If I turned to the dark side and needed a car for sneaking contraband over borders the Renault Grand Scenic would be my partner in crime.
Its cabin has more hidey-holes than a haunted castle; storage nooks in every conceivable space including the floor and under the seats along with 92 litres of stowage space in the cabin which means you could hide your stash from even the most determined border guard (unless he's read this road test).
The Scenic MPV's claim to fame has always been its interior modularity and clever packaging, and the new, third-generation version's no different. Apart from the hidey-holes it has seats that can be shifted, folded, and spaced in just about any cargo/passenger arrangement you can possibly imagine.
The problem with the standard five-seat Scenic is that there's either a lot of room for passengers or for luggage - not both at the same time - which is why Renault came up with the grand idea of a seven-seater version known appropriately enough as the Grand Scenic.
This one simultaneously accommodates five passengers and a lot of luggage (from 564 up to 2063 litres) and should your kiddies want to bring home a couple of friends from school there are two additional seats which fold up from the floor of the cargo hold to accommodate them.
According to Renault there's more space for third row occupants than any other MPV, but most adults will still find them cramped. The front two rows are really roomy though and offer stretch-out comfort for even vertically-endowed people as the new Grand Scenic's seven cm longer than its predecessor.
A storage-box/armrest between the front seats is mounted on rails and can be slid backwards or forwards to your preferred position. Mounted on this unit is a controller for the inbuilt TomTom navigation system, with the screen itself mounted on the fascia next to the all-digital instrument panel.
Renault's made an effort to make the Grand Scenic feel more like a car than an MPV. Handling-wise it feels very well-mannered and clean, with not significantly more body roll than a regular car despite its higher roof, and the ride comfort's quite impressive too. Its larger dimensions are also easy for the driver to manage in tight traffic thanks to a parking sensor and giant windows that offer goldfish bowl-like visibility.
But Renault's made a boo-boo by not equipping that giant windscreen with a central sun visor. There's a very large gap between the side visors which the sun shines through.
KEEP IT IN YOUR POCKET
Happily the rest of the package doesn't really falter. For R299 900, the Grand Scenic, in addition to all that versatility and practicality, throws in a lot of safety and comfort features. Bluetooth connectivity, a 140W audio system, dual-zone aircon, auto-on windscreen wipers and headlights and the abovementioned satnav are included in the price, as are safety nets such as anti-lock brakes and six crash bags (stability control is an extra-cost option).
In theory the car offers the convenience of never having to remove the credit card-shaped smart key from your pocket (there's a button to start the engine) but the system of locking and unlocking the car by simply touching a door release worked intermittently and sometimes we had to use the remote.
The Grand Scenic's available in a single Dynamique 1.9 dCi turbodiesel that provides gutsy, low-revving performance suited to heavy passenger loads. This 96kW and 300Nm unit lacks the "bogging down" effect of many a turbodiesel and starts making decent muscle at low rpm to ensure a brisk pull-offs.
NOTABLY SMOOTH
This user-friendly power delivery, combined with a smooth-shifting six-speed manual transmission makes the Grand Scenic suited to the cut-and-thrust of city driving while on the open road its broad power band ensures sweat-free cruising.
It's a notably smooth engine with almost no tell-tale "chugga chugga" and we averaged 6.7 litres/100km.
VERDICT
As versatile as ever, the Grand Scenic is the epitome of motoring for the family with 3.4 children and a pair of Jack Russels. Good fuel economy and a five-year/100 000 km service plan keep the running costs reasonable too.
Remember to wear sunglasses when driving it. - INL Motoring