As SUVs continue to dominate markets with manufacturers lining their portfolios with pumped-up hatches, other segments have been suffering. The sedan is one of the more common to be mentioned but the MPV segment is enduring the same fate. The reputable Renault Scenic has been discontinued with the Grand Scenic to follow suit shortly. 
The Scenic range hasn’t been offered in markets like South Africa for some time now, which could have been a sign of things to come for the French automaker. Both MPV derivatives will no longer be offered in the European market after selling over four generations since 1996 with the novel creation selling almost 3 million examples during its lifecycle.
Unfortunately, none of its successors managed to garner the same sales figures and management at the top has finally decided to pull the cord after just 20,678 sales last year. The reputable Renault Scenic is no longer an offering for sale but the three-row Grand Scenic derivative still is, albeit for the next few months only.
This means that the Scenic will join the brand’s flagship sedan; the Talisman, in its quiet exit from the market. The larger and more luxurious Espace is expected to be cut from the range in the same fashion although no confirmation on this has been provided by Renault.
The venerable model was cut from our market a few years ago to align with the strategy centred around a cost cutting plan that focuses on co-developed crossover and SUV models in conjunction with Nissan and Mitsubishi.
Renault isn’t the first manufacturer to remove long-running MPV nameplates from its portfolio. The Volkswagen Sharan, which managed success for the Wolfsburg brand locally was given the axe in 2020 with Citroens Grand C4, better known as the Picasso locally, was pulled from the French rivals range recently.
