The SUV successor to the traditional MPV will offer more compact dimensions, but should comfortably transport a crew of seven.
At the end of January, Renault announced that the new seven-seater SUV will continue the tradition of the MPV from 1984 and will carry the now iconic Espace name. Initially, there was speculation about the name Grand Austral, which refers to the fact that both models should stand on the same platform and will obviously share a design language.
The sixth generation of the Espace model will thus definitively say goodbye to its MPV roots and plunge into the fashionable SUV segment. At the same time, the model is to be available in both a five-seat and a seven-seat version. The automaker has now hinted at its appearance through two new images.
On the traditional silhouette, we can see an elongated SUV with an elegantly and slowly descending roof, which is optically stretched by the roof spoiler on the fifth door. At the front and rear we see muscular fenders that, like the front and rear light signature, match the Austral model.
The most significant change will probably be the extension of the rear overhang, so that the automaker can fit the third row of seats into the cabin, and the effort to get maximum headroom for passengers in the back two rows. In the press release, the automaker also emphasizes the rich glazing, which extends all the way to the rear of the body. After all, this is also shown in the second picture, in which we see the large window behind the C-pillar, the mentioned roof spoiler and the rear lights stretched across the fifth door.
The sixth generation of the model is said to follow modern trends and the requirements of a changing world, but unlike a number of competitors, it has not grown in length. According to the automaker, the novelty is even 14 centimeters shorter than the fifth generation, which would mean a total length of around 4.72 meters. However, the interior space should still be slightly better.
„It is 14 cm more compact, yet boasts an interior width of 2.48 m (including the third row); slightly more than the current generation“, the car manufacturer states in a press release. The width apparently refers to the length of usable interior space for the crew in all rows of seats. According to the automaker, the new model can also comfortably transport a crew of up to seven over longer distances.
In the very first published image, the automaker showed us the modern Espace logo with a golden letter E, which thus indicated the use of a hybrid drive system, apparently taken from the Austral model. However, an offer of mild-hybrid 1.3-liter gasoline engines, also taken from the smaller SUV, is expected.
Diesel engines seem unlikely at the moment, but it would make sense to use the 4Control Advanced rear-wheel steering system, which is only available on the Austral with full-hybrid powertrains. However, we will have to wait for specific information until the official premiere, which is scheduled for this spring.
