Renault Grand Modus

NEW CAR ROAD TEST
RENAULT GRAND MODUS RANGE
A GRAND IN THE HAND
By Andy Enright
With an extra 16cm of length over its originator, the Grand Modus will appeal to those who need a compact car but have kids that have gone beyond the toddler stage. As we have come to take for granted from Renault, the Grand Modus features an excellent range of engines and safety provision.

It's surprising what the extra 93mm in the Grand Modus' wheelbase does to the ride quality. More in this case is less: on typically rutted city streets the longer car feels less nervous and there's less of an abrupt jolt when negotiating speed humps. There's a wide range of engine choices, the Grand range doing without the Modus' entry level diesel powerplant and instead getting the punchier 86 and 106bhp 1.5-litre dCi units. The petrol engines comprise two 1.2-litre units: a 75bhp 1.2-litre and a 100bhp 1.2-litre turbo and a 111bhp 1.6-litre VVT powerplant that's twinned with an automatic gearbox. The 5-speed manual gearbox most will choose is taken from the Megane II, with gear ratios adapted to the Modus, but there's an optional Quickshift5 clutchless set-up for the dCi86. Renault has worked hard to ensure low noise levels and the Modus features a significant amount of noise insulation material.

Normally the diesel engines would get the nod in a car of this type, but such is the excellence of the 1.2-litre Turbo Control Efficiency (TCE) engine that this is the powerplant I'd look to first. It's strong enough to punt the Grand Modus to 60mph in 11.1 seconds on the way to a maximum of 113mph.
As well as the additional 16cm of overall length, the Grand Modus can accommodate up to 410 litres of luggage. There's also a clever sliding rear seat that Renault dubs the 'Triptic' and it features a folding centre section. With a sliding range of 170mm, the rear of the car can be optimised for passengers, luggage or a compromise between the two. In two seat configuration, it can be set to any one of four positions, whilst in three-seat mode, two positions are available. It can also be folded down to form a completely flat floor area.

The interior is exceptionally airy, the huge amount of glass up top and the low waistline brightening the cabin. The driving position feels more like a mini-MPV than a conventional hatch and the centrally mounted instrument panel allows the designers to make a feature of the smooth sweep of the fascia, again giving a clean, minimalist look. The novelties don't stop there either. The rear hatch can open much like a conventional hatchback (that is, hinged at the top) or the lower section opens using hinges at the bottom, thus making it easy to access the luggage bay in cramped conditions.
Prices start at £10,250, rising to £13,400. Once you've got a handle on the engine choices available, the Grand Modus range is fairly easy to grasp. There are two trim levels. Expression is the entry-level and includes the less powerful diesel and petrol powerplants where Dynamique includes the punchier engines and leaves off the more economy-biased ones.

FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Grand Modus range
PRICES: £10,250-£13,400 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 120-179g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.2 TCE 100] 0-60mph 11.1s / Max Speed 114mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2 TCE 100] (urban) 37.1mpg / (extra urban) 56.4mpg / (combined) 47.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front/side airbags, ABS, brakeforce distribution, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length/Width/Height: 3952/1960/1589mm
WHO TO SEE:
April 20th 2008