Next Renault Espace to evolve into flagship SUV

Renault has confirmed the incoming sixth-generation 2023 Renault Espace will sever links with its people-mover origins and finally morph into a fully-fledged SUV.

Announcing the all-new Renault Espace will be unwrapped in the first half of this year, the French car-maker said the latest instalment will follow in the tracks of the previous generations of MPV but, at the same time, “start a new chapter” for the nameplate.

The company said the family wagon would be comfortable, innovative and underpinned by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF-CD platform.

The latter will be an evolution of the current car’s architecture that is currently used for the latest Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan X-TRAIL.

Set to be positioned above the incoming Renault Austral SUV, the new Espace will be available with either five or seven seats and feature a more luxurious cabin, with high-grade materials.

Said to have been developed for long journeys, under the bonnet the new Espace is primed to share its electrified powertrains with the Austral, including a plug-in hybrid.

Likely to be a replacement for the current second-generation Renault Koleos, the Espace could be on the menu for Australia where it will be priced to battle SUVs like the Skoda Kodiaq, Nissan X-TRAIL and the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

The move from people-mover to SUV comes after sales of seven-seat minivans have stagnated in Europe.

This year marks 40 years of service for the Espace, which debuted back in 1983.

Originally, its polarising one-box-design was a shock to buyers but families soon learned to love its unbeatable practicality that included front seats that could swivel 180 degrees, interchangeable and removable seats and a light and airy cabin.

More teasers are expected in the build-up to the Renault Espace’s launch in the coming months.

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