Renault reveals new Scenic

There was a time, a decade or two ago, when the big market was MPVs, and the Renault Scenic was a big seller throughout Europe.

It’s a sector that’s exploded and faded in a fashion akin to a firework; sales soared when the first Megane Scenic landed in 1996, only to tail away in the past decade with the rise in popularity of SUVs and crossovers among family buyers. Want proof? It comes with 20-inch alloy wheels.

All the tech specs will be revealed at the Geneva motor show, where the Scenic will make its first appearance.

So far, only this pair of photographs has been shown.

Groupe Renault’s chairman and chief executive Carlos Ghosn and the group’s senior vice president of corporate design Laurens van den Acker will unveil the new Scenic on March 1. The new Scenic breaks all ties with the current model by adopting a more rounded silhouette vaguely inspired by the R-Space concept that was shown all the way back at the 2011 Geneva show.

“We’ve looked at it and we think it’s a great-looking, expressive vehicle”, said Fadeyev. Those C-shaped headlamp graphics are enabled by LED lighting units.

The 2016 Renault Scenic is expected to be offered with TCe petrol and dCi diesel engine choices with displacements ranging from 1.2- to 1.6-litre, and 6-speed manual, 6-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) and 7-Speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) transmission options.

After the Espace, Kadjar, Talisman and the Megane, the Scenic will be the next Renault to be based on the C/d version of the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF platform.