Test drive by Renault Scenic since 2009 minivan

Those that are smaller

Huge distances and universal craving for distant wanderings are ours, Russian. In the last issue of our magazine, we talked about two large seven -seater universals of increased capacity of Kia Carnival and Hyunda Traiet. Of course, the current theme of the UPV demanded its continuation. And our current heroes of the UPV, built on the platform of serial cars. Remaking in the shoulders and adding in functionality, Nissan Almer and Renault Megan appeared before us with new names of Tino and stage.
ACQUAINTANCE
Good weather, the sun shines in winter brightly. We brought our cars to a small square on the outskirts of Moscow. It is necessary to consider them closer and understand what's what is happening. After a cursory external inspection, it is difficult to imagine that these puzatics were once Almer and Megan. They just look not much like their ancestors, and only the drawing of the radiator grate hints at related bonds. Otherwise, the appearance of our heroes is quite individual and well remembered.

INSIDE
Nissan Tino. The Japanese almost from a clean sheet developed a panel of instruments. The exception is a very ergonomic steering wheel, which is already used on a base car. A completely different combination of devices with ringed red dials. A speedometer and a tachometer form a eight that is slightly shifted from the center, and on its sides there are indicators of temperature and fuel. The control lamps bordinate the panel in such a way that they are always in the field of view of the driver. The protruding part of the instrument panel carries an audio system with a CD, two heater deflectors and three handles control. The console smoothly falls to the floor, where in the tunnel there is a cigarette lighter, an ashtray, a 12-volt outlet and a control control lever. The windows buttons are located on the armrest of the driver's door, but the joystick of the mirror adjustment is located in the lower left corner of the torpedo and unequivocally hints that it is necessary to set up mirrors before the trip, and not as it is customary during the drive. The driver's seat has four adjustments and allows you to get a job at the workplace quite comfortable. True, tall drivers do not have enough adjustment of the steering column in depth. There is no special site for the rest of the left leg, but its function is quite tolerably performed by the opening that is released due to the absence of the adhesion pedal. Side airbags are integrated in the backs of the front seats, and the headrests are equipped with a gasket system, which is successfully used in much more expensive Swedish cars and allows even with tangible frontal clashes to remain highly raised head. Children's delight was caused by a cup holder located on the front panel, which can be used as a phone or pencil holder. There are few containers for different trifles, but they are spacious and easily accessible. And the pockets in the front doors are even equipped with nets apparently, the Japanese suggest that we will use them to transport unfused potatoes ...
Planting on the rear seats is not difficult. The door is wide and opens 90 degrees. True, if tall people are located ahead, the rear passengers above average height will rest their knees in the backs of the front seats. By the way, in these backs we gladly found tables with cup holders and even hangers. The floor in the back of the cabin is even three passengers will not feel very constrained. Provided, of course, that at least two of them will not differ in an oblique fathom in the shoulders. All three rear seats are equipped with head restraints, seat belts and adjustments a la VAZ-2108. Having folded the middle seat, passengers get another table with the cup holders, he is also an armrest. For transportation of goods, you can dismantle any of the chairs or fold its back. Thus, the volume of the trunk can be in stages from 440 to 1030 liters. If you completely remove the rear seats, then the length of the luggage compartment will be 195 cm quite enough for transportation, for example, a decent refrigerator. The width of the opening door is 115 cm, and the loading height is 44 cm. It is not bad for a family carrier who does not claim to be a transported truck!
Renault stage. This is a completely different story. The instrument panel with all its advantages and disadvantages migrated from the basic megan. The only difference is that dials are painted in sports white. The last fall of the last century, we studied it in detail along and across. Easily readable devices with clear markings and a block of control lamps in the middle, a tripping display, a small recess with a clock and a thermometer. All this leaves a very pleasant impression and helps the driver be aware of all events. At the same time, the ball -like front panel has some disadvantages. The buttons of turning on the heating of the seats at the left knee and the heating control handle over the heater, over which the audio system hangs, turned out to be inaccessible. But in terms of boxes, shelves and pockets of the stage, the prototype has gone very far. First of all, we note a large glove compartment in the central tunnel, which turned out to be a refrigerator with cans holders. It opened by chance when one of us turned the handle inside, and cold air came from its hole (while the stove worked for heating). In addition to two messes in the usual places, the containers for all good were found under the front seats.
Front seats with side airbags are adjustable in height, length and tilt of the back. At hand, the driver always has a joystick of mirrors and buttons of front windows. In the course of further research, it turned out that the mirrors are regulated only up and down, and turn to the right and to the left. Compared to Tino, the stage provides greater freedom with high front saddles due to the greater depth of the openings for the legs. At the same time, the steering wheel is always in a convenient position, although just like in Nissan, it is not regulated in depth. The headlights of the front seats left a dual impression. Even with maximum inclination back, they still do not touch their heads, which, God forbid, can do not affect the accident.
Back we penetrated without any problems. The front seats do not interfere with convenient landing, no one hurts the front backs with the tables with knees. The middle seat in a free state is a desktop rather than a picnic bridgehead. There are no recesses under jars of water, but a 12-volt outlet was found right under it in the floor. The glass -windows buttons, located on the lower edges of the doors, were a surprise. The right button is shifted back, she was moved by an ashtray. It is strange that the driver is deprived of the right to control the rear windows. The only thing he can do is to block them with a button on the front panel. All three rear seats are equipped with seat belts, and the right and mounts for children's seats of the ISOFIX standard (when the child sits right with his back to the direction of movement).
If you need to transport large -sized things, the scenes will help to the best of the possibilities. The trunk container can be transformed from 400 to 1800 liters, which allows you to safely use Renault as a small truck. The length of the luggage compartment with completely cleaned seats is 170 cm. This is a little less than that of Nissan, but the scenes itself are shorter than 20 centimeters. Wide rear racks do not allow loading a load of 107 cm wider into Renault. But the loading height of an empty car is only 39 cm. Since the upper shelf of the trunk in Renault is hard, it can also be used for cargo transportation. To facilitate loading the glass of the rear door is made by lifting.

ON THE ROAD
We start Nissan. A two -liter motor at idle, barely audibly rustling under the hood. We translate the variator selector lever to position D, and the noise of the engine in the cabin is listened to more and more clearly. Acceleration on the variator is a special feeling. So you expect that after certain revolutions of the tachometer, a barely noticeable switch of transmission will occur, but nothing of the kind happens. The tachometer arrow freezes at 4500 rpm, the car continues to accelerate, and there are no signs of switching. It looks like you forget to turn on the highest gear on the mechanics or (holy-hut!) You go on a trolleybus. You can get used to this state of affairs in just a few minutes, and then it will begin to seem that it should be, and nothing else is necessary. Pressing the sport button on the selector handle is accompanied by a significant increase in engine volume, increasing speed to 5000-5500 and a noticeable increase in acceleration dynamics.
The sports mode allows you to quickly achieve the peak of torque of 178 Nm on the road at 4800 rpm. Together with 135 Japanese horses, a very explosive cocktail is obtained at low starts from city intersections Tino is unlikely to give himself offense. I only doubt that he will like our roads with their traces of fools, to which Tino meets with very noticeable blows transmitting to the body. On a long straight unloaded machine, a tendency to vertical build -up of the rear axle is a torsion rear suspension likes to be in a slightly loaded state. The steering prefers to think a little before performing the driver’s command. In general, this Nissan is unlikely to be intended for aggressive and fast driving to the discharge of gas at the entrance to the turn, the car reacts to controlled, but inevitable demolition of the rear axle not burdened with a load.
But the brakes on Tino are simply exemplary! To the most insignificant press on the pedal, the car reacts with smooth braking, the intensity of which is directly proportional to the force of pressing. With slippery braking to the aid of the driver, ABS comes. I note that when it is triggered, the pedal does not pound like frantic, but only slightly vibrates. Nissan is worthy of all sorts of praise for the variator. Only mediocre noise insulation of the engine and thoughtful steering are upset.
But Renault Megan stage, on the contrary, is not as noisy as Tino. Its two liters are not heard either on idle or when turning on the transmission. We squeeze the clutch and try to move according to all the rules. The machine shudders and stalls. Have you got a little? No shoes jumped off the high clutch pedal. We repeat the attempt. This time we squeeze the pedal to the toe of the boot. Go. However, do not forget that it takes time to get used to a kind of clutch pedal. Accelerated. Stage with his 136 hp The power of a formidable weapon is in the hands of any driver. It’s funny to watch your neighbors in the stream when you drive up to the traffic light on this house and when turning on the green you will be carried the first faster than the wind ... Renault engine easily spins to 5500 revolutions, where power peak is reached, and from 3500 to 4000 it pleases simply by engine thrust precisely These numbers account for the peak of torque (189 Nm). If the programs were turned on a little more clearly, the scenes could be safely released on the ring route as a cargo-passenger pace car ... like Tino, an empty or little busy scenes is prone to vertical tagging of the rear axle. In the city of Renault, Nissan is noticeably softer and with pleasure swallows joints with tram rails. With the steering control, he has everything. Reacts to any movement almost in sporting clearly and even slightly sharply, but any maneuver can be performed with jewelry accuracy. The hydraulic wrap has a progressive characteristic, and reactions on the steering wheel are aggravated with speed.
A few words about the brakes. On the basic megan, the brakes are very sharp, responding to light pressing with a sharp braking. In the scenario, they, on the contrary, suffer from excessive content. The owner will have to get used to the fact that the car stops when the pedal is almost in the floor. In a timely manner and without panic, the anti -lock system comes into operation, only barely noticeable tremors on the pedals are given its presence. Megan Statzik repeats all the many advantages of the basic model and is not devoid of a few flaws. This is especially true for the minuses of the ergonomics of the driver’s place and an unsuccessfully designed pedal node.
     
SUMMARY
As a result, both small UPV showed that experiments with the construction of different cars on one platform are promising. Tino pure Japanese, although produced in Europe. He is anishly practical and easy to communicate. The stage is an elegant and beautiful Frenchman, a lover of elegant and unusual. Both cars combine the speed and power of sedans with the convenience of small minivans. They will be useful for a large family, and for a business person, and for a woman, burdened with numerous household problems of a woman who is unlikely to look flirty at these beautiful and useful cars in the household.
Maxim Rakitin
Photo by A. Nozdrin
 

Source: Cars