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By
EWAN KENNEDY
27 October 2008
Renault has added a Scenic diesel to its Australian stable. A
sensible vehicle with trendy styling it provides something right
out of the ordinary, this French compact people mover is well
worth consideration.
Scenic
does come in a 5+2 variant, although our test vehicle was a
traditional five-seater meaning it is closer to a family station
wagon than a Toyota Tarago, Kia Carnival, Chrysler Voyager and the
like.
Scenic's
a small car that is big inside, big enough for the typical Aussie
family of two adults and two or three kids in five-seat format.
With room for an extra pair in the rear if you do opt for the
seven-seat option. It has a boot large enough to take a family of
five’s luggage away for a skiing holiday for couple of weeks.
What
we really like about this Renault is its exceptional practicality.
In Europe Scenics are about as common as garden snails - maybe
that should read escargot - and anyone hiring a car is frequently
going to be offered a Scenic diesel.
Economy
and practicality are among the primary reasons for this clever
French vehicle. The rear seat consists of three individual pews
that can be folded according to need and are on rails so can be
moved forward and backward to create more leg room, or more cargo
space.
Headroom
is excellent. There's good leg room, although the centre passenger
in the rear seat needs to put their legs either side of the centre
console that extends beyond the front seats.
The
outside seats have fold-down tables attached to the rear of the
front seats and there's storage spaces galore - including drawers
under four seats - that could give you a headache when trying to
remember where you put something important, like the street
directory or sunglasses.
The
Scenic makes the most of available space in a practical, usable
way. The interior is well finished with good build quality and is
futuristic enough that it will not date in the next few years.
The
instrument panel crosses the centre of the dash in a wide sweeping
stroke. Our only criticism is that the digital figures, apart from
the speedometer, are a little to small to take in quickly.
The
front seats are set high, almost like a van seating position and
give excellent all round vision.
The
handbrake is fully automatic (although there's a manual option
should you prefer it that way). When you stop the car and turn off
the ignition the handbrake activates automatically. Apply enough
torque when starting off again and it releases.
Scenic
features Renault's card start system with a push button stop start
which gives the driver just enough time to link the seatbelt
between pressing the start button and the engine starting.
Standard
in the Scenic dCi is the crash saving Electronic Stability Program
with understeer control, dual front, side and curtain airbags,
cruise control, automatic headlights and wipers, auto park brake,
electric windows and mirrors.
Combined
with on official economy rating of 7.1 litres/100 km and a
60-litre fuel tank the new diesel Scenic has a range of around 850
kilometres a tank in day-to-day running. If the majority of
driving is done on the open road at normal cruising speeds, expect
even more fuel savings, possibly 1000 km from a tank. However,
take into account that distillate currently has a premium pump
price over unleaded petrol.
Under
the bonnet is a 1.9-litre turbocharged oil burner that produces
250 Nm of torque at a low 1600 rpm and 96 kW of power at a modest
4250 rpm. Compared to the 2.0-litre petrol Scenic, the diesel has
30 per cent more torque.
In
the suburbs the people moving Renault has no trouble in keeping up
with traffic, although we found quite often we were unwittingly
above the speed limit due to the lack of noise intrusion and
smooth four-speed automatic transmission.
On
the highway it was the same story and the Scenic diesel has long
legs ideal for inter-city cruising. It is surprisingly quick and
safe in the critical passing range of 80 to 120 km/h.
The
handling is good, but its slightly high centre of gravity gives
the feel of body roll when taking corners quickly, although the
Scenic does hang on well. There is a little understeer at speed
into sharp corners, but only at speeds the average family car is
unlikely to encounter.
Renault's
Scenic is the perfect answer to someone looking for a spacious and
compact car that’s something right out of the ordinary in the
way of style and ingenuity. The option of an emission reducing
turbo-diesel engine is another plus in the minds of many potential
buyers.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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