Renault: the Scenic route

Renault is keeping its focus on an eight per cent market share next year thanks to the arrival of the remaining elements of its Megane line-up.

Irish motorists were restricted to the funky Megane hatchback until now and, for some conservative motorists, its pram-like rear end was just a tad too ostentatious for their tastes.

They will be far more at home with the four-door saloon which offers little of the styling traits from its hatchback sibling, but a practicality to rival the likes of the larger Laguna, with which it shares a similar degree of boot space. It's available as standard saloon or in Tourer, or estate, format.

Also on offer now is the long-awaited replacement for the Scenic, a car that has built the mini-MPV or people carrier market, along with a stylish two door convertible with a glass roof that folds back in 20 seconds at the touch of a button.

The final addition to the line-up will be the seven-seater Scenic, due here by April/May. The target for this and the five-seater version is the continuing battle with Opel's Zafira. The question then will be, with so much room and flexibility in the back of the Scenic, why buy the Espace? The answer, of course, is image.

Renault must be complimented on its continually original design and the Scenic is certainly sharp enough in terms of looks. We test-drove two versions of the new cars, the 1.4-litre petrol Tourer estate and a 1.5-litre dCi. We found the petrol to be fun, if underpowered, but kept at higher revs it moved along nicely, even on hilly upclimbs. The diesel also suffers slightly from a lack of power but did manage to post admirable fuel consumption figures.

All were easy to drive, the controls soft if a little spongy and the interior cabins were dark, due in part to the grey interior in the test cars we drove. While the rear of the saloon is disappointing given the radical nature of the hatchback, it does uncover an impressive boot and the rear seat space is also impressive, if a little tight for headroom for taller adults.

Prices range from €19,500 for the 1.4-litre saloon to €24,100 for the 1.6 16V automatic. The Tourer range starts at €19,700 up to €24,150 while the new Scenic begins at €22,200 for the 1.4-litre and rises t0 €28,500 for the automatic 1.6-litre. The glass-roofed coupé cabriolet will be on sale from November at €30,000.