| First Drive | Megeve, France | Renault Grand Scenic |

Renault is heading up the launch of its new Scenic range with the arrival of the seven-seat Grand version ahead of the five-seat model. It's keenly priced, well equipped and conjures up the same space magic as before, but has the latest Grand Scenic got anything else up its sleeve to make its talented rivals disappear?

In the Metal

There's nothing radical about the appearance of the new Grand Scenic, looking like a smoothed-off, cleaned up evolution of the previous model. It's not the quantum leap in style that Citroen pulled off when it introduced the C4 Picasso as a general replacement for the Xsara Picasso, but the Renault imparts a sense of purpose. This is aided by the size of the new Grand Scenic, which is 70mm longer than its predecessor. It remains a five-door car with lift-up rear hatch and conventionally hinged rear doors - not for Renault the sliding rear doors of the likes of the Mazda5.

There are no surprises with the looks of the Scenic, inside or out, which should appeal to existing owners, as well as those looking for a practical, reasonably compact MPV. The huge front windscreen is another deliberate styling update, giving a much broader and better view of the road ahead thanks to the A-pillars being placed further back. Our only criticism here is that it can be difficult to judge where the front of the car is when parking.

What you get for your Money

As this is the Grand Scenic, seven seats are part of the standard make-up. Some European countries are offered a five-seat Grand model with a huge boot, but UK buyers get the third row of seats included. This pair of seats folds flat into the boot floor when not needed and are easy to lift up into the seating position. They offer just enough leg- and knee-room for adults to use them for short trips, but in reality remain the domain of children. Access to these seats is relatively easy through the side doors with the outer middle row seats tipping forward to aid entry and egress.

With the third row seats folded, there is a generous 564-litres of boot space when the middle seats are all in their rearmost positions. Slide them forward and you free up 702-litres of space. Fold the middle seats forward and you gain 1,863-litres of cargo capacity or for the full Pickfords removal van impression you can remove the middle row seats to create up to 2,063-litres of load bed. The only downside here is having to remove the middle row of seats (and all three can be individually tipped and removed) when some rivals offer seats that fold flat into the floor to solve the problem of storing the seats when not needed. Still, Renault has also found 92-litres of cubby, glovebox and door pocket storage space, so you need never struggle for somewhere to put a water bottle or map again.

In the front, the driver is treated to a simple, uncluttered dashboard with a digital screen displaying information on speed, revs and other vital signs of life. The optional satellite navigation screen is also housed in this dash-top display and is easy to see and use as it comes from TomTom - the first time this aftermarket satnav company has teamed up with a manufacturer. A comfortable driving position is easy to find and there's a decent view out in all directions, other than it being tricky to spot the foremost extremity of the Grand Scenic, as mentioned above.

There are four trim levels for the new Grand Scenic: Extreme, Expression, Dynamique and Privilege. Extreme is the entry point and includes electric front windows, air conditioning and CD stereo; it's very keenly priced against most rivals as Renault has reduced the starting price of the Grand Scenic range by more than £1,000.

The Expression versions add an automatic parking brake, electric rear windows with sunblinds, rear picnic tables and a front passenger seat that folds flat to help with long loads. Renault says the Dynamique will be the most popular model in the UK and it comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, and keyless entry and starting. The top spec Privilege features rear parking sensors, climate control and a sliding central storage bin between the front seats.

Driving it

Renault makes great claims for the much improved rigidity of the new Grand Scenic over its predecessor. Normally, this sort of talk is followed up by some puff about physics-defying handling ability. However, the French company has concentrated on making this car more comfortable to be in. What we can say is that it has worked. The new Grand Scenic makes light work of heavily rutted roads and rides with that plush confidence that French cars were once renowned for. This makes so much sense in a car that is about transporting people and puts most rivals in the shade. Yes, there is some lean in bends, but no more than most MPVs experience if pushed hard, yet there is also plenty of grip to be found. ESP traction and stability control is fitted as standard across the Grand Scenic range.

There are three petrol and four turbodiesel engines to pick from, including a new 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit and a 2.0-litre diesel with particulate filter. The 1.6-litre petrol is the cheapest, while the 1.4 turbo is a keen performer thanks to its 130bhp and 140lb.ft of mid-rev shove delivered at 2,250rpm to make it feel much more flexible than you'd expect of a small capacity engine in a seven-seat MPV. It's also smooth, refined and frugal -returning 48.6mpg combined economy.

On the diesel front, there's a 106bhp 1.5-litre, a 1.9-litre with 130bhp and a brace of 2.0-litres with 150- or 160bhp - the 150 only available with a six-speed automatic gearbox and the 160 with a six-speed manual. We tried the 160bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel and found it free-revving and quiet, while serving up a healthy dose of acceleration when required. It covers 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds and returns 50.3mpg combined economy, though we suspect most buyers will opt for the 1.9-litre 130 diesel with its 57.5mpg and 145g/km of carbon dioxide emissions.

Worth Noting

Refinement is a key point in MPVs. When you have all three rows occupied, it's still possible in the Grand Scenic for the driver to converse with the rearmost occupants. This is an impressive feat of noise suppression and the Renault makes light work of keeping road, wind and engine noise at bay. Only some murmur can be heard from the 2.0-litre diesel when it's asked to rev hard, for example when accelerating on to a motorway, but otherwise the Grand Scenic is a hushed and relaxing car to travel in.

Summary

Renault has been one of the leading lights in the MPV sector, counting more MPVs in its line-up than any other manufacturer. The Grand Scenic only reinforces Renault's position at the head of the compact MPV class alongside the likes of the Citroen C4 Picasso and Ford S-Max. While the Grand Scenic may not be as cutting edge in its style as the Citroen or sporty in its drive as the Ford, it's a superb all-round MPV that puts people at the heart of its raison d'être. With keenly competitive pricing, generous levels of equipment and that soothing refinement, the Grand Scenic should be on any compact MPV buyer's shortlist.