Cast your mind back 15 years and try and picture a typical family car. I'd imagine you're envisaging large estate cars or family hatches. Fast forward to the present and flick through your mental images to the family car section. Chances are you're now seeing a tall bodied compact mini-MPV, the contemporary affordable answer to family transportation. We owe this current form to the same company who arguably created the original MPV, the Espace; namely Renault.

A decade later Renault caused a sensation by carrying over the genius of the Espace and miniaturising it, taking the unremarkable Megane and deriving from it the Scenic. Very few new cars create their own niche or a panicked reaction amongst the manufacturer's rivals. Within months of the original Renault Scenic's release, rave reviews and huge sales virtually every other mainstream competitor had announced their own family hatch derived mini-MPV. Now a familiar sight on our roads, these cars are the standard way of moving family and belongings around and having reached retirement age, and with the pack having closed in, Renault facelifted the Scenic and produced the car you see here.

Looks wise the car is bang up to date; pronounced angular features combined with the family rear end result in a fresh and modern design that does a good job of disguising the Scenic's generous proportions. The latest Scenic is significantly bigger in all directions than the model it replaces and for those who need even more space the Renault Grand Scenic adds several more inches to the wheelbase and boot to accommodate an extra row of seats.

The interior of the regular Scenic is a marvel in ergonomics and space utilisation. Every nook and cranny has a purpose with draws, pockets and stowage providing all the storage space needed for a family to house the paraphernalia necessary for everyday life. Physical room isn't an issue with plenty of space in all directions, but most noticeably in the headroom department; a spacious feeling further aided by the full length glass panoramic roof with electrically retractable screens. This not only gives a view of the sky above but also allows light to flood the cabin; already a light and airy place thanks to the colours used and clever layout.

As you'd expect, the seats can be rearranged and come with two tables on the backs of the front seats complementing the fact that the central rear seat folds in half to provide another large flat surface in between the rear passengers. A generous boot ensures that the Renault Scenic swallows the big stuff as well as the odds and ends and is effectively a van with the rear seats moved to the appropriate position.

Space upfront is maximised thanks to clever dash layout. The instruments have been moved to the centre of the dash (a measure that probably also reduces production costs for left and right hand drive) and the gear lever has been moved higher up the centre console. It takes a while to adapt to the position of the dials and some of the gauges are hard to read, particularly in bright sunlight, but overall it's a successful layout.

All of the controls are light and easy to use. The Renault Scenic is one of those cars that is nice to drive; relaxing and soothing thanks to the switchgear and the excellent all-round visibility and raised driving position. It won't set pulses racing in any sense of the word but can still be fun to drive when you're driving solo. The Scenic features all of the extras you'd need in everyday family life. Excellent climate control and a good stereo, along with that panoramic roof, ensure occupants are comfortable during their journey.

Renault's dCi engine is gutsy and powerful and has virtually every trait desirable in a family wagon like the Scenic. Plenty of low down torque means lugging the weight of your family and all their kit is made easy and six well-spaced ratios mean that torque is always easily accessible. The long sixth gear acts like an economy overdrive and meant that, albeit with an empty car most of the time, we recorded cruising fuel consumptions in the mid to high forties. Outright performance isn't outstanding though is plenty fit for purpose and the in-gear flexibility is more key than the race against the stopwatch and a maximum speed.

I found only one negative for the engine: disappointing NVH (noise, vibration and harshness); it becomes increasingly vocal with every rev once extended beyond 3500rpm. Its torquey nature means that this isn't often an issue though; it is perfectly possible to drive around without ever exceeding 2500rpm and the Scenic is a fine, relaxed cruiser with the engine a distant thrum and wind and tyre noise well isolated. It would be hard to justify a petrol engine instead of the diesel unit. Although the petrol units offer more on-paper performance it is the diesel that would be easier to live with and more usable on a daily basis.

In summary, the new Renault Scenic stays at the head of the class that it invented. Others may have copied the Scenic's ethos but very few have equalled the all-round versatility and cleverness. Perhaps the Ford Focus C-max, with its superior dynamics, and VW's Touran, boasting superior quality, offer the stiffest competition but even these two don't put the Scenic into the shade, especially when purchase price is taken into consideration. It remains the first name to put on the short list in the class.

---

Renault Scenic UK range overview

- Renault Scenic Authentique 1.4 16v: £13,820
- Renault Scenic Authentique 1.6 16v VVT: £14,320
- Renault Scenic Authentique dCi 86: £14,620
- Renault Scenic Expression 1.4 16v: £15,120
- Renault Scenic Expression 1.6 16v VVT: £15,620
- Renault Scenic Expression dCi 86: £15,920
- Renault Scenic Expression dCi 106: £16,620
- Renault Scenic Expression 1.9 dCi 130 FAP: £17,820
- Renault Scenic Dynamique 1.4 16v: £15,620
- Renault Scenic Dynamique 1.6 16v VVT: £16,120
- Renault Scenic Dynamique 2.0 16v VVT: £17,120
- Renault Scenic Dynamique 2.0 Turbo: £18,315
- Renault Scenic Dynamique dCi 86: £16,420
- Renault Scenic Dynamique dCi 106: £17,120
- Renault Scenic Dynamique 1.9 dCi 130 FAP: £18,320
- Renault Scenic Privilege 1.6 16v VVT: £17,120
- Renault Scenic Privilege 2.0 16v VVT: £18,120
- Renault Scenic Privilege 2.0 Turbo: £19,315
- Renault Scenic Privilege dCi 106: £18,120
- Renault Scenic Privilege 1.9 dCi 130 FAP: £19,320