Scenic beauty

Aspiring off-roaders who spend most of their time on the tarseal will be queuing for Renault's Scenic RX4, says DAVID LINKLATER.

It is usual for makers of mini-MPVs to say they have invented a new genre of vehicle. But Renault has a stronger case than most with the Scenic RX4.

This seamless blend of off-roader and mini people-carrier will arrive in New Zealand in the middle of the year.

The base material was pretty good to start with. The French company pioneered the mini-MPV concept with the versatile and attractive Megane-based Scenic in 1996.

The newcomer retains the basic body shape and family-friendly interior features of the two-wheel-drive original, such as the three individually mounted rear seats and 110 litres of hidden cabin storage space, but adds an aggressive styling package and full-time four-wheel-drive.

Renault chose the sparse, sun-drenched landscape of Morocco to launch the RX4. The test route wound its way through farmland near Marrakesh, occasionally straying off the beaten track to traverse gullies and sledge through sand. The RX4 emerged as a vehicle which shrugs off surprisingly rough conditions in supreme comfort, but without offering the no-compromise mountain-climbing ability of heavy-duty four-wheel-drives.

That's exactly the idea. With this car, Renault is aiming at the RAV4 and CR-V set, offering maximum on-road comfort with an acceptable degree of off-road ability.

Like Toyota and Honda, Renault realises that buyers of smaller off-roaders spend more than 80 per cent of their time on the smooth stuff.

The RX4 is 226mm longer, 66mm wider and 120mm higher than its conventional Scenic siblings. An extra 90mm of ground clearance has boosted the total to a useful 210mm.

But the RX4 is more than merely a jacked-up Scenic. The 102kW, 190Nm, two-litre petrol engine is shared with the highest-specification front-drive model, but it drives through a modified five-speed manual gearbox to a permanent four-wheel-drive system designed by Austrian specialist Steyr Daimler Puch. The viscous coupling allows the front-to-rear drive split to vary automatically for the available grip.

An electronic traction control system also operates on the front wheels, and the brakes incorporate antilock on all four discs and electronic proportioning at the rear.

Structural modifications have been made to accommodate the four-wheel-drive system. To preserve the Scenic's flat floor, the engine subframe was lowered by 73mm to make room for the propeller shaft.

For the rear, a new subframe was designed, which meant modifying the floor and removing the spare-wheel well in the luggage compartment. The spare is now mounted on the tailgate in true four-wheel-drive fashion.

It's a pleasing dynamic package both on and off the road. The steering is not quite as crisp as the two-wheel-drive model and understeer sets in earlier. But these foibles are far from intrusive, and the RX4 has much of the supple ride and soft-but-steadfast suspension of conventional Scenics.

Off-road, the generous ground clearance is a liberating factor. The two-litre engine works well with the relatively low second gear on steep uphill stretches, although there is wide gap to third which is particularly evident on the open road.

There are no immediate plans for an automatic transmission and no low range for the manual, although extra pulling power will be available from Renault's new 1.9-litre common-rail diesel engine next year.

Because of the extra frontal area and a 170kg weight increase, Renault estimates that RX4 fuel consumption will be about 1.5l/100km higher than the standard Scenic 2l.

The Scenic RX4 will be sold in two versions in New Zealand, with prices starting at $39,995. Standard equipment includes four airbags, air-conditioning with centre-console mini-fridge, trip computer, and six-speaker stereo.

A high-specification pack, which will cost about $5000, adds perforated leather seat trim, climate control for the air-conditioning, different alloy wheels and a cover for the rear-mounted spare wheel.

New Zealand will be one of the first right-hand-drive markets to get the RX4.

Importer Motorcorp Holdings are expecting a mere 17 vehicles in their first shipment but plans to boost the numbers to 100 over the following 12 months.