The French manufacturer announced on Tuesday the return of the iconic Espace model of the 80s and 90s. But the minivan is over, make way for a large family SUV.
Renault continues to bet on the big names in its history. This Tuesday, the French manufacturer announced the return of the Space for next spring. Renault will then unveil the sixth generation of this model born in 1983 and which therefore celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year.
Renault will not completely take over the heritage of this illustrious ancestor. This new Espace will not be a minivan, but a large family SUV, in line with the latest generation of the Espace, the Espace V. The latter had already abandoned the design of the minivan to become a “crossover”.
A large family SUV with up to 7 seats
The new Espace will be based on the same platform as the Austral, Renault’s mid-size SUV, the Alliance’s CMF-CD platform. The Space will however be much longer, enough to allow it to accommodate up to seven passengers, like the other generations of Space. Renault also mentions in his press release “a cabin designed for long journeys”.
Renault has not revealed any images of the future model, only an illustration of the Espace name, the “e” at the end of which stands out. According to TheArgusthis golden “e” is the sign of the electrification of the future Espace which will take over the micro-hybrid and hybrid engines of the Austral.
New Space, Scenic Vision, R5
The arrival of this new Espace is part of the renewal strategy for the entire range, a renewal launched in 2020, at a time when Renault was in difficulty. The objective was to stop the least profitable models and bodies, such as minivans, to focus on SUVs in particular.
If this strategy has sacrificed a few emblematic names, such as the Twingo, others very well known to the general public have been able to remain in the catalog. The Espace therefore, but also the Scénic, which returned last spring in the form of a concept, the Scénic Vision. Luca de Meo has also brought older models up to date, making the reinvention of the 4L or the R5 the outposts of his strategy for reviving the group, dubbed “Renaulution”.
