Renault Espace Concept
by Sam Livingstone

The first Espace was launched in 1983 and was the first European MPV. Sales steadily grew from a low base, other manufacturers developed and launched competitor products and smaller MPVs were born. But, just like Levis and Coke, the Espace has always held on to its 'original and best' positioning.

The current second generation Espace maintained this through its greater space, sense of space and refinement compared to its predecessor and competition, as well as its inherent premium positioning because of its station above its smaller MPV sibling the Scenic.

This concept car preview of the next generation Espace builds on current Espace strengths of space and simple luxury whilst adopting the new Renault corporate face and rump and rejecting the previous generation's unstressed plastic panels in favour of an all steel construction. The car maintains the cabin architecture principals and improves the quality of materials of the previous model, but it also moves further away from the van with windows MPV concept of the last century, to be more of a large luxury family car (not a large luxury business car).

Just as Levis have moved away from the working jean to the fashion jean, so the MPV moves from conspicuously functionalist MPV to family prioritised luxury MPV. The inherent monospace box shape is interrupted by feature lines through the flanks and surfaces that grow from the front door into the front fender and lamps, and that wrap from the rear fender through the otherwise upright boot just below the rear window.

These elements break up the volumes of the car, add some tension and dynamism to the design and show Renault's experience in designing tall, voluminous vehicles. They also develop themes established on the Avantime, Laguna and Vel Satis and so contribute to the increasingly strong Renault design identity.

The new Espace is evolutionary, not revolutionary, but logically and elegantly executed and likely to maintain its top of the MPV tree position for the next few years.

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