Renault Espace gets an SUV makeover, goes on a diet

PARIS -- Renault has repositioned the Espace, Europe's first minivan when it was launched in 1984, as a midsize SUV with a focus on efficiency and interior flexibility.

The new Espace, the sixth generation of the model, will be launched this summer in France, the automaker said Tuesday when it revealed the model. Renault has not announced a price.

It will replace the slow-selling Koleos as the midsize/large SUV (see chart, below) in Renault's lineup. Koleos sales fell to 4,708 in 2022, according to Dataforce, and were 5,840 in 2021.

The Espace, which will be available in five- and seven-seat configurations, is closely related to the Austral compact SUV, which was launched last year. The Espace and Austral are built in the same factory in Palencia, Spain. 

Like the Austral, the Espace uses the latest version of the Renault-Nissan Alliance's CMF-C/D platform, which has been optimized for a full-hybrid powertrain. At 4,722 mm long, the Espace is 140 mm longer than the Austral overall; its 2,738 mm-long wheel base is 70 mm longer than the Austral's.

The two models will share drivetrains, with the main powerplant being Renault's E-Tech full hybrid, based on a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine with 130 hp. It is coupled to Renault's clutchless transmission with two electric motors -- one is a starter/generator -- for a total output of 200 hp.

Renault has not said if it will offer non-hybrid versions of the Espace, but the Austral has a 48-volt mild hybrid gasoline engine option.

But the key differences are between the fifth-generation Espace and the new model: The sixth-generation Espace is 140 mm longer than the current version, and 60 mm narrower. However, the interior is 40 mm longer.

The new version is 215 kg (474 lb) lighter, with weight savings in the drivetrain (50 kg), the platform (43 kg), the bodywork (38 kg) and in the overall smaller dimensions (84 kg)

"We put the Espace on a diet," Bruno Vanel, Renault brand's head of product performance, said at a preview of the Espace last week in Paris. Aerodynamics are improved, in part because the new model is 32 mm lower and has much sleeker rear-view mirrors. 

The focus on fuel efficiency has paid off, with a CO2 emissions figure of 104 g/km, which is 35 percent less than the current Espace, which did not offer a hybrid drivetrain. Fuel consumption is 4.6 liters per 100 km -- 40 percent better than the current diesel model -- meaning the new Espace can travel 1,100 km on a single tank of gasoline. In France, Renault's main market, the Espace will not be subject to an emissions penalty.

Renault says the hybrid system allows the Espace to drive in battery-only mode for 80 percent of urban driving.

Inside, the Espace has the same features as the Austral, including Renault’s OpenR Link Google-based infotainment system. OpenR Link now includes 39 custom apps that were developed for Renault, many of which are free, although some are subscription based after a free trial, Renault says. It also enables over the air updates of Google maps and other services.

It will be available in three trim levels, the base Techno level, the sporty Esprit Alpine and the luxury-focused Iconic. Vanel says Renault expects 80 percent of buyers to choose the two higher trim levels. 

A key selling point, Renault says, is the largest fixed glass sunroof on the market, at 1,330 mm long by 840 mm wide.

Espace sales are expected to be evenly split between private and business buyers, Vanel said; there will be a professional model sold as a light-utility vehicle in France.

The previous Espace was a mainstay of the minivan segment, and was the first European minivan when the nameplate was launched in 1984 as a vehicle initially developed by the niche French contstructor Matra. But the minivan segment has largely disappeared, as buyers turned to SUVs. Some of the Espace's biggest competition, including the Peugeot 5008, have been redesigned as SUVs, while others, such as the Ford S-Max, have been taken off the market. 

Espace sales have dwindled in recent years. In 2022, there were just 1,135 sold, and in 2021, 2,773, according to figures from Dataforce. 

The Espace's new segment, mainstream midsize SUVs, have enjoyed something of a renaissance thanks to full electrification, with the segment growing 5.5 percent in 2022, according to figures from Dataforce. 

The midsize SUV segment is the eighth largest in Europe, with sales of 557,943 in 2022, according to Dataforce. It was led by the Toyota RAV4, with 87,844 sales.

However, the segment’s growth mostly did not come from internal combustion-based models such as the RAV4, which saw sales fall by 18 percent, but from full-electric newcomers. One of them, the Volkswagen ID4 was second, with 68,466 sales, an increase of 25 percent. In third place was a combustion-based model, the Skoda Kodiaq, at 66,842. 

Sales of the other two combustion models in the Top 10 fell sharply. The sixth-place 5008 was down 29 percent, while the VW Tiguan fell by 30 percent. The rest of the top 10 was made up of EVs, including the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ionic 5 sibling models, the Ford Mustang Mach e, and the VW ID5.  

Renault's Vanel said that even if the overall size of the midsize market for all body styles has been relatively flat in recent years, the proportion of SUVs has been increasing, and is now 53 percent. 

“We will sell more than the fifth generation because the D (midsize) SUV segment is bigger than the D minivan,” Vanel said, although he declined to give a sales target. Inovev, an automotive analyst company, says 10,000 Espaces will be produced in 2023. S&P Global Mobility says production will peak in 2024 at more than 33,300.

Renault’s product plan includes another midsize model due to be launched in 2024, but it will not be full electric.