Monday 5th October

Check out the tremendous Renault E-Space Concept

Renault's retro revolution continues apace, with electric rework of iconic people carrier

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It’s now more than 40 years since the Renault Espace revolutionised family cars, and many more than we’d thought since it went off sale in the UK. More recent Espaces have been sold in other markets, but as the UK went all in on SUVs - at the expense of MPVs, among other things - so the big Renault had to fall by the wayside. 

Now it’s back, in concept form at least, as the E-Space Concept for next week’s Paris motor show. The inspiration is obvious: the lights might be brighter and the wheels might be bigger, but this is every inch the 80s brought into the electric era. The Espace face is familiar, so is the glasshouse, length (4.7m) and overall silhouette; a little sleeker, of course, with cameras for mirrors and hidden door handles, if immediately identifiable as the Renault reimagined. 

Looks great for the moment, too, a welcome break from the EV SUV mould and probably even more useful as a result. The squared off arches alongside the black for the sills and bumpers (disguising the battery bulk, presumably) make it modern. It doesn’t look very far from showroom spec, in truth - and we know Renault loves kicking it old school right now… 

We’ll find out more when the E-Space Concept is formally unveiled on Monday, part of a huge Renault expo at its home show. The brand is ‘celebrating the spirit of voitures à vivre and presenting a fully renewed line-up, reflecting a technological strategy based on two pillars: electric and hybrid.’

So as well as the Espace, there’ll be two other concepts: the brilliant 8 Gordini seen last week, and the ‘beach adventurer’ JP4x4. That’s alongside a refreshed road car range, including a new Megane E-Tech, a new Trafic E-Tech, a Twingo with a pano roof, a Rafale hypnotic and a ‘hyper-customised’ 5 Turbo 3E. Maybe a few more people need convincing to buy one…

Whatever the case, there’s certainly going to be plenty to look at and sit in from Renault next week. And potentially one or two funky new retro EVs coming soon. An Espace would surely sit nicely alongside a Twingo on the drive…

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• Riding shotgun in the 555hp Renault 5 Turbo 3E
• Renault 8 Gordini reinvented as EV concept

[fantheman80]

I just caught up on the Luce thread and made me think if I was Ferrari I'd go head hunting at Renaults design office....very much on a roll.

[HTP99]

Renault can do no wrong at the moment.

[croyde]

Had an Espace for use on a job years ago. Loved it.

Renault are on a roll at the moment

[Super Sonic]

The green one looks like multipla

[Turbobanana]

One of those rare cars where, if shown a picture with no accompanying clues, you'd immediately identify it. Reminds me of my old Espace, which is exactly the point.

Bravo Regie!

[Clad-Hach]

Two of those look really smart...and not the SUV nor the van.

[ikarl]

HTP99 said:

Renault can do no wrong at the moment.

definitely have the best design house currently - for me, their cars look so well proportioned from most angles

[Familymad]

Can see myself having a Renault in the family fleet in the next 3 years. Didn’t think I would ever be saying that after selling my Clio 182 back in the day.

[PCaluta]

Turbobanana said:

One of those rare cars where, if shown a picture with no accompanying clues, you'd immediately identify it. Reminds me of my old Espace, which is exactly the point.

Bravo Regie!

On the other hand, one could also say that Renault have simply run out of new ideas - I doubt they would ever bring this Espace concept, were it to become production reality, to the UK since they stopped selling them 14 years ago; the name itself survives in Europe but has morphed into a totally different proposition.





I'd say the main reason why SUVs massively outsell MPVs in the modern Western car market is regardless of their practical benefits, MPVs just don't look 'cool'.

[Chris_i8]

Renault are definitely on a roll at the moment from a design pov, bravo! - lots of the other 'legacy' brands would do well to dip in to their back catalogues for design inspiration.

The E-Space concept is about 1m times better as family transport than any suv! Maybe the tide is turning?!

[HTP99]

PCaluta said:

I'd say the main reason why SUVs massively outsell MPVs in the modern Western car market is regardless of their practical benefits, MPVs just don't look 'cool'.

Yep, it's optics. When Renault offered the final Scenic and Grand Scenic MPV's before they were dumped to be resurrected as the Scenic E-Tech a few years later. They were offered alongside the Kadjar, the Scenic was a good looking car, fresh modern and also practical, it had the newer platform, it drove far better was a much more comfort ride and was much better finished overall, Kadjar was basically a Qashqai with slightly different bodywork, the interior was bang average as was practicality, the Scenic was better in every way than Kadjar yet Kadjar sold and Scenic didn't, purely as it was an SUV which were at the time and still are fashionable.

[mattlacey]

Super Sonic said:

The green one looks like multipla

Thats a Twingo!

As a father of 3 (plus dog) the one thing that's been massively lacking in EVs is a car big enough for our family. Every sodding car on the market has a next-to-useless middle seat on the back bench, leaving the only options as super expensive things like the ID Buzz and the Kia 9, that while huge is still small inside. Our old Galaxy was far more practical.

The Espace always looked good for an MPV when it was new, and that one still looks good to me.

[mjspencer348]

Renault is on a roll design-wise, but I'm still not convinced UK buyers would be prepared to trade in their SUVs for an MPV, but if anyone can convince them then it's Renault. If they do green-light an Espace EV they'll have to go all in with the 80s 180-degree swivelling front seats and foldable middle row into tables - try doing that in your SUV...

[derby dave]

Can Reno just stop now.... 🤦‍♂️

[Turbobanana]

Interesting comments above.

I owned a Scenic and "upgraded" to an Espace. We the tried to manage with regular estate cars but returned to SUVs with a couple of S-Maxes. I've just bought a used SUV (XC90) as elderly parents mean we occasionally still need 7 seats, so I've seen this whole conversation live out in real life.

The telling comment above is about MPV's not being cool, or the buying public preferring the SUV look. I'm guilty of that, as I didn't want an MPV this time round (not that there's many available any more).

Also an interesting comment about Renault "running out of ideas" - that doesn't seem to be the general perception at the moment as their retro regeneration appears to be very popular.

[Angelo1985]

I want it badly. I have fond memories of our family holidays in the grand espace. Definitely the most practical car I’ve even driven

[HTP99]

mattlacey said:

Super Sonic said:

The green one looks like multipla

Thats a Twingo!

As a father of 3 (plus dog) the one thing that's been massively lacking in EVs is a car big enough for our family. Every sodding car on the market has a next-to-useless middle seat on the back bench, leaving the only options as super expensive things like the ID Buzz and the Kia 9, that while huge is still small inside. Our old Galaxy was far more practical.

The Espace always looked good for an MPV when it was new, and that one still looks good to me.

Alot of it is down to crash and safety regulations, cars are smaller in the inside now but still big on the outside, I see it all the time with families rocking up in an older people carrier type such as a Galaxy or S-Max, that type of thing and they just can't find anything that gives similar space which isn't huge and ridiculously expensive. You want maybe 2 car seats and a booster across the middle, you need a Transporter, it also doesn't help that baby seats now are just ginormous.

[Noserider5]

PCaluta said:

On the other hand, one could also say that Renault have simply run out of new ideas - I doubt they would ever bring this Espace concept, were it to become production reality, to the UK since they stopped selling them 14 years ago; the name itself survives in Europe but has morphed into a totally different proposition.





I'd say the main reason why SUVs massively outsell MPVs in the modern Western car market is regardless of their practical benefits, MPVs just don't look 'cool'.

I would say though, that a Boring Black SUV is the antithesis of 'cool'

[ducnick]

Please Citroen. Look at what Renault are doing with their retro inspired EV’s and do the same thing with your extensive back catalogue.

Let’s see an electric DS or CX reboot!

[Geertsen]

I think ‘tremendous’ might be overstating it a bit.

The Twingo in green in those images looks tremendous (maybe) and the electric Renault 5 is an absolute masterpiece.

I’ve spent my life disliking Renault cars but in recent years I have had my head turned. They are fantastic now.

I even rented several vans last year (VW, Renault, Ford) and the Renault Kangoo was BY FAR the best one.