Renault Scenic Bose ‘a sound choice’

The Renault Grand Scenic Bose is beautifully designed and doesn’t call on the driver to compromise between style and practicality

There was a time when the MPV was very much the ugly sister of the car family.

Big and boxy, it was feted only for its practicality and functionality – the poor MPV didn’t even have personality going for it.

But times have changed and car manufacturers have started to pay more attention to this popular but previously boring choice.

And so we have the Renault Grand Scenic Bose, the people carrier which manages to combine functionality and practicality with luxury and personality. There’s some driving fun thrown in there as well for good measure in this seriously stylish looking seven-seater.

Unusually, the instrument panel in the Grand Scenic Bose is centered on the dashboard rather than directly in front of the steering wheel

The Renault Grand Scenic Bose, so called because of its excellent Bose sound system, is a beautiful looking car, both inside and out.

When you get beyond its smiling front grille, the Scenic’s front and rear doors should quite literally stand out for you. They’re almost embossed looking, puffed outward, rather than being flush with the skeleton of the car.

The Renault Grand Scenic Bose has a push button start with a very unusual looking entry fob, a credit card size piece of plastic that remotely operates the locking and unlocking functions, as well as the welcome home lights.

Inside the spacious cabin were some really inviting-looking, comfortable leather seats. Both of the front seats in the test car were electric.

The three back seats can be moved independently of each other, and the two outside ones have trays attached to the seat in front, like on a train or in a plane.

However, pushing the moveable centre storage unit, located between the two front seats, all the way back rendered the middle seat useless for all but the shortest of passengers.

Two extra pop-up seats were available in the boot, but again best left for the smalies. These seats required a bit of strength to pull up, but once that was done, they popped into place.

The Grand Scenic Bose can be converted to a 7-seater, with two pop up seats in the boot

The boot in the Renault Grand Scenic Bose is massive, but it’s still quite adequate even when the two rear-most seats are raised.

I really enjoyed the cockpit in the Renault Grand Scenic Bose, it’s comfortable and well laid out, with a nice high driving position and good legroom for the driver.

Unusually for a non-hybrid car, the instrument panel is centered, in the middle of the dashboard, with the SatNav in a good position sitting beside it. The instrument panel is also totally digital, which I liked.

The Scenic also has a nice clean looking steering wheel, with only the Cruise Control/Speed Limiter buttons operating from it. Unusually, the on/off button for these features is actually on the centre console.

The audio controls, meanwhile, are operated from a flat stalk at the side of the steering wheel. I think this location is easier and less distracting than working them from the steering wheel as they can be operated solely by touch, rather than having to glance down at them.

The six-speed manual 1.6litre diesel test car also had a plethora of driver assist technologies. As well as the aforementioned SatNav, cruise control/speed limiter, it also had lane departure assist, which beeped if you accidentally veered out of your lane. I found this to be a little bit annoying on the narrower country roads, but thankfully, you can turn it off.

The cockpit in the Grand Scenic Bose is very well designed, and the driver’s seat is extremely comfortable

It also had a beautiful panoramic sunroof, the front part of which opened, flooding both the front and rear seats with extra light.

I’m not a fan of the electric parking button, preferring the physical security of a lever, but this unfortunately was fitted with one – one of my few gripes about this car.

Front and rear parking sensors were also installed in the test car, as was a very good rear reversing camera, which took over the SatNav when you put the car into reverse.

The stop/start technology was great for conserving fuel on city runs. The model I was driving also had auto lights and auto wipers.

I really enjoyed driving the Renault Grand Scenic Bose – an awful lot more than I had expected to.

Our longer drive in the MPV took us to Wexford, on motorway and on country back roads. We also did a lot of city driving around Dublin.

Needless to say, the Renault Grand Scenic Bose was a lovely cruiser on motorway and dual carriageway and I also found it to be quite responsive on the narrow, twisty back roads, handling well, with a lovely smooth drive as you worked through the gears. It also took potholes in its stride.

The Grand Scenic Bose is a big car but it never felt like a heavy car to drive. While not the quickest at the lights, it picked up pace once you got into second gear and beyond and was well able for the ‘quick getaway’ situations and unpredictability of city driving.

Overall, I think Renault has done really well in putting together a practical, comfortable and stylish family car that has great personality and was great fun to drive.

The Renault Scenic is available now, with prices for the five-seater starting from €23,990. Prices for the seven-seater Grand Scenic start from €27,390. The top of the range Grand Scenic Bose model I was driving costs from €32,390.

Tech Spec:
Engine: 1.6l cDi 130hp eco (diesel)
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Acceleration: 0-100km/h in 10.3seconds
Top speed: 195km/h
Combined Fuel Consumption: 4.4l/100km
CO2 Emissions: 114g/km
Annual road tax: €160 (Band A)

Visit renault.ie or the Renault Ireland Facebook page for further details.