Renault Grand Scenic Dynamique TomTom dCi 110 EDC Auto 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The 1.5 litre four cylinder diesel engine produces maximum figures of 110bhp at 4000rpm and 177lb-ft at 1750rpm and while it feels reasonably refined it doesn’t have the grunt of its bigger sibling the dCi 130. Having said that, it’s cheaper to buy and more affordable to run so a minor loss in performance may be perfectly acceptable. A 0-62 mph time of 14.3 seconds and a top speed of 112mph show that it’s no firecracker in the performance department however let’s not forget what this car was built for.

The Grand Scenic’s ride comfort is generally fine although potholes and larger bumps can send a jolt through the cabin. For a car of this height, it grips surprisingly well in corners and body roll is kept pretty much in check too but the steering doesn’t provide a great deal of feedback with what is going on down at the front wheels. On the open road at cruising speeds there is a bit of wind and road noise.

There’s plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat and the steering wheel so most drivers should be able to find a decent position. The dashboard has a centrally mounted information screen in place of the traditional dials and while it easy to read for the most part, it can get a little complicated navigating through the various menus. It’s also starting to look a little dated when compared to dashes in some of its rivals. Visibility is pretty good apart from to the rear, which can make reversing a bit tricky. Overall the cabin feels well screwed together but the quality of the materials varies from terrific to flimsy.

The Renault Grand Scenic Dynamique TomTom dCi 110 EDC Auto 5dr is a neat-looking car and details such as the chucky side sills inject a certain amount of dynamism into its appearance. Inside, you get a CD, MP3 connectivity, Bluetooth, Satnav, cruise control, electric windows, electric door mirrors and air-conditioning as standard. It also comes with an alarm and immobiliser and front fog lights.

Options include metallic paint at £455, leather seats £1,500 and rear parking sensors £310.

There is plenty of head and legroom for five people however, if you want to bring the third row of seats into play for two further passengers, then the middle row needs to slide forward slightly which reduces some of their legroom. There are numerous handy storage spaces dotted around the cabin. The boot has a modest 208 litres of space but a good wide opening to make access easy however if you want more space, the third row of seats fold flat into the floor and the second row tumble forward but unfortunately not into the floor. Therefore if you want to release the full load capacity of 1863 litres, the middle row of seats need to be removed completely which is a bit of a palaver and would only be practical if you had somewhere else to store the seats.

The Grand Scenic is right up there with the safest family cars on the market and as so it comes with a five star Euro NCAP rating, six airbags as well as ESP, ABS, stability control and ISOFIX child-seat mountings.

Renault have a questionable reputation for reliability although they purport to have worked hard on improving this, and for a certain piece of mind this car comes with a three year 100,000 mile warranty. Fuel economy is pleasingly low for a family car of this size and its carbon footprint of 124 g/km means its running costs will be low as well.

At £22,300 the Renault Grand Scenic Dynamique TomTom dCi 110 EDC Auto 5dr is competitively priced within its class. It has a roomy, comfortable cabin with a good level of equipment and gives a reasonable albeit no-thrills drive plus it feels pretty sturdy but it’s not the most user-friendly seven-seater out there.

A combined cycle of 60.1mpg assisted by Stop/Start is an exceptionally good figure for a seven-seat family car and with a CO2 emissions figure of 124g/km road tax is pleasingly low. Considering the range of equipment provided and these favourable running costs, the model represents great value for money.