Test drive by Renault Espace 2002 - 2006 Minivan

Renault move: "Espas" - on E4

The new Espas invaded the most prestigious market segment of the representative E-class.

Transparent roof of a new space
Probably, sooner or later this should have happened. Just the second time in its history, a small private company specializing in the piece, manual assembly of retro -odsters for nostalgic gentlemen decided to present a completely modern car. The tiny street of Mark Aurelius joined the wide avenue, whose mouth is blocked by the bulk of the Coliseum. Stopping at a traffic light, I look at the most famous circus in the world, trying to realize his two thousand -year -old age, this does not fit in my head. Meanwhile, I feel the gaze on the side, it is, another Espas, today, probably the third. Its owner, not at all embarrassed, looks at my car with outright curiosity. It is understandable, because this is a completely new Reno-Espas-IV, the premiere of which should only take place after a few days at the Paris Motor Show. And as the creators of the car told me yesterday, two -thirds of its future buyers are the owners of the Espasses of previous generations.
 
Without even looking at the emblem, it is easy to guess the kinship of a car with the most popular French minivans characteristic silhouette, recognizable elements. For example, a pretty pseudo-anti-wing on the roof was preserved, in fact, this is a pair of sliding arcs of the trunk. By the way, about the roof: it is completely transparent with a sliding front half is the largest hatch in the world, an area of \u200b\u200b2.16 m2! As if setting a goal to more fully reveal the name of the machine (Espas in French means both space and space), the designers tried to literally fill the large body of their brainchild with light. Just imagine the total area of \u200b\u200bglazing almost seven and a half square meters!
 
Of course, absorbing the family traits of the new models of Renault Vel Satis, Avantayma, Megana, the machine became more modern, energetic and muscular, having also received the wheels with a dimension of up to 18 inches. Nevertheless, the French do not have an adventurous appearance that, creating a car, they were inspired by modern architecture and furniture, the main thing in the fourth of Espas. He is now not just a spacious family cargo car. Espas-IV minivan luxury, a luxurious minibus, not inferior in terms of equipment, and in terms of controllability characteristics, an attaching one closer to large representative sedans.
 
Down with stereotypes!
Remi Deconenk, Vice President of Renault for promising developments: we are not afraid to change the traditional ideas of people about automobile design, to destroy the prevailing stereotypes. Moreover, we believe that this will attract new customers to us. If the prestigious car should be high-speed, spacious, comfortable and safe, then the new generation of Avantai, Vel-Satis, and now Espas-IV meets these requirements to the maximum extent.

Meanwhile, the green arrow lit up, the navigation complex purred once again to turn right, the old man, the old man, I have no time to pose, I have to grab it on the freeway.
 
 
I get and cherish and cherish me
While he was getting out of the city, the evening Roman sky frowned and woke up with a small rain: xenon headlights flashed themselves, the bay of the blue asphalt Via Salary, the brushes woke up, licking the drops with rare waves, the rear glass tried to cloud, but then the electric heater turned on. I press the button above my head, from somewhere behind the ceiling floats out, fencing off from the roof that became uncomfortable wet glass.
 
In general, for Minivan, there is an unusually a lot of automation that facilitates life and, of course, a wallet. For example, the keys and keychain replaces the electronic card, and you can even sew it in the floor of the jacket so as not to lose, you will not have to get it. Automation remotely recognizes the owner and unlocks the doors, you just need to take up the handle, restore individual adjustments to the seat, mirrors, climatic and audio systems for starting the motor only to press the Start-Stop button. And besides, pressure sensors in wheels and parking, cruise control, numerous servo drives, automatic darkening of mirrors.
 
No less advanced security systems: ABS and track control systems, emergency braking and stabilization systems, three-point belts on all seats, and each in front with two pyrotechnic tensioners and an effort, eight airbags, including adaptive fronts and huge side curtains for three ( !) Rows of seats and even inflatable cavities in the pillows of the seats that prevent the passenger slipping.
 
 
 
The option list has a whole DVD studio, including a player in a standard Din slice and two liquid crystal display in the front head restraints
 
The main control panel of climate control is located on a driver's door, slightly smaller in passengers
 

I'm not red, but gold!
All this is packaged in the car body, which, remaining a full -fledged minivan, additionally acquired some features of the passenger car. A huge, spacious salon is very comfortable, all chairs of the second and third rows are exactly the same and allow any conceivable permutation and combinations. By the way, there is also an almost indistinguishable outward modification of the Grand ESSPA, which is 20 cm longer. Of course, curtains, armrests, leaning tables, boxes-nishi-kars, with a total volume of 100 liters! The climatic installation is a separate song: not only is the adjustable ducts are brought to each chair, electric heaters with a total capacity of 2 kW are still built into it, and for the northern countries they install an autonomous heater by 5 kW. And with all that, reclining landing in low chairs, in a lightweight tilted steering wheel with excellent feedback, quick and accurate reactions on the road.
 
Another important feature of the new Espas, on which the French, completely processed suspension, with particular pride, rested. It is no secret that the large minivans of Renault were very pronounced insufficient rotation. Espas-IV is equipped with a front suspension from the lagoon and vel-satis and completely new rear. Working together with the stabilization system, electronics simultaneously slow down two wheels and reduces the torque of the engine, it returns the car to the trajectory in the bend.
 
Steel, aluminum and plastic
In the body of Espas, the power frame has traditionally remains steel. Incidentally, the use of steel in the design with an ultra -high fluidity limit (in the picture these parts are shown red) increased the energy -absorbing ability of the body by 2.5 times. The hood and side doors are made of aluminum alloy this material is more technological than plastic with large volumes of production. Indeed, by 2009 it is planned to sell 450,000 cars, occupying about 20% of the minivans market in Europe. Only the front wings and the fifth door remained plastic.
 
The flight is normal
Grand Roman Roman ring flashed over her head. Mentally crossing that there is strength to step on the tail of the beast that sits under the hood. Rubbing muffledly, he tried to pull out from under me the number on the digital speedometer instantly became three-digit and the numbers flashed, as in the slot machine window. Here the deuce was displayed ahead and then I rested on some alpha stern. Okay, hide the horns and open the maps.
 
Under the hood of my Espas, a mighty 3.5-liter gasoline six of Nissan in almost two and a half hundred horses is an absolute power record in the minivan class. However, at least it is impolite to call the car a car, which exchanges the first hundred in 8.1 s and occurs the maximum speed of 225 km/h. What is surprisingly magnificent noise and vibration insulation make the high speed of imperceptible. Just a quick and easy flight in space. As in general, it is supposed to a high-class car.
  
There are more models in the range: two -liter gasoline with a capacity of 140 and 165 (with boost) l. p., as well as turbodiesel 1.9 liters (120 hp), 2, 2 l (150 hp) and 3.0 l (180 hp). By the way, the intervals between services are now 20 thousand km, and for 4-cylinder engines and even 30 thousand km or two years. The cost of maintenance of the fourth espas in comparison with the previous model was halved.
 
Night. The city froze, dropping the husk of the day of the millennial ruins one on one over time. I swing along the deserted streets, preparing to part with the new Espas, unfortunately, 60 thousand u. e, not my weight category.
 
Renault Espace 3.5 V6
common data
 
Equipped mass, kg
1815
 
Length x width x height, mm
4661x1860x1728
 
Base, mm
2525
 
Front/back, mm track
1574/1556
 
Maximum speed, km/h
225
 
Acceleration time 0100 km/h, with
8.1
 
Road clearance, mm
120
 
Fuel consumption, l/100 km city/highway
17.5 / 9.5
 
 
Engine
 
Design
V-shaped, 6-cylinder, with adjustable phases of gas distribution
 
Cylinder diameter X piston stroke, mm
95.5 x 81.4
 
Working volume, SMZ
3498
 
Power, L.S. (kW) at rpm
245 (177)/ 6000
 
Torque, kgsm (nm) at rpm
34.3 (330)/36200
 
Yuri Nechetov, photo Renault and author
 
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [11/02]