The new Renault Espace (manufacturer)
For several years now, Renault has been absent from the large crossover market, which it previously served with the Koleos that offered 5 seats and the Espas, which was roomy for 7 but with the look of the efficient minivan that we have been swimming in in recent years.
Now Renault enters the game with a stone with which it hopes to kill two birds - both a crossover and a 7-seater.
The new vehicle receives the mandatory name of the Espas, but will actually be an enlarged and elongated version of the compact Australian, a sibling to the Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander and a competitor to the Skoda Kodiaq, Peugeot 5008, Tiguan Allspace and the Chery Tigo 8 Pro.
The passenger compartment is the same as the Australian one, the operating system is Google's (photo: manufacturer's website)
At 4.7 meters from end to end it is about 20 cm longer than the Austral and its wheelbase is extended by 7 cm to 2.74 meters.
That's not much for a 7-seater, certainly not compared to what the full-size minivans it purports to replace deliver.
In the configuration of 7 seats and using all of them, the trunk is reduced to 159 liters, when using five seats it stands at 777 liters.
The drive is also based on that of the Australian, here it is the E-tech engine that combines a three-cylinder 1.3-liter gasoline engine and an electric drive unit that together provide 200 hp. It transmits the power to the front wheels through Renault's new gearbox, which uses a box 4 gears for the gasoline engine and another one with two transmission ratios for the electric engine. The box we met both in the Arcana and in the hybrid Dacia Jogger does not use a torque converter or clutches, but combines the gears through an additional electric motor. The performance is 8.8 seconds per 100 km and a maximum of 175 km/h.
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Using all the seats leaves 159 liters in the trunk (photo: manufacturer website)
The driver's environment is that of the Australian, a 12-inch longitudinal multimedia screen, a 12.3-inch digital dashboard and, at least in the high trim level, a 9.3-inch overhead display on the windshield.
What looks like an airplane throttle on the center console is actually an armrest, the gear selector itself is on the steering wheel.
And behind him are the control levers for the power of the regenerative braking.
Also in the high level of finish, rear steering that allows it to have a turning radius like a super mini car - 10.4 meters.
The multimedia operating system is based on Google and will provide (in supporting markets) not only navigation but also the possibility of operation by a voice assistant and information based on the search engine.
The safety systems include automatic braking, correction of lane deviation, warning of a vehicle in a "dead zone", warning of opening a door to an unoccupied lane, adaptive cruise control, detection of cross traffic from behind including braking and more.
Brother for a common platform with Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander (photo: manufacturer's website)
The Espas, which in 1984 ushered in the golden age of minivans in Europe, at the same time as the Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Voyager in the United States (and shares a fascinating story of common early roots) rolled through its five generations until 2021, when it ceased production due to declining ongoing sales.
A decline that is not unique to him, but horizontal and also applies to other minivans in Europe that are gradually disappearing from the market.
When as of today it is only the American market that continues to maintain the affection for these vehicles.
Frisbee (formerly Carso), the importer of Renault to Israel, stated that the arrival of the new Espas in Israel is expected during 2024.
The Aspas first generation from 1984.
An original design for a smart passenger carrier, and one of the inventors of the genre (Photo: Renault)
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Renault
Renault Espas
Crossover
7 seats
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