I'm in line for the Nobel Prize for Global Warming. I have a couple of classic cars whose combined CO2 rating would make a 747's carbon footprint seem like that of a glider.
By way of compensation, I have been driving a car whose carbon footprint - expressed per occupant - is just 19 grammes per kilometre. And very comfy and versatile kilometres they are, too. The car in question is the latest edition of the Renault Grand Scenic, powered by a 106 PS, 1.5-litre diesel engine with a CO2 rating of 134 g/km, making it probably the cleanest 7-seater MPV on the market.
Most full-sized MPVs fall into VED Bands J or K, or above, but the Renault falls into Band E, alongside many typical diesel-powered city cars. This is thanks to a combined fuel consumption of 50.4 mpg - the product of an urban figure of 40.9 mpg, and an extra-urban figure in excess of sixty.
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low fuel consumption and a modest Group 6E insurance rating |
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The low carbon footprint of the 106 dCi earns it the Renault eco2 epithet, which is reserved for cars that deliver low levels of environmental impact, both in terms of drivetrain and recyclability. With a low fuel consumption and a modest Group 6E insurance rating, you could argue that the eco2 label has as much to do with economy as ecology.
Despite the lean output, the 240 Nm engine delivers brisk mid-range performance that compensates for the rather tardy 0-62 time of 13.2 seconds. Top speed is a creditable 121 mph. Peak torque is delivered at just 1750 rpm, which enables ample low-speed flexibility and hearty pulling power to cope with a full complement of passengers. And at the legal limit in top (sixth) gear, the engine is turning over at around 2000 rpm, at the heart of the peak-torque envelope, allowing safe overtakes without the need to swap cogs - even when the car is fully laden.
The Grand Scenic is an offshoot of the Megane platform, and in the UK is available only in seven-seat configuration. The regular Scenic satisfies the 5-seater market. In order to accommodate the two extra seats, the Grand Scenic is about 20 centimetres longer, and, car-for-car, roughly £1,300 dearer. It also uses slightly more fuel and has a marginally poorer performance.
I drove the upper-middle Grand Scenic Dynamique, which is listed at £19,095. Pick 'n' mix extras - more of which, later - raised the price to £21,590, and in the process added extra value as well as greater amenity.
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