New Renault Espace claims world’s biggest sunroof

Yet another teaser of the sixth-generation 2023 Renault Espace has surfaced and this time the French brand has previewed the flagship three-row SUV’s enormous panoramic roof ahead of its March 28 debut.

Described by the car-maker as “immense” and claimed to be the biggest car sunroof in production today, the new Renault Espace’s glass top spans 1330mm in length and is a substantial 840mm wide, providing more than one square metre of surface area.

Renault says such an expanse of glass enhances both the sense of spaciousness and wellbeing of occupants onboard, although it hasn’t explained how the trick roof can shield occupants from the blaring sun on a typical Australian summer’s day.

There’s still no word on whether the latest Renault Espace, which switches from a traditional people-mover to a more desirable SUV, is heading to our market.

The new seven-seat SUV has already been ruled out for the UK market, but at this stage it’s not yet known if the new Espace will be produced in right-hand drive.

“We are looking at any product that is made available to us in right-hand drive and works from a business case point of view,” a spokesperson for Renault Australia told carsales.

Shaping up to look more like a stretched version of the recently-revealed Renault Austral, the new Renault Espace is claimed to measure in at 4720mm long – a substantial 140mm shorter than the people-mover it replaces but 190mm longer than the Austral.

Those dimensions make it bigger than the Mazda CX-5 (4550mm) but smaller than the Mazda CX-9 (5075mm).

Despite being more compact, actual interior space is said to be longer than in the old Espace, even though it can still accommodate three rows of seats and up to seven people.

Based on the Nissan X-TRAIL, the new Espace shares the same Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-CD platform architecture and will also be offered in a five-seat configuration that maximises luggage space.

Beneath the bonnet it’s a safe bet that the new Espace will share its electrified powertrains with the Austral.

That means the most expensive E-Tech hybrid versions will be powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, combined with an electric motor to produce either 118kW or 147kW.

More affordable mild-hybrid versions will also be available – at least in Europe – offering either 103kW or 118kW.

Inside, expect a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, large 9.3-inch head-up display and a 12-inch Renault OpenR infotainment system.

Likely to be a replacement for the current second-generation Renault Koleos, the new Espace will be a natural rival for top-selling medium SUVs like the CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, as well as the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace seven-seaters.

The unveiling on March 28 coincides with the Espace’s 40th anniversary, when more of Renault’s plans for its new flagship SUV should emerge.

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