RENAULT

Renault Scenic: a unique project

25 years ago, the first machines on the Renault do Brasil production line were put into operation to start the history of the Ayrton Senna Industrial Complex and the local manufacture of one of the most emblematic vehicles of the brand in the country: the Megane Scenic. Launched on the market in March 1999, the first minivan produced in series in the country inaugurated a segment of great success, bringing several technological innovations and use of space, being a versatile recipe for families.

Success was immediate, with the sale of 33,000 units in its first year of launch. Over its 12 years in the local market, more than 142,000 units have been sold, in different versions and configurations, including a Sportway version, with a more adventurous appeal. In the world, where it was produced for 26 years, between 1996 and 2022, passing through four different generations, the Scenic surpassed five million units sold.

“The Scenic was the first national MPV and opened the door to an unprecedented segment in the market, combining ample space for the whole family, an unprecedented interior modularity, safety and versatility, positioning Renault, right at the beginning of its local production, as a innovative brand that brought solutions designed for its consumers”, explains Ricardo Gondo, president of Renault do Brasil.

A unique project... The Scenic brought a series of innovations for its time: due to its design that allowed ample space, it had three individual rear seats and a small aviation table on the back of the front seats, which allowed ample comfort for all passengers. occupants. The trunk had 410 liters.

This proposal to favor the occupants was the north for the designers of the interior of the project, from the team of Louis Morasse: each passenger would have the right to his own seat, the luminosity was fundamental, the higher driving position, to see the track, and everything was made for the onboard experience. So much so that it was defined which vehicle would be drawn first on the inside and then on the outside. Interior engineering was born.

The exterior lines of the Scenic are in line with the spirit of the time, with ellipses, rounded and smooth shapes. Kinship with Megane was cultivated. “With the Scenic, all passengers had priority. At the Scenic, nobody was punished for sitting in the back seat”, explains Louis Morasse.

In Brazil, initially, the Scenic minivan hit the market in the RXE version with the 2.0 liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine and 8 valves, capable of developing 115 hp, at 5,400 rpm, and 172 Nm of torque, at 4,250 rpm, with transmission 5-speed manual. Soon after its launch, the RT version was also offered, 1.6 16V (110 hp and 148 Nm). Over the years, the model has undergone several changes, including a restyling in 2001, as well as receiving flex engine, automatic transmission option, in addition to the 140 hp 2.0 16V engine.

Production in Brazil, started in 1998, also brought unprecedented solutions, never adopted in the Renault Group factories. “Scenic not only created an unprecedented segment in the market, but also innovated in its production processes. The model manufactured in Brazil was the first Renault vehicle in the world to use the water-based painting process, a technology recognized for lower waste generation and which is currently widely used by the industry and by all Renault vehicles produced in the country. ”, explains Vagner Mansan, director of the Renault do Brasil vehicle factories, and one of the professionals who were at Renault at the start of manufacturing the Scenic in Brazil.

Autonews