Test drive by Renault Espace 1997 - 2002 Minivan

Norman express

The Reno-Espas, which debuted in the summer of 1984, became, in fact, the first European mini-wan. He acquired his current appearance during the last modernization in 1996. A year later, in the fall of 1997, a long -bind version appeared - Gran Espas. A gasoline motors with a working volume of 2.0 and 3.0 l, as well as a 2.2-liter turbodiesel, are installed on the Espas family. The gearboxes are a five -speed mechanical and four -speed automatic. Mini-wen are available in the trim levels of RTE, RXE and RXT.


We were the first Russian journalists who met this car closely.
A friendly employee in the office of Renault holds out keys and documents: your Grand Espas in the press garage. Go to the second underground floor. Having drove some time on a huge labyrinth, in several tiers of parking, we find a light green handsome man. For order, I examine the car outside and quickly behind the wheel. Blimey! On all sides, huge windows, above the head of three transparent hatches (by the way, removable) - the impression that you are sitting either in the navigator of the bomber, or in the aquarium. Between comfortable front seats - a passage back. There are two more rows of seats. All these chairs can be moved, unfolded, folded-disguised and even removed.
 
All adjustments in the RXE configuration (namely, such an Espas prepared us) mechanical ones. The governing bodies are convenient, however, the steering wheel is somewhat expanded to the right, which requires addiction. But you can bibet in French, button on the left steering wheel switch, and in European, pressing the helm of the steering wheel, where the airbag is also located. The second is at the passenger.
 
However, the first impressions are enough - it's time to load things. I pull the handle over the rear license plate - the door is not from the place ... It turns out that the rear window is also opened here, and it is this pen. And the door handle is slightly lower. Having figured out, I open the trunk. Wow! Even with three rows of seats, there is more than enough space for bulky cameras and baggage of three pilgrims. If you fold the rear, perhaps a small car will enter here. Incidentally, a kind of anti -wing at the end of the roof, moving over, turns into two transverse arches for transporting long goods - skis and other windsurfers.
 
I let the engine - the cold diesel is harshly rumbling. How can I get out of the garage in this barn? Togo and look, you will hook someone. Gently, crawling out of the light of God. My colleague, the acting navigator, unfolds the map of Paris. An hour from an hour is not easier: a new car of unusually large dimensions should be tested on the streets of an unfamiliar French capital on the streets of the streets. No, quickly get out of this anthill. The course is north, to Normandy.
 
An hour later, we are already rushing in proud loneliness along the highway. The diesel engine is almost inaudible, only if you step on the accelerator, the turbocharger will quietly whistle. The ventilation system will make itself loudly. At times, her sound resembles a small but very reactive engine. In addition, a curious aerodynamic effect was discovered: it is worth opening the side rear window, as an unpleasant infrasound occurs, resembling a very powerful bu-boo.
 
Well, let's try to get out. So, 170 km/h are easily gained, and 180 appears on the descents. Surprisingly, even at such speed you can talk in an undertone: neither the roar of the motor, nor the whistle of the wind, nor the noise of the wheels are annoyed. Mini-wen, like a comfortable express, rushes us to La-Channel.
 
Having mastered the Grand Prix of Espas, we also feel at home on the narrow winding roads of the coast. It turns out that a mini-wen as glued stands on the road, without reacting to the side wind and almost not paying attention to rare coating defects. The machine is well obvious to the steering wheel, and the huge area of \u200b\u200bglazing allows you to feel good to its dimensions. True, when maneuvering in street tightness, an invisible hood makes you stop a good half meter before the obstacle, but this is the costs of the first acquaintance. The working, the traction engine willingly drags a heavy car in the coolest slide, and if necessary, quickly accelerates with non -automatic acceleration.
 
Having found a huge empty parking lot in the deserted at this time of the year, they tried what Espas is still capable of. Brakes - shine, ABS - soft and accurate. With a sharp steering steering at high speed, the nose begins to swim with severe vibration, as if warning: easier, guy! If you continue to persist, Espas, having slightly extinguished the speed, is energetically screwed into the turn. For such a high car, the rolls are very moderate. On a quick snake, the capabilities of the hydraulic power steering are sometimes not enough and the force on the steering wheel is abruptly increasing. However, we will be correct - the mini -ven was not created for asphalt slalom. Its purpose is to transport small groups of people as comfortable as possible, and Grand Espas copes with this task brilliantly.
 
On the way, we drove the car to the pit of one of the points of the car service. Inspection from below gave a lot of interesting information. It turned out that the bottom of the Espas was not painted, not treated with Anticorus. It is simply galvanized, like a real trough. Naked zinc is also visible in the engine compartment. By the way, the hood is the only metal external body element. All the rest - the roof, the panels of the doors, the wings, the bumpers, the thresholds are plastic. They are attached to a galvanized steel spatial frame, so the problem of corrosion resistance of the body does not exist here. Unfortunately, the engine is not protected from below, and its lowest elements are an oil filter and an aluminum crankcase. Yes, and the road clearance is small - only 11 cm. In general, the laundry is not for Espas. Under the floor of the back of the body - a spare wheel. It is also fifteen -inch, but only 165 mm wide, and not 215 mm, like everyone else.
 
Having arrived on the roads of Normandy in three days almost a thousand kilometers, we return to Paris. Grand Espas now does not seem so grain. I got used to his assertive run, to his size, to his spaciousness and lulling comfort. I managed to love this car.
 
Official supplies of the Espas Gran to Russia have been planned since July this year. Most likely, these will be mainly gasoline versions. A long mini-ven buyer will cost $ 38-43 thousand-about 10% more expensive than usual, short. Standard warranty - 1 year without mileage restriction. But the mileage between that will be reduced: in Europe it is 15 and 10 thousand km for a gasoline and diesel engine, in Russia, respectively, 10 and 7.5 thousand km.

Instead of the usual dashboard is a large central display, similar to a narrowed eye of a cyclops. In the middle - a spacious glove box with a capacity of 33 liters.

If you expand the front seats into 180 and fold the back of the middle in the second row, you will get a six -seater room with a table. On all windows, except for the front ones, there are translucent translucent curtains.
 

The original heating and ventilation control panel is located very unusual, but simple and convenient.
 

A large comfortable salon with an extensive set of transformation options, an abundance of useful little things, a spacious luggage compartment, a painful motor, good dynamics, excellent stability and handling, excellent visibility, high fuel efficiency, good sound insulation, high corrosion resistance of the body.
 

Invisible front edge of the body, very noisy ventilation, low -frequency noise with open rear windows, small road clearance.
 

General data: number of places - 7; equipped mass - 1670 kg; Full mass - 2510 kg; maximum speed - 178 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 14.8 s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles - 6.6; 10.3 l/100 km; fuel supply - 76 l; Fuel is diesel. Dimensions, mm: length - 4787; width - 1810; height - 1692 (+75 - arcs); base - 2874; The track in front/back - 1534/1540; Road clearance - 110; The volume of the trunk is 520-760 l (7 people)/1145-1700 l (5 people)/3100 l (2 people); The turning radius is 6.9 m. The engine: diesel with a turbocharged four -cylinder, with three valves on the cylinder, is located in front of the front; working volume - 2188 cm; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 87.0x92.0; compression degree - 22.0; Power - 83 kW/115 liters. With. at 4300 rpm; The maximum torque is 250 N.M at 2000 rpm. Transmission: front wheel drive; gearbox - five -speed mechanical; Transporting numbers: I - 3.91; II - 2.21; III - 1.39; IV - 0.98; V - 0.76; h. X. - 3.64; The main program is 3.81. Suspension: with reproach stabilizers, the front is an independent type of McExon, collected on a subframe, the back is a half -dependent spring with longitudinal levers and a traction of Panar. Brakes: hydraulic with a vacuum amplifier and ABS, the front - ventilated disk, the rear - drum. Steering: rheck with a hydraulic wrap. Tire size: 215/65R15.
 

You can work on the Renault Grand of Espas by meeting, for example, at the airport of business partners, and relax, having gone with a company of friends and sports equipment somewhere at sea. True, the places are not very wild.
 

Yuri Nechetov. Photo by Vladimir Knyazev
 
 
 
 
 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"