Renault Espace returns as extended, seven-seat Austral

The Renault Espace has returned as an extended version of the new Austral SUV, offering a more spacious interior that's available with five or seven seats.

The extra interior room is thanks to a raised and stretched rear deck, with the Espace measuring in at 4.72 metres long – 0.21m more than the Austral.

In five-seat configuration, this gives the Espace 777 litres of boot space. With the third row of seats in place and upright, this shrinks to 159 litres – smaller than the seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq’s 270 litres. With the third row folded down, 677 litres of space is available.

Powering the new Espace is the 197bhp hybrid powertrain from the Austral, with a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a small battery. This yields fuel efficiency of 61.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 104g/km, matching its capabilities in the smaller car.

Cheaper (but less powerful) mild-hybrid engines – producing 138bhp and 157bhp in the Austral – are also expected to be available in the Espace.

Inside, the Espace exhibits the same upmarket design as the Austral, featuring Renault’s OpenR display, comprising a 12.3in digital instrument panel and a 12.0in infotainment touchscreen.

A panoramic sunroof – claimed to be one of the largest on the market, covering an area greater than a square metre – is also available.

Esprit Alpine (‘spirit of Alpine’) trim brings details inspired by Renault's sporting brand, including satin-grey paint with contrasting black details and Alpine-badged alloy wheels. The Alcantara-upholstered seats from the Austral Esprit Alpine are also likely to be included as part of the package.

The Espace is likely to be priced at a slight premium compared with the Austral, which starts at €34,000 (£30,000) in entry-level Equilibre trim.

However, it won't be coming to the UK, leaving the smaller crossover at the top of the French brand’s ICE range when it arrives later this year.