When
Chrysler was still selling a van-like people carrier in USA, in the
other
side of the Atlantic Renault launched its revolutionary MPV called
"Espace"
in 1984, which was widely regarded as the pioneer of today's MPV. The
original
Espace was built by a company called Matra under the contract from
Renault,
so was the second generation which was introduced in 1990. Between 1984
and 1994, Espace was the only MPV produced in Europe, so it nearly
monopoly
the highly-profitable market. As Peugeot 806 and VW Sharan eventually
stepped
in, the pioneer has to restore its lead by launching the third
generation
of Espace.
With the experience in this market, Renault knows customers' needs very well - the most important elements are comforts, versatility and fun. Therefore the new Espace comes a step forward than any other MPV in the cabin, in which you can find all seats are mounted on rails such that they can be moved arbitarily. Besides, the seats in the first 2 rows have a foldable table attached at their back ; the front seats can be rotated by 180 degrees to form a conference room accompany with the second row ; All seats are removable so that luggage of any size can be stored ( and the seats are light ). Moreover, lots of storage for tiny things, twin sun roof, sedan-like driving position, tasteful textile trimming and advance-looking dashboard make it a lot more attractive than any other MPVs.
In dynamic aspect, Espace is not as fast as Opel Sintra, nor handles as brilliant as VW Sharan, but it is by no means bulky. On the other hand, it offers class-leading supple ride, which is very important to MPV.