Renault Scenic (2017) review: More SUV than MPV

Reinventing any vehicle represents a challenge. Change the name and you’ll lose customers, keep the same name and you create certain expectations. And with the Scenic, Renault has one of the most distinctive names in the business – the car that started the small MPV craze.

The new Scenic keeps the same name as the car it replaces, but whatever you do, don’t call the new Scenic an MPV. Instead Renault has gone for reinvention and recast its small family people carrier as a crossover/SUV.

Why? Despite their intrinsic usefulness, the MPV has fallen from favour in the sales charts. No one wants to drive a van with windows these days. People want useful, but with some “life at the weekends” image, and in that statement lies the kernel of both the Scenic’s change of attitude and the reason why the roads are full of cars like the Nissan Qashqai and Range Rover Evoque. Such cars provide nearly the same utility as a small MPV, but their image is altogether sportier and cooler – and you don’t feel quite so much of a fool if you’re driving it alone, as you do with an MPV.

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https://www.pocket-lint.com/cars/reviews/renault/140383-renault-scenic-2017-review-the-master-of-reinvention