-end versions with the 4Control system steered rear axle.
In the debit of this car, that third row of seats that is not as practical as in other models, that is only offered with a mechanic and does not have all-wheel drive variants, such as the Koleos, which is the model that replaces next to the previous Espace.
By price it does convince, since those 43,500 starting euros make it competitive against other rivals with hybrid engines. Our test unit had the Iconic finish, which goes for 48,000 euros, but with everything it includes it is still a correct amount for current car prices.
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