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Renault Grand Scenic comes with a few bells and whistles
WHEN Renault asked me to review their Grand Scenic I was somewhat apprehensive.
The prospect of forcing a cumbersome seven-seater around with an underpowered engine did not fill me with glee.
But then, I hadn't made allowances for the fact they were sending me the new flagship 2–litre dCi 150bhp model – in automatic guise.
This engine has already proved its worth in Megane and Laguna but more
importantly, in the bulkier Espace.
Now, this is the first time Scenic has made the foray into the world of the automatic gearbox, my only experience of which was in my dad's Ford Granada 3–litre Coupe Ghia.
That old Sweeny character holds fond memories for me, but I can also
remember the huge 'kick down' as my dad floored his right foot, owing to the primitive auto technology.
These days, things are a little bit different and the six-speed auto box in this stylish MPV is competent to say the least – in fact, it's fantastic.
And if you get bored of being left out of the gear shifting, just pop the gear leaver into semi-automatic and have a go yourself.
Anyone who has driven an automatic knows there is always a slight delay in between asking for a hit of power and it actually arriving.
Similarly, anyone who has driven a turbo-diesel will know that a similar rule of thumb applies, so combining the two seems like a bold move.
And it would have been, in my old man's Granada, but things have changed
and – he, or she, who dares, wins!
The Grand Scenic may be big enough to warrant a conductor dishing out
tickets, but fitted with 150 horses under the bonnet, Blakey better hold on to his hat because I can tell you, it's no slouch.
But what struck me most about the power delivery wasn't the usual diesel
affliction of it arriving like a right hander from Mike Tyson but the way the automatic gearbox translates the 340Nm of torque into a smooth gallop.
So smooth that 62mph will arrive in less than 10 seconds and on the
Autobahn you'll plough on to 123mph.
And you won't know you're doing it because unless you're really whipping
the oil-burning powerplant, the actual delivery is very smooth and refined.
What's more, most of the power comes flowing through the front wheels
at just 2,000 rpm so high revs are pointless.
But I suspect that the target market for the Grand Scenic is more bothered about where the kids can stash their Haribot sweets than the more technical stuff.
Well, in short, in pretty much the same hideaways as they did in the last incarnation of this car. While the exterior has lost its curves to front a more edgy look, the interior was previously among the best in class – so Renault have decided not to tinker with a winning formula.
As for the instruments, you're either going to love them or hate them. The neon blue LCD read-out looks like something from my first space invaders machine.
While they were somewhat alien to me initially, I actually found I quite liked the quirkiness of them.
At a shade over 20,000 this car comes loaded with plenty of bells and whistles.
And because it's a Renault you get a whole host of electronic wizardry which, as I've said before in this column, really flummoxes you to begin with but they're not there on the whim of a far out design
graduate in France – they're there because they take the backache out of the whole driving experience.
You know, like having to get your 'key' out of your pocket or taking the
handbrake off yourself, or having to turn the lights on when its dark or having to speed up the window wipers as it gets a little rainier – VaVaVoom indeed!
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Weather for Worksop
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
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