Additional models have proven to be key for the revival of the Renault brand in the UK. Glenn Brooks has been spending some time with yet another one of them: the Scénic XMOD crossover.
It’s easy to forget just how successful the Renault Scénic has been – more than 4.3 million have been sold worldwide since the launch of the original model back in 1996. We’re up to generation three now, with a mid-life facelift having debuted just under a year ago at the Geneva show. With it came an extra derivative, the XMOD. It might have the rugged looks of the 4×4 Scénic RX4 from the early 2000s but this one is front-wheel drive only, albeit with a so-called ‘Extended Grip’ traction control system.
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Will any owner take their XMOD off-road? Unlikely, but due to what Renault has termed the Grip Xtend system, mud, sand and snow shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for this vehicle. A rotary switch gives the driver the choice of either ‘Road’, ‘Loose Ground’ or ‘Expert’ modes. In the latter, Grip Xtend manages the braking system but leaves the driver in control of the engine’s torque. As for ‘Road’, this offers conventional traction control settings but with the ASR optimising grip. This it does by controlling engine torque and braking for the front wheels, while any wheel which begins to skid is slowed and torque transferred to the wheel with the most grip. As for ‘Loose Ground’, this maximises braking control and engine torque control as a function of available grip at speeds of up to 25 mph.
I tried out all three settings and found that it’s not just marketing-speak: they do indeed work wonders to improve traction. The test vehicle was powered by the Alliance’s 110hp 1.5-litre DCi four-cylinder diesel but you’ve two other petrol engine choices: the 1.2-litre TCe in 115hp and 130hp forms, as well as the 110hp 1.6 VVT. The torque of the DCi is probably the most suited to hauling a family though I did feel some lag when faced with hills at low revs, even in second and third gears: like an old-school turbo there isn’t much action for a second or two and then there’s a surge.
The car was very well equipped, even in base Expression+ trim, which includes Hill Start Assist, 16-inch ‘Tundra’ alloys or ‘Frontier’ design wheels, as well as Grip Xtend and mud and snow tyres. Moving up to the other model grade, Dynamique TomTom, you gain dual zone climate control, automatic lights and wipers, plus Carminat TomTom ‘Live’ satellite navigation.
There were a couple of slightly unusual things about this car’s spec. For starters, the driver’s seat had electric adjustment but that wasn’t the case for the front passenger. Something else that was strange was two different heated seat controls: the driver’s is a notched wheel with the movements up and down for on or off. Yet for the front passenger, the directions for the same functions are forwards or backwards. Why?
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By GlobalDataI have no complaints about the interior materials which are so much better than those used in Renaults of even 2-3 years ago. The top half of the dashboard is covered in grainy, soft to the touch plastic, while tougher (but not too hard) stuff is used for the lower parts and door coverings. There is an enormous amount of headroom and the test vehicle’s optional Bose sound system was excellent. This also means Bose badges on the speakers and front wings. Legroom front and rear is generous, and at 555 cubic litres, the boot is as large as you could possibly need it to be, but take the rear seats out and you’ve an 1,870-litre empty space. As the XMOD comes only in standard wheelbase form, there’s no seven-seater variants.
It’s a small niche in which this model competes, with the CrossTouran the only other true direct rival but even though the current generation J95 series Scénic will soon be celebrating its fifth birthday, that still makes it less than half the Volkswagen’s age.
Looking ahead, the XMOD, Scénic and Grand Scénic are now likely to have only minor adjustments to keep them fresh until the expected arrival of new models in 2016 (Scénic codename: JFA; Grand: RFA). These will again be manufactured in France at the Georges Besse plant in Douai. Job 1 for the Scénic is said to be February 2016, with RFA due to come down the same line from April 2016.
The new Scénic and its variants will be preceded by the next generation of the Laguna (LFD sedan & KFD estate) and (JFC) Espace, each of which will also be built at Georges Besse – late 2014/early 2015 is what I am hearing. Renault UK told just-auto.com last September that we won’t be getting either the Laguna or Espace here. All of these models will share the Renault-Alliance’s new CMF architecture, and if you’re wondering about how the next Scenic series might look, some big clues were no doubt given by the R-Space concept.
Returning to the current XMOD, until I drove it, I had to think hard about who Renault’s product planners had in mind when they requested the development of this project. But after spending a lot of time in it, I now see just strong its appeal is. Just as the Citroen DS3 is often bought by those who find themselves turned off the Mini Cooper’s omnipresence, the insanely successful Qashqai has no doubt been driving many towards investigating alternatives in recent months. The arrival of the larger, pricier new Qashqai might even just give the XMOD a further and in my opinion, deserved sales boost.
