Renault Espace

Renault Espace at a glance

The Espace started life in 1984 as a classic one-box MPV. Unusually, it was developed and produced by Matra rather than by Renault, which sold it. The model became fully Renault's own only with the fourth generation of 2002, and in 2014 the fifth generation turned it into a crossover-style vehicle. The Espace V was unveiled at the Paris motor show in 2014; its facelift brought sharper lights and better technology rather than big changes in appearance. Renault ended production of the Espace V in March 2023, and the name passed to a sixth generation: a seven-seat SUV based on the Renault Austral. More models are in our Renault catalogue.

Generations

Espace V exterior

The styling is one of the fifth generation's strengths, sharing the corporate look of the Koleos, Megane and Talisman. The front has a narrow, squinting look with full-LED headlights. On the facelifted car they contain Matrix Vision LED modules for low and high beam, linked to a chrome V-shaped grille, while the bulging lower bumper has horizontal fog lights with chrome trim.

The matrix headlights have Renault's typical C-shaped signature, and their LEDs are controlled individually so the beam adapts to the traffic situation. A front camera detects oncoming vehicles up to 550 metres away and vehicles ahead in the same lane at up to 350 metres, and switches segments off so as not to dazzle other drivers; the lights also avoid glare from road signs. The light pattern depends on the selected Multi-Sense mode — Sport, for example, uses settings that light the road better for brisk driving. According to published figures, the matrix lights are about 50% more effective than ordinary LED units, with high-beam range rising from 175 to 220 metres.

In profile the Espace looks dynamic, with strongly flared wheel arches and a window line that narrows towards the rear, framed by chrome that continues onto the mirror bases. Wheels range from 17 to 20 inches. Ground clearance is a useful 160 mm, compared with just 120 mm on the previous Espace.

At the rear there are inverted-T tail lights that extend onto the wings and pillars, a large power tailgate with a recessed centre, and chrome inserts in the bumper that echo the front design rather than serving as exhausts. A retractable tow bar is available, and the real exhaust is integrated into the diffuser.

Interior and practicality

The cabin, offered with five seats or seven in three rows, received many small improvements in the facelift, mainly to the dashboard and the centre tunnel. Materials include fabric, leather, soft-touch plastics and silver trim. The driver has a three-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel with a flat bottom and a 10.2-inch digital instrument display that can show conventional dials, digital readouts or a 3D navigation map, plus a head-up display. The front seats are comfortable, electrically adjustable and offer good lateral support; massage is available.

The centre console was kept largely unchanged, but the facelift brought a larger 9.3-inch portrait touchscreen (previously 8.7 inches) with a new Easy Link interface, smartphone mirroring for Android and iOS, over-the-air updates and remote functions. Below it sits the climate panel with new round controls and small displays. A Multi-Sense controller operates the screen, and ambient lighting can be set in eight colours. The reorganised tunnel adds a wireless charging pad, a longer covered compartment with cupholders and two USB ports, and an Auto Hold button near the electronic parking brake; the gear selector is shift-by-wire. Unlike earlier Espaces, the cabin has relatively little small-item storage.

Options include a 2.8-square-metre panoramic glass roof, a 12-speaker Bose audio system with five sound modes and a hands-free power tailgate. The second row has three individual seats; the third row is tight but can have more comfortable wraparound headrests, and rear passengers get sunblinds and their own climate controls. With all seven seats in use, the boot holds 247 litres; with the third row folded it holds 614 litres, and with the second row folded too it reaches about 2,000 litres. Buttons in the boot fold the rear rows automatically.

Engines and transmissions (Espace V)

The base 1.6 dCi offers low consumption with reasonable performance, while the twin-turbo version of the same engine adds power without raising consumption. The 1.6 TCe turbo petrol, also used in the previous Clio R.S., uses about 7.8 l/100 km. From July 2017 it was replaced by the 1.8 TCe, a relative of the engine in the Alpine A110, which gives a top speed of 224 km/h and combined consumption of about 7.6 l/100 km. Later the 1.6 diesels gave way to 2.0 Blue dCi engines. The Espace V is front-wheel drive only; the base diesel was offered with a manual gearbox, and the other engines use EDC dual-clutch automatics with six or seven speeds.

Chassis

The Espace V uses the Renault–Nissan CMF modular platform, also found under the Nissan X-Trail. Thanks to many improvements, the base version is about 250 kg lighter than its predecessor. The 4Control system steers the rear wheels: below 50 km/h they turn opposite to the front wheels for better manoeuvrability, and above that speed they turn in the same direction for better stability. Adaptive dampers work with five Multi-Sense modes — Eco, Comfort, Neutral, Sport and Perso. In Comfort the Espace soaks up bumps smoothly but leans noticeably in corners; in Sport it handles well for a family car. Suspension is independent at the front and semi-independent at the rear, with coil springs, and the brakes are discs with ventilated fronts and electronic assistance.

Safety and equipment

Equipment includes ABS and ESC, adaptive emergency braking for city and open-road speeds with pedestrian detection, an adaptive front passenger airbag, side and curtain airbags, ISOFIX mounts, tyre-pressure monitoring, hill-start assist, rain and light sensors, an automatic electronic parking brake with Auto Hold, a speed limiter, rear parking assistance, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, traffic-sign recognition, safe-distance warning, blind-spot monitoring, Easy Park Assist and a reversing camera. An air-quality sensor with a dual-action filter and automatic door locking complete the list. Options include the Bose audio system, adaptive cruise control with automatic braking, the parking assistant and the head-up display.

Strengths and weaknesses

Owners of earlier Espaces praise the attractive design, the huge, comfortable cabin and good safety, and say the car is excellent for long journeys. Good sound insulation, the audio system, performance, equipment and the torquey, economical diesels also earn praise. On the downside, finding a qualified specialist is not always easy, resale can be slow, the mirrors are small, and the petrol engines are thirsty. Ground clearance is limited and there is no all-wheel drive. Rivals of the Espace V included the Ford S-MAX and Galaxy, Volkswagen Sharan, SEAT Alhambra and Peugeot 5008.