Test drive by Renault Scenic 2003 - 2009 Minivan

Masters of the stage

The best applause for the auto -firm are sales. The ovation received by the ancestor of the class claims Renault Scenic II & Grand Scenic.
The moments were even a little scary. At a speed of 180 km/h, each truck overtaken you was very hit by an air stream on the right side of the car, which is why, having a high center of gravity, shuddering noticeably. When the side of the next truck sailed nearby, you could see all its dirty rivets-because of the abundance of glass in the car you feel like in a huge aquarium. How much is there to maximum 195 km/h? It is not possible to constantly monitor the speedometer arrow: firstly, there are no arrows at all, instead of it a digir flashes on the display; Secondly, the device itself is located in the center of the torpedo. Only after a while I realized that I was using the car for other purposes. If you want to light up - sit down in Megane Sport, the same crew is completely different, and what at first seemed to me with shortcomings, in fact - advantages
Stall. I admit that I didn’t really like the appearance of the previous scatter: as if the pump was connected to the Megane hatchback and fired as much as possible. In the new body - no bubbles: chopped expressive forms of Scenic II speak of strength and strength, and convex rear window, like Megane II, accurately indicates its belonging to the family. The dimensions of the single crew have also changed: it became wider by 22 mm - the ruts of the front and rear wheels increased by 70 and 60 mm, respectively - and higher by 26 mm.
In the cabin, the dashboard located above the central console is primarily attracted in the cabin. Now information about the route - if the car is operated in countries where navigation is operating - as well as the speed of blue numbers on the black background will be available to all passengers. The kids on the back sofa will not jump up and look over the shoulder, but will remain fastened. A little lower - the controls of the climatic installation and the radio, and even lower - the gearbox lever. Such his placement is increasingly becoming fashionable, and in a wide variety of classes of cars - From VW Transporter to Fiat Panda. Renault designers say that now the distance from the driver’s shoulder to the handle has been reduced by 51 mm, which in combination with the short moves of the lever will switch fast and accurate. I guess I sat wrong, because I had to reach for odd programs.
Although all the prerequisites were right. The seat is regulated in three directions, the steering column - both in height and in departure. The designers generally tried to land in the new stage less bus - the steering wheel is now located more vertically, and the seat pillow is lower to the floor. You can get back, as behind the wheel of a passenger car. Moreover, this did not at all affect the overview, which became even better due to the larger angle of inclination of the racks of windshield. But the pedals, in my opinion, are located too close to each other, have too long move and unpleasantly soft. Especially the brake: click slightly - you get an adequate slowdown, I squeezed it a little - hung on a seat belt: the scenes got up as if they were dead.
At the ramp. For Scenic II, three gasoline engines with a volume of 1.4 liters, 1.6 liters and 2.0 l with a capacity of 98, 115 and 136 hp are still offered. Accordingly, two diesel engines: 80- and 120th.
Two -liter - probably the most optimal motor for a new stage. In no reasonable car class for this class, it does not remind you that you are not quite a passenger car while driving. Confident acceleration at the start - up to a hundred Scenic II with a mechanical gearbox accelerates in just 10.3 seconds. No less confident in overtaking - 130 km/h with 80 km/h stage is also gaining very briskly. You can’t say about the suspension that it is tough, but in steep turns, the single -racer does not bow, as you might expect. By the way, at all scenes as an option, the ESP system is now possible.
The twenty -social difference with the version of 1.6 is more than noticeable. Up to 2 thousand rpm, the engine behaves sluggishly. There are five programs here, unlike a 6-speed top version. And the turns of the car are not so confidently-maybe due to the fact that the rubber has a higher profile: 16-inch discs are regularly placed on a two-liter version, 15-inch on all the rest.
MEZZANINE. The best car of 1997, Renault Scenic last year was the best -selling machine in Europe - its share was 4.2 percent - and the best -selling among single -combatants: every fourth purchased was a stage. In total, over 2 million pieces were released in eight years. And the reason for this success is hardly in speed and acceptance. Comfort and other comfort - these are the trump cards of the founder of the class, which Scenic II has even more.
In addition to the checkpoint handle, the place between the front seats left the parking brake lever - in the confort configuration, its key is located to the left of the steering column. A box of 15 liters of 15 liters rises in the vacant place. The front, most of it is equipped with a 12-volt outlet; The rear, three -liter, is addressed to those who sit in the second row. A 17-liter cooled glove compartment is a record in the segment. The duffel compartments with the lids that are placed in the floor in front of the front seats also have no analogues. The same boxes are in the floor of the rear of the cabin, the duffel trough is advanced from under each seat ... There are only 91 liters of all kinds of closed containers in the car, so it will not be easy to search the car during the next vortex-anti-terror.
The volume of the trunk is a half-batter, you can put something on the rear shelf by opening the rear window, which in the segment there are no analogues. Glass in Scenic II is a separate topic: if there are two hatches in the roof of two hatches, the total glazing area is 7 square meters. m is another record that allows you to equally enjoy the landscape to all five passengers. Unless, of course, the salon is not busy with a long load - it will fit into Scenic II 2.5 m.
Walking buffet. During a test drive, my colleague and I looked at the roadside store selling dachas on wheels. In such a summer cottage, in addition to the engine and the driver’s place, transformable blacks, shower, gas stove, a dry closet ... There are where to develop. The Russians will be able to get acquainted with the second stage that has already been achieved on this path in August. Then Russian prices will also become known. In Europe, the price of Scenic II in the basic configuration with a budget engine of 1.4 liters is 17.8 thousand euros.
The presence of seven seats in the minivan is a new class standard that needs to be considered: the third row of seats in Opel Zafira and two chairs that can be mounted in the luggage compartment of the Peugeot 307SW, require an adequate response. Renault did not fence the additional two chairs in Scenic II, but launched a stretch version on the market-Grand Scenic. The seven -seater car is longer than the five -seater by 230 mm, the two rear seats can independently fold on the floor of the trunk. In addition to two diesel engines and gasoline engines with a capacity of 115 and 136 hp. A 165-horsepower two-liter engine with turbochargeds can be installed on the car. The difference in the price of Scenic II and Grand Scenic is about 1 thousand euros.
Text Dmitry Gronsky, photo of the author and Renault
 
Renault Scenic II
The engine is gasoline 4-cylinder
Working volume (cubic cub) 1998
Power (L.S. at rpm) 136 at 5500
Moment (Nm at rpm) 191 at 3750
Front drive
Gearbox 6-speed mechanical
Length/width/height (mm) 4259/1805/1620
Wheel base (mm) 2685
Equipped mass (kg) 1400
Maximum speed (km/h) 195
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 10.3
Fuel consumption (medium, l/100 km) 8.0
The price in Moscow is not determined

 

A source: "Autopilot"