New Renault Espace goes crossover

The Renault Espace: a name synonymous with ‘MPV’, having brought the people carrier to the masses thirty years ago. And fittingly, an Espace one-two took the chequered flag in Hammond’s inaugural people carrier race on the telly.

Well, the fifth-generation Espace emerged from under a very large cover at the Paris motor show. And if you thought people carriers were becoming a little old-hat, as families throw all their paraphernalia into high-riding SUVs, then Renault has a riposte for you.

It says the Espace has been reinvented, see, describing the MkV as a ‘large, elegant and innovative crossover’. From the pictures we’ve got so far, it certainly looks large.

And we’ll give it elegant, too; by seven-seater standards, it's a smart-looking thing, and commendably bolder and punchier than the play-it-safe new Ford S-Max. The sculptured line slicing through the middle of the doors and the ornate rear three-quarter window are particular design highlights.

It’s the ‘innovative crossover’ bit we’re unsure about. It certainly looks jacked-up a bit, and should provide the high seating position that many crave of an SUV.

There’s some tough-looking underbody cladding, but those big shiny alloy wheels look too precious to be scrabbling through any mud. We'd put our money on this Espace remaning front-wheel drive, the crossover image purely for posture.

Engines are likely to be frugal diesels, though here’s hoping a bulk order from the French government for political taxis gives the V6 petrol Espace a stay of execution.

Five and seven-seat versions will be offered, and we’re told the Espace upholds its nameplate’s reputation for a clever interior. Expect some fancy electronic displays (the Espace ditched the analogue speedometer back in the 1990s, long before the Range Rover), a cleverer version of the 'R Link' connectivity seen in Clios and Capturs, and some lovely mood lighting.

If that’s whet your appetite and you’re not scared of taking a huge hit on depreciation, then hold your horses – it’s not coming to the UK. The Espace hasn’t been sold on our shores since Renault took an axe to half its range back in 2012, and despite its fashionable new crossover vibe, it looks like this new model won’t herald a comeback.

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