The Renault Scenic was launched in Europe back in 1996 as a small multi-purpose vehicle, using the same chassis utilized by the Renault Megane which had entered production a year prior. The Scenic received acclaim from markets around the world, winning the European Car of the Year award just a year after its launch. The first models of the vehicle were 5-door hatchbacks and SUVs, replaced by the second-generation hatchbacks and wagons.
The third and fourth generations would introduce the current 5-door compact MPV Grand Scenic. The Scenic officially entered the Australian market in 2001 and withdrew in 2009, while Renault moved on to the production of the third generation.
The First-Generation Scenic (1996-2003)
The first generation of the Scenic was available in Australia from 2001 till the time Renault moved production into the second generation of the Scenic in 2003, although the first generation trims overlapped with the second generation Scenic models up until 2005. As far as design is concerned, the Scenic resembled the Megane in the first few years and was also called the Megane Scenic till 1999.
In 1999, the vehicle received a facelift and shed its Megane roots to be called the Renault Scenic. Renault introduced some significant improvements to build a distinction between the Scenic and Megane, such as a rear window that had the option of opening up separately, and also a storage compartment installed within the dashboard.
Renault released a four-wheel variant called the RX4 and launched the same in Australia.
The following engines were made available in the first generation:
- 1.6L petrol, 5-speed manual gearbox, and 4-speed automatic transmission - 79 kW, 148 Nm
- 2.0L petrol, 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission - 101 kW, 188 Nm
The body styles available to customers in Australia were 5-door hatchback and 5-door SUV.
For the hatchback variant, Renault introduced three trims called Dynamique, Expression, and Privilege. Both the Dynamique and Privilege trims came with a 2.0L petrol engine with the option of either a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic transmission. On the other hand, the Expression had a 1.6L petrol engine tied exclusively to a 5-speed manual gearbox, later upgraded to a 2.0L petrol engine with both options of 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission in 2002.
The SUV variant had four trim levels, including the RX4 Expression, RX4 Expression Verve, RX4 Privilege, and RX4 Privilege Verve. All of these trim levels came with the same engine specifications, i.e. a 2.0L petrol engine with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The Second-Generation Scenic (2003-2009)
The second-generation Renault Scenic came with technologically advanced features and a restyled exterior and interior that gave it a more corporate appeal. It had a keyless immobiliser, called the Renault Card, and some trim levels also contained an automatic parking brake feature. From 2006, all trim levels also started to carry integrated LEDs. The instrument display was also fully modernised with an electroluminescence digital display.
In Australia, the second-generation Scenic overlapped the first generation models between 2003 and 2005.
Renault only offered two 2.0L petrol engines in this generation across six trims in the hatchback variant. The SUV variant was dropped for the Australian market, but a wagon/estate variant was introduced instead, called the Grand Scenic.
In Australia, three of the trims, namely the Dynamique, Expression, and Privilege, were carried over from the previous generation using the same premium unleaded petrol engine that was available in both 5-speed manual gearbox and 4-speed automatic transmission.
However, three new trims were also introduced, called the II Authentique, II Dynamique, and II Expression, all of which came with a 2.0L engine running on regular unleaded petrol that came in either a 4-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The 2.0L premium unleaded petrol engine delivered up to 101 kW of power and 188Nm torque while the 2.0L regular unleaded petrol engine gave 96 kW of power and 191 Nm of torque.
In 2006, Renault also introduced another trim in Australia, called the II Latitude. This one also ran on the same 2.0L regular unleaded petrol engine as the other new trims released a year earlier and was offered in either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic transmission.
The Renault Scenic Wagon, which replaced the SUV, entered the Australian market in 2007 and remained till 2010. It was available in only one trim, the II Dynamique, which was previously sold as a 5-door hatchback. The wagon was a 5-door model that had a 4-speed automatic transmission and delivered 98 kW power with 191 Nm torque.
In 2008, the company dropped all trims from the Scenic model available in Australia except for the II Dynamique trim for the wagon and the II Expression 5-door hatchback. Added to the range was a diesel trim called the II Expression, which had a 1.9L diesel engine capable of delivering 96 kW of power and 250 Nm torque. It only offered a 4-speed automatic transmission. These trims remained in the market until the Scenic ceased to be sold in Australia after 2009.
The Third-Generation Scenic (2009-2016)
Renault launched the third generation of the Scenic by mid-2009, which included a five-seater Grand Scenic and a seven-seater Compact MPV Grand Scenic. A crossover version was also introduced in 2013 by Renault, called the XMOD.
The Fourth-Generation Scenic (2016-present)
Although Renault kept the Scenic as an MPV, the fourth generation includes a lot of crossover elements that give it an appeal of a larger vehicle compared to the previous generations. Also, while models released in the last generation mostly ran on petrol engines, this generation introduced six engines running on diesel while only two used petrol.
The Renault Scenic Wagons were popular as MPVs back in the day due to their spaciousness both for carrying people and for hauling items. If you have retired one that still has some serviceable parts and are thinking of selling it as parts or as an entire car, don't hesitate to contact us at hello@carpart.com.au. We'd be most happy to assist you in selling your car and making it visible to interested buyers all over Australia. Contact us now!