Renault Grand Scenic - weekend driveaway prize

[Gz0707]

So I got lucky and managed to win the grand prize for the recent Sonax workshop event held on Renault premises. The top prize was a weekend drive-away with the prize winning Grand Scenic.  MCF organisers requested a thread on the weekend drive-away and I was happy to oblige.  Just wondering if anyone has questions on this 7 seater model, I may be able to help answer some questions as I explore the ride this weekend. Current ride is a smallish Hyundai i30 wagon, so this is a different category for me, although I did come from a Mazda 5 not too long ago.  A more complete review will be attempted, but first up some specs.  

 

Renault Grand Scenic

Type - MPV 7 seater (midsize MPV)

Engine - Diesel 1.5 litre Turbo dCI (Auto) ; Euro 6

BHP - 110; Torque - 260 NM

Extras - full size glass roof (standard on Grand Scenic)

Seats - full leather, one-touch foldable system via rear and front display panel

Wheels - 195/55/20 with 20 inch rims

Weight - 1.5 tons

Length - 4.6 m; Height - 1.6 m 

0 -100 km/h : 13.2 seconds

Luggage space - 233/596 (3rd row folded)

Edited December 8, 2018 by Gz0707

[Wildfaye29]

I thought u won a Grand Scenic

[Gz0707]

I thought u won a Grand Scenic

No lah, if I did will become a fan boy overnight and defend it as bestest purchase ever. Just joking. Will attempt a fair review. But lots to talk about.:)

[Freeder]

So I got lucky and managed to win the grand prize for the recent Sonax workshop event held on Renault premises. The top prize was a weekend drive-away with the prize winning Grand Scenic. MCF organisers requested a thread on the weekend drive-away and I was happy to oblige. Just wondering if anyone has questions on this 7 seater model, I may be able to help answer some questions as I explore the ride this weekend. Current ride is a smallish Hyundai i30 wagon, so this is a different category for me, although I did come from a Mazda 5 not too long ago. A more complete review will be attempted, but first up some specs.

 

Renault Grand Scenic

Type - MPV 7 seater (midsize MPV)

Engine - Diesel 1.5 litre Turbo dCI (Auto) ; Euro 6

BHP - 110; Torque - 260 NM

Extras - full size glass roof (standard on Grand Scenic)

Seats - full leather, one-touch foldable system via rear and front display panel

Wheels - 195/55/20 with 20 inch rims

Weight - 1.5 tons

Length - 4.6 m; Height - 1.6 m

0 -100 km/h : 13.2 seconds

Luggage space - 233/596 (3rd row folded)

Camping n BBQ here..

[Gz0707]

Past rides include Opel Zafira A (petrol 1.8L NA); Peugeot Partner (Diesel 1.9 L NA), so I guess I come with some relevant conti ownership experience.  Will piece meal my thoughts ad hoc and round them up in more organised manner at the end (non professional writer here).  This is still the fun of a forum which I do feel is lacking in chat groups... (separate discussion).  Will also correct inaccuracies along the way. 

 

Thoughts on audio 

- good stock sound system -> 3D sound system by Arkamys with 6 speakers. Has usual Bluetooth connection and steering wheel roller button for choice of station/song and volume up/down/mute. Driver lighter power supply is used by the front cam (2 channel system on board); 2 USB in centre console arm rest box and rear passengers have USB too. 

- stock conti cars are already heavy on doors, so not sure if additional soundproofing will help. Stock insulation seems acceptable but I have not seen inside of door panels of conti cars for 1st n 2nd layer sound proof.  Noticeable start up growl from the diesel engine which is unmistakable - acceptable (we shall see). 

- additional space for sub woofer, amplifiers and Digital Sound Processors?  For sure, afterall, there are hidden compartments beneath the foot well ... ideas, ideas ... 

 

Rims N Tires 

- stock runs on 195/55/20 Michelin Primacy 3 rubbers.  The average sedan runs on 205/55/16, so 195 seems kind of thin?  I'm on 225/45/17 on my wagon and it corners well.  But who wants to do hard cornering and screaming kids and nagging grannies on board?  AD said that tires were upsized to 20 inch to give "height" to the ride.  Sorry, I don't agree with that ... upsizing rims is mostly sporty, aesthetic. and gives less ride comfort with thinner tires (especially to  MPV) ,  so not sure if giving it n overly sporty profile makes it kind of confused personality?  

- ride profile/comfort - seems acceptable so far, but we really have smooth roads in SG without potholes, so hard to tell. 

- 20 inch rims also give the ride a sort of "lowered" look as tires fill up and body tire gap is proabably 3/4 fingers at most - this gives a sporty look and some even say a hatch look for this MPV. 

Edited December 8, 2018 by Gz0707

[Gz0707]

thread needs more pics ... :)

[yishunite]

My question is why is this so overpriced? Its still selling at almost the same price as when COE was $33k. Makes no sense.

[mel1888]

Whats the price?

Ride quality?

Warranty?

[Thaiyotakamli]

The car has nice design. Not sure in term of reliability since its a french car.

[Kangadrool]

Not sure about the reliability of the electronics, e-parking brake and EDC. All other mechanicals and engine are generally bullet-proof. Parts are cheap as chip if you get from stockist. 

 

Timing belt, pulley belt and water pump change at French specialist w/s is surprisingly reasonable. Probably cheaper than Subaru.

 

But you will need to live with some French quirks which vary from models. 

[AndrewLee72]

Did u say Timing Belt *****

[DACH]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the new Renault Grand Scenic. 

[Gz0707]

My question is why is this so overpriced? Its still selling at almost the same price as when COE was $33k. Makes no sense.

 

ah, that one I cannot answer ... it is 116k now. At this price it does not seem overly over priced.  But my answer is without looking at historical pricing or margin breakdown which I usually do. But this price also come with only Megane 1.5T engine.  Is this under powered?  Not sure yet as I have not fully loaded it with pax and groceries. 

[Gz0707]

Electronics - many many .... from the full scale sun roof to the flipping down of all five 2nd and 3rd row seats to the motorised central arm rest, I would worry if going past 5 years. 

 

The Scenic scene seems to have quieten down?  There used to be more Scenics on the road, even more than the Citroens - even the 5 seaters Scenic was popular 5 to 10 years ago. 

 

Some thoughts on driving, haven't done much yesterday ... 

1) start stop - its actually quiet when it activates, but kicks into a diesel growl when brake is lifted to start moving again;

2) Reverse sensors - lowers down the music volume a bit when it starts beeping.  Its not irritating if the beeps are soft;

3) driver views - an additional glass panel to reduce A-pillar "blindness" when turning;

4) ride position - feels van like when with a climb into it feeling.  The doors, although solid, are not well padded inside inside, so don't expect a luxurious "thud" sound when closing;

5) ride comfort - not overly bumpy yet, but do prefer 19 inch wheels for comfort and looks.  20 still look out of place for MPV. 

6) Interior space - loads of space inside, head room and otherwise.  2nd roll will easily seat 1.8 metre passengers, especially since I am under 1.75 m and do not require long legroom up front.   

 

Question - is there auto hold for this car if anyone is aware of?  at traffic light, I tried this with gear engaged, it works, but I was not told if there is auto hold for this model. 

Edited December 9, 2018 by Gz0707

[Sdf4786k]

So I got lucky and managed to win the grand prize for the recent Sonax workshop event held on Renault premises. The top prize was a weekend drive-away with the prize winning Grand Scenic. MCF organisers requested a thread on the weekend drive-away and I was happy to oblige. Just wondering if anyone has questions on this 7 seater model, I may be able to help answer some questions as I explore the ride this weekend. Current ride is a smallish Hyundai i30 wagon, so this is a different category for me, although I did come from a Mazda 5 not too long ago. A more complete review will be attempted, but first up some specs.

 

Renault Grand Scenic

Type - MPV 7 seater (midsize MPV)

Engine - Diesel 1.5 litre Turbo dCI (Auto) ; Euro 6

BHP - 110; Torque - 260 NM

Extras - full size glass roof (standard on Grand Scenic)

Seats - full leather, one-touch foldable system via rear and front display panel

Wheels - 195/55/20 with 20 inch rims

Weight - 1.5 tons

Length - 4.6 m; Height - 1.6 m

0 -100 km/h : 13.2 seconds

Luggage space - 233/596 (3rd row folded)

Is the engine noisy as usual?

[ChaosMyth]

So I got lucky and managed to win the grand prize for the recent Sonax workshop event held on Renault premises. The top prize was a weekend drive-away with the prize winning Grand Scenic.  MCF organisers requested a thread on the weekend drive-away and I was happy to oblige.  Just wondering if anyone has questions on this 7 seater model, I may be able to help answer some questions as I explore the ride this weekend. Current ride is a smallish Hyundai i30 wagon, so this is a different category for me, although I did come from a Mazda 5 not too long ago.  A more complete review will be attempted, but first up some specs.  

 

Renault Grand Scenic

Type - MPV 7 seater (midsize MPV)

Engine - Diesel 1.5 litre Turbo dCI (Auto) ; Euro 6

BHP - 110; Torque - 260 NM

Extras - full size glass roof (standard on Grand Scenic)

Seats - full leather, one-touch foldable system via rear and front display panel

Wheels - 195/55/20 with 20 inch rims

Weight - 1.5 tons

Length - 4.6 m; Height - 1.6 m 

0 -100 km/h : 13.2 seconds

Luggage space - 233/596 (3rd row folded)

 

Thanks for sharing..how does it work with a weekend drive away? U get to choose your available weekend or date if fixed? Petrol/cashcard on yourself or provided? Like eg no season parking. I KPO only...

 

Anyway, interior looks abit tesla like with the super huge vertical screen. except the gear stick is slightly van like. Read the review on sgcarmart. just to share the pictures here also.

 

https://www.sgcarmart.com/news/review.php?AID=1173

 

 

i also like the big screen. most of the time touchscreen are not my preferred choice when driving because im focused on the road n dont want to be distracted by searching for where to press. im a old sch soul but this touch screen is big. when you're driving i suppose it  wont be a problem finding where to press.

 

 

The above is also a cool feature. One touch and the seat folds down? dunno is it i suaku or what.

 

 

First impression. Good looking MPV with a conti badge.. Cabin looks spacious and comfy. Basic features such as USB are aplenty. Pple often dont pay much attention to basic items like these lor and focus more on the other complicated features which u hardly will use. But to me USB, Bluetooth, these are impt ones.  

 

im not at the age of buying an mpv yet. no family n esp no kids. good choice for an mpv but it's a conti and a renault. reliability, parts cost etc im sure many apprehensive about it. good if the AD can be allowed to reply on this thread also, to those who are interested. can fire away.

[Gz0707]

Thanks for sharing..how does it work with a weekend drive away? U get to choose your available weekend or date if fixed? Petrol/cashcard on yourself or provided? Like eg no season parking. I KPO only...

 

Anyway, interior looks abit tesla like with the super huge vertical screen. except the gear stick is slightly van like. Read the review on sgcarmart. just to share the pictures here also.

 

https://www.sgcarmart.com/news/review.php?AID=1173

 

1173_1_l.jpg

1173_2_l.jpg

1173_3_l.jpg

1173_12_l.jpg

1173_13_l.jpg

1173_15_l.jpg

 

i also like the big screen. most of the time touchscreen are not my preferred choice when driving because im focused on the road n dont want to be distracted by searching for where to press. im a old sch soul but this touch screen is big. when you're driving i suppose it  wont be a problem finding where to press.

 

1173_16_l.jpg

 

The above is also a cool feature. One touch and the seat folds down? dunno is it i suaku or what.

 

1173_26_l.jpg

1173_27_l.jpg

1173_29_l.jpg

 

First impression. Good looking MPV with a conti badge.. Cabin looks spacious and comfy. Basic features such as USB are aplenty. Pple often dont pay much attention to basic items like these lor and focus more on the other complicated features which u hardly will use. But to me USB, Bluetooth, these are impt ones.  

 

im not at the age of buying an mpv yet. no family n esp no kids. good choice for an mpv but it's a conti and a renault. reliability, parts cost etc im sure many apprehensive about it. good if the AD can be allowed to reply on this thread also, to those who are interested. can fire away.

 

Hello!  Thread has been too quiet, Dec holidays and other reasons ... I just returned the car this morning to Renault marketing team, shared a few comments as well. some quick bullets below, will write more later if I can. 

 

1) Space n size - space is great internally as mentioned for a mid size MPV, it "drives big" but is not a large size MPV in fact, so best of both worlds for those who need a nice big 5 seater with occasional smaller passengers. not for long haul trips with full size adults.  No luggages space anyway. 

 

2) audio again - realised that the stock audio is superb and balanced in terms of sound quality. Not an audio geek, but this shd be more than good enough for the newbie and average family driver. 

 

3) sounds that wound - probably my biggest beef - I hear the starting diesel growl and some diesel clatter that reminds me of the Pug van.  The high driving position adds on to that line of thinking. But in perspective, I am driving a normal sedan/wagon type with 3 finger space after 17" rims.  The RGS is running on 195/55/20 which makes it taller somewhat. 

 

4) handling - the thin 195 are said to reduce rolling resistance for the tires, making for better fuel consumption, but seems the roll around turns with these skinnies can be improved.  I would swap these out for 205/215 or even 225 tires for better grip.  No worries about FC, it's a diesel with 800 km range per tank (what it says on the odo)   

Edited December 10, 2018 by Gz0707

[Sdf4786k]

Hello!  Thread has been too quiet, Dec holidays and other reasons ... I just returned the car this morning to Renault marketing team, shared a few comments as well. some quick bullets below, will write more later if I can. 

 

1) Space n size - space is great internally as mentioned for a mid size MPV, it "drives big" but is not a large size MPV in fact, so best of both worlds for those who need a nice big 5 seater with occasional smaller passengers. not for long haul trips with full size adults.  No luggages space anyway. 

 

2) audio again - realised that the stock audio is superb and balanced in terms of sound quality. Not an audio geek, but this shd be more than good enough for the newbie and average family driver. 

 

3) sounds that wound - probably my biggest beef - I hear the starting diesel growl and some diesel clatter that reminds me of the Pug van.  The high driving position adds on to that line of thinking. But in perspective, I am driving a normal sedan/wagon type with 3 finger space after 17" rims.  The RGS is running on 195/55/20 which makes it taller somewhat. 

 

4) handling - the thin 195 are said to reduce rolling resistance for the tires, making for better fuel consumption, but seems the roll around turns with these skinnies can be improved.  I would swap these out for 205/215 or even 225 tires for better grip.  No worries about FC, it's a diesel with 800 km range per tank (what it says on the odo)   

 

cool. I suppose that "trademark" diesel sound still cannot be eliminated.

 

MPV looks super nice. Does the blind spot monitoring helps in driving the car as its rather large ..