1998 Renault Grand Espace 2.2L dCi 5MT FWD (130 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Renault introduced the third generation of its flagship MPV, the Espace, in 1996, and in 1998, it unveiled the longer version of it, also known as the Grand Espace.

The third generation of this minivan was a revolutionary vehicle compared to its predecessors since it started to attack the VIP market. Moreover, it was already a benchmark in its segment, beating most of its competitors in terms of sales. Also, thanks to this “Grand” version, it could provide room for comfortably sitting seven passengers.

Penned during the bio-design era, the Grand Espace sported organic shapes. Its shaved edges and curved lines made it look friendly to its customers while still providing the necessary requirements to be a spacious vehicle. Unlike its regular Espace sibling, this version sported a longer wheelbase. This led to longer side windows behind the rear doors and wider pillars at the back.

Inside, it provided ample leg- and headroom for all passengers, even in the seven-seat version. The high-mounted front seats featured individual armrests. With its instrument panel placed in the middle of the dashboard, close to the windshield, there was no way that other occupants couldn’t clearly read the speedometer. That was displayed with amber numbers on an LCD. In the middle row, there were three individual seats that could’ve been folded, moved, or reclined. Last but not least, there was room for two additional seats in the back.

Under the hood, Renault installed a choice of gasoline or turbo-diesel engines, ranging from a mundane 98 PS (97 hp) to a healthy 194 PS (188 hp) provided by a 3.0-liter V6.