Not since the Citroën XM of 1990 had a car won the European Car of the Year award by such a comfortable margin. An impressive 112 points separated the Mégane Scénic from the Ford Ka, as Renault’s innovative and hugely underappreciated ‘Multi Activity Car’ (MAC?) romped home to victory in 1997.
ECoTY isn’t always a reliable bellwether of quality – Escort beating Panda in 1981, Fiat Multipla finishing second in 2000 and Renault 9 scooping the top prize in 1982 are just three notable headscratchers – but the Mégane Scénic deserved its gong. Even more impressive when you consider the strength of the opposition; the brilliant Ford could have been Ka of the Year.
Unveiled at the 1996 Paris motor show, the Mégane Scénic was the world’s first compact MPV. It was also the sixth iteration of the Renault Mégane, following the five-door hatchback, four-door saloon, cabriolet, coupé and estate. It simultaneously showcased the versatility of a five-door MPV as well as the flexibility of the Mégane platform – not bad for a car based on the ageing Renault 19.
Taking inspiration from the eponymous concept of 1991 (the Mégane part of the name was dropped in 1999), the Scénic caught other manufacturers off guard. Renault’s design team, under the stewardship of Patrick le Quément, recognised a growing trend of function over form and practicality over panache. ‘The scintillating Scénic is radical and trailblazing, yet totally practical and utterly logical. There’s never been a car which fits so perfectly, so sociably with a busy, active life,’ was Renault’s claim. ‘Scintillating’ was a stretch, but ‘trailblazing’ and ‘practical’ are caps it can wear with pride. A false floor to create a raised seating area and underfloor storage, three independent and removable rear seats, flip-up tables, and a rear parcel shelf with a choice of heights were just some of the ‘utterly logical’ highlights. There were so many cubby holes and lidded compartments, you might have required the help of Tony Robinson and his Time Team pals to discover where you put the Little Chef travel map and Lighthouse Family cassette. A spirited drive along “Ocean Drive” was probably out of the question, but the clever packaging and monobox design, ahem, “Lifted” the Mégane Scenic above mere hatchbacks and small estates. It’s the supersize Twingo we never got, albeit without the friendly face and cute styling.
A facelift in 1999 robbed the car of its already limited character, although the addition of the 2.0-litre 16-valve engine from the Laguna and Espace endowed it with the pace to outrun a Golf GTI. Probably best to test this theory before loading up with milkshakes at the drive-thru.
Then along came the rugged Scénic RX4, complete with raised ground clearance, reinforced suspension, four-wheel drive and body armour for those particularly perilous school run tussles. An indication, perhaps, that Renault foresaw the demise of the compact MPV and the dawn of the crossover.
The Mégane Scénic’s fall from grace was as sudden as its arrival. It’s not that sales were sluggish, far from it, but the combination of steep depreciation and the disposal nature of a French family car resulted in a sharp decline in fortunes. A passport to banger territory was inevitable, and it wasn’t long before the Mégane Scénic was gracing the kind of used car lots where cash is preferred, mate, and warranties aren’t worth the napkins they’re written on. Direct any complaints to the Dobermann in the yard. The Scénic could look forward to a date with the kind of clientele for whom maintenance is an inconvenience and repairs can be left until tomorrow, innit?
It’s why there are precious few pre-facelift examples left in the UK. This alone doesn’t make the Mégane Scénic a classic, but there are other reasons why the Renault deserves its place in the sun. A genuine trailblazer, it inspired countless imitations, most notably the Citroën Xsara Picasso and Fiat Multipla; it was genuinely brilliant at what it set out to achieve; and it touched the lives of more people than many of the cars featured in this issue of the mag. It’s your right to view the Scénic with disdain or ambivalence, but don’t be too quick to take a knife to this MAC.
This article first appeared in issue 5 of Classic.Retro.Modern. magazine.