Test: Renault Scenic 2.0 136 HP 2007 – comfort, high ground clearance, ideal for family and long journeys. Reviews, advantages, disadvantages, pros and cons
The Renault Scenic is an exceptionally comfortable and well-suspended vehicle. We decided to explore the pros and cons of the Scenic – specifically the Conquest version. We set out to conquer the city, suburban areas, and of course, some more challenging terrains for the car.
Conquest is a unique variant of the Scenic model. Not quite an off-road vehicle, but one could say it’s “off-road-ified”. The ground clearance in this model has been increased by 20 millimetres, the lower parts of the body are additionally protected with plastic overlays, and the front of the car features a slightly modified grille. All of this makes the family-oriented Scenic resemble an off-road vehicle. Of course, there’s no four-wheel drive here, but for a family living in the outskirts of a big city, with somewhat difficult access, this car is perfect.
Under the hood, we find a two-litre engine with nearly 140 horsepower, powering the car through a six-speed manual gearbox. That’s it for the basic data, as we want to focus on the driving experience, equipment, and price. Inside, it’s a typical Scenic – everything we know from the “civilian” model, except for the seats. The finish is of the highest quality. Soft, pleasant plastic, very well-fitted elements, clear indicators – electronic gauges. They’re somewhat similar to those known from the Espace model. There are small stylistic elements characteristic of the Conquest model. Orange belts, similar to the body colour, a pattern on the dashboard, and colour inserts. It looks great, although I predict frequent cleaning for the belts at least. They’re quite light. Even a tall driver will quickly find the optimal position behind the wheel. The seats deserve the highest praise. They are excellently profiled, providing appropriate lateral support while ensuring the highest comfort of travel. Looking around the cabin, we can see plenty of compartments that make family travel easier. In the version we tested, there were compartments under the seats and in the floor. Plus, of course, a compartment in the dashboard in front of the passenger and spacious pockets in the doors. An additional mirror serves to monitor small passengers in the back, under which a microphone for the hands-free kit, integrated with the CD player and radio, is mounted.
Time to start the engine. The car doesn’t have a classic key; it’s equipped with a system that allows you to open it by placing your hand on the handle and start it using the start-stop button. A very convenient solution. The card itself also refers to the styling of the Conquest model – unlike the “ordinary” Renault cards, it’s made of transparent plastic with orange inserts. The system can be configured so that both opening and closing of the vehicle happens automatically. A pleasant facilitation, one less action to perform. The car informs the driver on the display how to start the engine – to do this, you need to press the clutch or brake pedal and press the Start/Stop button. This way, there’s no possibility of accidentally moving off. The running engine is practically inaudible in the cabin. It’s not heard during driving either, which confirms the opinion about excellent interior soundproofing. This feature was confirmed by all Scenic testers. It’s very quiet inside, and practically only above speeds illegal even on highways do the sounds of fast driving reach the driver and passengers. When driving at 130 km/h, the engine is almost inaudible, and the air noise is also excellently muffled. You can freely converse in the cabin without raising your voice. You can also enjoy listening to music without the need to adjust the volume. The display showing the most important information about the vehicle’s status is located in the central part of the console.
It shows the speed in digits, and we also have a tachometer and on-board computer information there. Everything is clearly grouped, and no one should complain about this solution. Thanks to the fact that the display takes up relatively little space, the dashboard could be redesigned according to the latest automotive fashion. Slim lines and plenty of space – these are the strong points of this solution. It’s simply aesthetic. Below the display, there’s room for the radio, which we can control from the steering wheel. This control is known from other Renault models, but even if someone didn’t have a car with a rhombus on the hood before, they shouldn’t have the slightest problems with operation. It’s just a matter of getting used to it. Summing up the interior styling in a few more words, it should be considered subdued and calm. This is a car, not a spaceship like in the case of C4 Picasso. People looking for sophisticated styling will probably reach for the Citroen. Renault is definitely calmer here. It’s worth dedicating a few words to the audio system. The radio searches for stations lightning-fast, without unnecessary delays. Sensitivity and reception quality – flawless – and this is probably a consequence of the high-mounted antenna. The sound from the radio is of very good quality, the system plays much better than in the competing Ford S-Max. A very interesting and relatively inexpensive option (£400 – additional optional equipment) is the Bluetooth hands-free kit. Configuring the phone even without the kit’s manual takes a few minutes – after starting the engine, just search for the Bluetooth device in the phone, enter the standard Renault code – 1234 – and pair the kit. It works excellently, and the kit can display who’s calling on the car’s indicators, using the phone book.
Now it’s time to hit the road. Great recognition for the gearbox – it works very precisely – and here again, a comparison to the competition. It’s much better than in the aforementioned Ford and probably slightly better than in the Citroen C4 Picasso we tested some time ago. Gear changes are light and precise. Only the sixth gear may cause some problems – you need to get used to the way of engaging it. Thanks to six gears, it’s quieter inside and the engine consumes less fuel. The car accelerates dynamically, although it’s not a sprinter. The Scenic is quite a mass after all. Two litres of capacity are enough to reach speeds close to 200 km/h, and overtaking can be safe. However, the interior soundproofing encourages lazy, comfortable driving. Because in addition to soundproofing, the Scenic also provides a lot of comfort from the suspension side. A few words should be written about thermal comfort. Our Renault Scenic had automatic air conditioning installed on board, common for the entire interior. The control panel is known from other models, so there’s no need to elaborate on its operation. Since the car was tested in the autumn period, when morning and evening chills are already quite bothersome, it must be stated that the engine heats up relatively quickly. After about a minute of driving, heated air gets into the cabin. The vents evenly distribute the air, and the whole system works surprisingly well. Here’s a comparison to the C4 Picasso – the Scenic is somewhat more effective in this respect. Again, a comparison – it’s not hydropneumatic suspension, of course – but the suspension characteristics in the Conquest model are a very successful combination of stable driving with the pleasure of travelling.
It’s not stiff, rather springy, not too soft, but comfortable. The body, even during sudden maneuvers, tilts within reasonable limits. And roads full of bumps and holes are no problem for the Scenic. You don’t want to get out of this car. When our test drivers returned the car and had to switch to a completely different brand, known for hard suspensions and uncomfortable seats, they complained a lot. But pleasures can’t last forever. The engine pays for its good performance with fuel consumption – here with two people on board in the city, consumption reached 11 litres – with really dynamic driving. Outside the city, it was possible to go below 8 litres per 100 kilometers, with most of the route also with dynamic movement, overtaking, within reason of course. With five people, fuel consumption will probably increase slightly, and you need to take this into account. Here, a diesel engine would probably work better. Of course, if we’re talking about the economy of fuel consumption, because buying the car itself will be more expensive.
We took the car off-road to learn about the advantages of the Conquest version. Considerable ground clearance provides comfort when moving on difficult roads with ruts. Our test route led traditionally along a river. Only this time we were simply driving along the flood embankment. In summer, tall grass grows there, making it difficult to move by car. Now this problem was gone. The Scenic Conquest handled the test well. At times, four-wheel drive was missing – but at this price, it’s rather unrealistic – so the driver’s skills helped. During fast driving, it happened a few times to bury the front of the car slightly in the sand. Apart from that, nothing happened, despite driving over 100 kilometers on difficult roads. Our photographer was pleased, stating that this is an ideal car for morning photo shoots (there are such people who, for an interesting photo in nature, are able to get up at three in the morning and go to some wild and usually inaccessible areas!).
In summary, the Scenic Conquest is a successful proposition. A family car, perhaps not as avant-garde and spacious as the C4 Picasso, but it’s a solid, refined construction that guarantees pleasant movement, even in difficult terrain.
