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Renault has formally confirmed that the following era of the Espace is ready to debut this spring, morphing right into a hybrid SUV. What as soon as was a pioneer within the minivan phase will now sit on the prime of Renault’s SUV vary, closely primarily based on the Austral and including a alternative between five-seater and seven-seater configurations.

When it comes to exterior design, Renault has solely proven us a small portion of the tailgate within the official teaser however this was greater than sufficient to disclose the extent of similarities with the smaller Austral. In spite of everything, earlier spy photographs confirmed that the 2 SUVs will share a big portion of their bodywork, together with your entire entrance finish, the LED lighting models, the surfacing, and most of their greenhouse.

If the connection between the Renault Austral and the Espace reminds you of the rival Peugeot 3008 and 5008 SUVs, be aware that each one 4 fashions have been designed underneath the path of Gilles Vidal, who jumped from Peugeot to Renault in late 2020. Based mostly on the camouflaged prototypes, our associates created a rendering that precisely depicts the profile of the brand new Espace. Likelihood is that Renault may even supply a range-topping Alpine trim with sportier appears to be like and high-tech options.

Learn: Renault’s Alpine Sports activities Automotive Model Is Working On Two Electrical SUVs For The USA

The most recent stories from France counsel that the brand new Renault Espace shall be 200 mm (7.9 inches) longer than the Austral, with 70 mm (2.8 inches) added on the wheelbase and 130 mm (5.1 inches) on the rear overhang. If these numbers are legit, then the sixth-gen Espace will measure 4,710 mm (185.4 inches) lengthy, which makes it precisely so long as the mechanically-related Mitsubishi Outlander, however a full 168 mm (6.6) inches shorter in comparison with the fifth-gen Espace.

Regardless of the smaller footprint, the cabin will nonetheless be fairly roomy, satisfying the wants of bigger households. Renault has additionally confirmed that the Espace shall be provided in five-seater and seven-seater variants, not like the Austral which doesn’t get greater than two rows of seats. The five-seater Espace shall be for individuals who prioritize boot area, providing extra baggage capability than the five hundred liters (17.7 cubic toes) of its smaller sibling and fairly presumably elevated legroom for the rear passengers due to the stretched wheelbase.

As for the seven-seater Espace, it will permit households with greater than three youngsters to take all of them for a journey due to a set of additional seats on the again that may have the ability to fold when not in use. Under you possibly can see a rendering of the cabin format, displaying what to anticipate from the Frech SUV.

As depicted on the rendering, the dashboard of the Espace shall be carried over from the Austral. This implies it’ll get the OpenR cockpit with a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 9.3-inch head-up show. Nonetheless, in an effort to differentiate the Espace, Renault designers might combine extra storage options across the cabin, as a homage to its minivan heritage.

Acquainted Underpinnings, Electrified Powertrains

Like most ICE-powered fashions from the Renault Group within the C and D segments, the brand new Espace shall be primarily based on the tried-and-tested CMF-CD structure. The platform additionally underpinned the earlier era of the Espace (2015-2022), however it has been upgraded by way of chassis setup and suitable powertrains as confirmed by newer fashions. The SUV might inherit four-wheel steering and multi-link rear suspension from the high-end trims of the Austral, benefiting its journey and dealing with credentials.

Renault hasn’t revealed something concerning the powertrains of the brand new Espace, however as famous by our colleagues in L’Argus, the gold-finished “E” on the title suggests will probably be an electrified providing. A protected guess is that the Espace vary will mirror the Austral. The latter is out there with a 1.3-liter 12V mild-hybrid producing both 138 hp (103 kW / 140 PS) or 158 hp (118 kW / 160 PS), with a 1.2-liter 48V mild-hybrid producing 129 hp (96 kW / 130 PS), and with a 1.2-liter full hybrid producing a mixed 197 hp (147 kW / 200 PS).

We are going to be taught extra concerning the new Espace very quickly, as Renault has confirmed a spring 2023 debut, and French media report it’ll break cowl in March. The SUV won’t solely exchange the outgoing fifth-gen Espace (2015-2022) that may quickly exit of manufacturing, but additionally the second-gen Koleos (2016-2022) whose gross sales by no means took off. Rivals within the D-SUV phase will embody the Peugeot 5008, Skoda Kodiaq, VW Tiguan Allspace, Nissan X-Path, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4.