Test drive by Renault Scenic RX4 2000 - 2003 minivan

Mowgli stone jungle

A slightly arrogant attitude towards minivans, rooted among domestic motorists, is well known. A defenseless box on wheels, which does not even need a sign on board the children - and so everything is clear. Where is the long hood, where is the thick -faced trunk? There is nothing. In short, a vehicle without a hint of ambition.

 

But now a car has appeared full of strength and desire to avenge their offended brothers. It is so cool that he is ready to make yourself even respect Pajero with Grand Cherokee. Take a look at this white crow! It seems that once offended by the road hooligan, Scenic sought it up, put on a body armor and went on the war path. The sixteen-inch wheels and a 210-mm clearance lifted the car over others, the side with the paint of the side were covered with rude protection from rough plastic. The stubborn front bumper looks even more defiant with an imitation of a kangaroo and a threateningly gleaming metal plate from below. The car flaunts its fearlessness in front of a thick shrub and stones flying from under the wheels - it is ready for any struggle, up to the contact. Violets cast athermal windshield. And the seriousness of intentions emphasizes the reserve attached to the back door and the branched system of powerful roof religions. To feel complete superiority, only two glass hatches are not enough. But this is already an option that will become $ 1100.

 

Against the background of such an enchanting design, the interior of the car seems gray and boring. The plastic elements of the output of the bio -design do not cause the share of the delight to which the external surroundings of the car leads. The only light spot - in the literal sense of the word - is the dashboard in the white and red gamut. But excellent ergonomics quickly makes you forget about all the complaints about the style. Take at least a driver's seat: a successful profile, excellent lateral support, a leaning armrest. And also - height adjustment and heating. In Minivan, a high landing does not partly annoy because the rolls are small in corners, and partly - because it is easy to level, lowering the seat to the stop down. An example of the driver can follow the front passenger - his seat is also regulated in height. In any case, they will see everything. The low waist line and large burdocks of external mirrors make viewing perfect.

 

Outside of criticism, the leather steering wheel adjustable in height. I had to deal with the steering wheel switches: the poor fellow left to the limit is loaded with functions, and there were two of them on the right. Near the standard there is a joystick that controls the parameters of the radio and the standard CD player. But the bought pedals are frank.
 

I was not pleased with the convenience of the Pol-Station and the climate control unit, moved somewhere down the central console. But even lower is a really useful thing - boxing, cooled by air conditioning. It accommodates exactly three metal jars of 0.33 liters. In general, with all kinds of tanks, RX4 has a complete order: in front of the front passenger - two glove compartment, containers are advanced from under the front seats, an eye is fixed over the driver's door. Before moving back, we mention other standard equipment of the machine. And these are six airbags, belts with pretense and limiters of the effort and electric package.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to take care of the comfort of the rear passengers. To begin with, three separate chairs are installed here with individual adjustments of the angle of inclination of the back. A successful profile of seats and an excess of space - the ceiling does not press, nothing interferes with the legs - they are tuned for a long trip. Folding, the back of the middle seat turns into a camping table. Two more folding, aircraft tables are in the front seats, and the back of the right is equipped with a handrail, which will be very handy on a crossed area. Further, all the rear seats fold in two doses: first, the backs are thrown back, and then - the whole chair is entirely. So the luggage compartment with a volume of 1.8 cubic meters is formed.

 

Moreover, you can load it in two ways. Light objects are thrown into the trunk through the glass of the rear door, rising on a microlift. And in order to place a larger and heavier object inside, you will have to open a massive lower sash. It opens not down, as on American SUVs, but to the side. This sash is multifunctional: outside it is suspended a spare wheel closed by a decorative cap, and inside there is a recess with a net. The two -liter Renault F4R engine is equipped with a gas distribution phase change system, however, do not expect Hondovsky picking up from it. The motor is brisk and responsive, but the stretched gear rates do not allow him to breathe full breasts. And in the low -speed zone, the engine does not shine with a margin of torque. But we do not advise writing off the RX4 from accounts: the capabilities of his power unit are more than enough to break away from the stream. And we do not advise hanging on his tail: the brakes of the car are not just good, but very good. Emergency braking AFU and the distribution of EBV brake force controlled by electronic systems, they extinguish speed so effectively that they can put the pursuer in a hopeless position. From the driver's side, the braking process is controlled to the nuances.

 

In normal road conditions, torque is distributed as follows: 95% go to the wheels of the front axis and only 5% are transmitted to the rear. If the management of large SUVs is in many ways work, then riding the RX4 can give pleasure. Yes, and among the SUVs, the French car of competitors - once or twice and expected. Adequate reactions to the actions of the steering wheel, saturated feedback, weak rolls in corners - who will say that it is not driving a car? The machine is without much difficulty, turns of various complexity are given, and only in the coolest the tall center of gravity and the lack of reactive effort on the steering wheel begin to be felt.

 

The all-wheel drive transmission RX4 has been developed jointly with the famous Steyr-Daimler-Puch. In my opinion, this says a lot, if not all. But the RX4 transmission, of course, is easier in design. As already mentioned, in most cases, almost the entire moment is transmitted to the front axle. When the front wheels slipped, part of the moment is transferred to the rear via Viskyoft. A special electronic system simulates the lock of the front inter -ceiling differential - it does not allow one wheel to rotate faster than the other, if necessary, resorting to the help of brake mechanisms. In advertising booklets, this system is declared as an anti -boom, however, a real PBS by car with WISKOFTA is nonsense, because it would leave the rear wheels without work.

 

Finding a deep summer day is a hopeless thing. We'll have to be content with a sand. The first meters are passed in one breath, but the first section of loose sand turns into problems. The torque of the motor is not enough, and the car begins to twitch. I add gas sharply so as not to stall, and for the second that is needed to activate the rear wheels, the front man manage to steer tightly. Therefore, the owner of the RX4 must learn to feel the approach of a critical moment. And then the technique is as follows: we hand back, so that under the wheels there is relatively solid soil. Here, without any risk, we start with slipping, and we are already approaching the dangerous area, on all -wheel drive.

 

Diagonal hanging wheels for the car is not a threat. All thanks to the same imitation of differential lock. Yes, and in such an unnatural situation, the city car has to very, very rarely, if at all. The car is absolutely indifferent to pebbles and potholes, does not swing on gentle bumps. Both the front and the rear suspensions are collected on subframes, which effectively isolates the body from excessive shaking and vibrations. The only remark is that when passing a series of the same type of pardon, the car begins to go out. The overall level of sound insulation is not bad, however, at high speeds, the sound of the engine and a dashing whistle of winds penetrate into the salon.

 

A slightly arrogant attitude to family cars, common among domestic motorists, is well known. Do you share it? But even if you do not like minivans, it will not be easy to resist this.

 
   
 
   
 

A source: Wheel magazine [No. 51/2001]