Renault Scenic I (1999)
The Renault Scénic (French pronunciation: [senik]) is a compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) produced by French automaker Renault, the first to be labelled as such in Europe. It is based on the chassis of the Mégane small family car. It became the 1997 European Car of the Year on its launch in November 1996.
The Mégane Scénic can be traced back to a concept car of 1991, designed under the supervision of Anne Asensio, then designer at Renault. The Scénic was mechanically identical to the Mégane hatchback (itself based on the older R19). The 1.4 L, 1.6 L "Energy", 1.8 L "F Type" petrol and 1.9 L diesel engines were shared with the hatchback range.
The Scénic was marketed as a multi purpose vehicle, in a smaller size lower price of such vehicles as Renault's own Espace. It was launched in November 1996.
Renault underestimated the market demand that the Scénic would have — predicting that it would be a niche model with only 450 produced a day. Production at the company's Douai plant would eventually peak at nearly 2,500 cars a day.
Along with the Mégane hatchback, the Scénic underwent a major frontal restyle in September 1999, and the newer 16 valve engines were introduced. The front end was quite a bit different from the Mégane counterpart, and there were also redesigned rear lights.
From the time of this restyle, it became officially known as the Renault Scénic, although a small "Mégane" badge still appeared on the rear door signifying the car's origin. Production ended in June 2003.
The Phase 2 allowed the Scénic to be separate from the Mégane and its predecessor by introducing improvements, such as a storage compartment on the dashboard, and a separate opening rear window on the tailgate.
Another small improvement with the Scénic were the rear head restraints, which were fixed over the back of the seat rather than being upright. This increased rear visibility.
Renault Scenic I (1999)
The Renault Scénic (French pronunciation: [senik]) is a compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) produced by French automaker Renault, the first to be labelled as such in Europe. It is based on the chassis of the Mégane small family car. It became the 1997 European Car of the Year on its launch in November 1996.
The Mégane Scénic can be traced back to a concept car of 1991, designed under the supervision of Anne Asensio, then designer at Renault. The Scénic was mechanically identical to the Mégane hatchback (itself based on the older R19). The 1.4 L, 1.6 L "Energy", 1.8 L "F Type" petrol and 1.9 L diesel engines were shared with the hatchback range.
The Scénic was marketed as a multi purpose vehicle, in a smaller size lower price of such vehicles as Renault's own Espace. It was launched in November 1996.
Renault underestimated the market demand that the Scénic would have — predicting that it would be a niche model with only 450 produced a day. Production at the company's Douai plant would eventually peak at nearly 2,500 cars a day.
Along with the Mégane hatchback, the Scénic underwent a major frontal restyle in September 1999, and the newer 16 valve engines were introduced. The front end was quite a bit different from the Mégane counterpart, and there were also redesigned rear lights.
From the time of this restyle, it became officially known as the Renault Scénic, although a small "Mégane" badge still appeared on the rear door signifying the car's origin. Production ended in June 2003.
The Phase 2 allowed the Scénic to be separate from the Mégane and its predecessor by introducing improvements, such as a storage compartment on the dashboard, and a separate opening rear window on the tailgate.
Another small improvement with the Scénic were the rear head restraints, which were fixed over the back of the seat rather than being upright. This increased rear visibility.