Review Renault Espace: What do owners and experts really say?

The sixth-generation Renault Espace marks a decisive transition for the long-standing nameplate, shifting from a traditional multi-purpose vehicle into the mid-size crossover segment. Built on the Alliance CMF-CD platform, this generation celebrated its world premiere on 28 March 2023, with first European customer deliveries starting on 07 July 2023. Available in both five-seat and seven-seat configurations, the Renault Espace SUV targets drivers seeking practical passenger space alongside standard petrol-electric propulsion.

A mid-cycle facelift premiered on 20 March 2025, introducing a redesigned front fascia, updated exterior lighting, revised seating, and an optional electrochromic glass roof. A revised powertrain calibration followed on 16 June 2025, before running equipment and technology updates opened for order on 03 March 2026.

Aimed primarily at families needing modular seating and drivers prioritising passenger comfort, the hybrid Renault Espace combines estate-like cabin versatility with an elevated driving position. This review evaluates the sixth-generation model across the European used market to help buyers decide if its blend of comfort and interior flexibility suits their needs.

Because European customer deliveries of the sixth-generation Renault Espace began in July 2023, fleet data over high mileages remains limited and long-term mechanical durability is not yet fully established. Early owner reports and technical service bulletins primarily concern drivetrain calibration, early infotainment software integration, and factory recall campaigns.

The clutchless multi-mode automatic transmission in the hybrid Renault Espace operates via dog clutches to blend electric drive and combustion power. Tests describe and owners report low-speed hesitation, driveline shudder, and occasional clunks during urban stop-and-go driving when the system alternates between propulsion sources. In some early production models, sensitive sensor thresholds triggered transient instrument warnings advising transmission inspection without mechanical damage. Calibration updates released in June 2025 addressed these shift transitions and warning sensitivities. Additionally, on vehicles built up to December 2024, degradation of the crankcase oil vapour return hose can lead to fuel odours in the cabin, fuel dilution of the engine oil, and premature oil level alerts. Workshops replace the breather assembly and update engine management software to prevent progressive lubrication breakdown.

On early production examples built throughout 2023 and into early 2024, tests describe and owners report intermittent latency on the central touchscreen, including delayed start-up initialization and occasional lag when engaging the reversing camera feed. These glitches have largely been resolved through over-the-air firmware updates and workshop programming. Electronic stability can also suffer if the 12-volt auxiliary battery drops in charge, which can generate false fault alerts across various cabin systems. On vehicles equipped with optional four-wheel steering and larger wheels, tests describe uneven tyre tread wear along the inner and outer shoulders if rear-axle suspension alignment deviates.

Official European registers record two verified safety recall campaigns for this generation:

The seat recall addresses vehicles where the automatic seat-retraction feature could push the front backrest into contact with a rear passenger's legs. The parking brake recall targets an incorrectly angled actuator position sensor that may prevent the mechanical transmission lock pin from seating when selecting park, turning off the vehicle, unfastening the driver seatbelt, or opening the driver door. While the secondary electric parking brake remains functional to immobilise the car, official notices advise owners to have the primary lock inspected and rectified.

The sixth-generation Renault Espace adopts a streamlined mechanical strategy, dispensing with traditional diesel and purely petrol variants entirely. Every example sold across European markets features the same front-wheel-drive petrol-electric full hybrid paired with an automated multi-mode transmission.

Which driving style fits the hybrid?

City driving and daily commuting
Urban traffic is where the hybrid Renault Espace performs most naturally. The powertrain starts under electric power from a complete stop, navigating low-speed stop-and-go congestion smoothly without running the combustion engine continuously. Energy recuperation on deceleration routinely replenishes the battery in town, making the vehicle well suited to suburban errands and daily family runs.

Mixed everyday driving
On regional routes and ring roads, the interplay between the electric traction motor and the turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine remains balanced as long as throttle inputs are progressive. For general family duties combining town and secondary roads, the setup delivers flexible performance.

Long motorway journeys
Long-distance high-speed travel reveals the physical limits of the package. At sustained motorway cruising speeds, the electric drive provides minimal assistance, leaving the compact three-cylinder petrol unit to shoulder the load of the vehicle on its own. While it maintains touring pace steadily, demanding brisk acceleration on uphill gradients forces the combustion engine to rev continuously, which increases noise levels in the passenger compartment. Drivers who regularly cover long motorway distances should note that it lacks the cruising reserves of traditional long-distance tourers.

Towing
For towing tasks, the Renault Espace is limited to lighter duties such as small utility trailers or occasional leisure equipment. The clutchless multi-mode transmission and reliance on a downsized combustion engine mean the vehicle is not engineered for hauling heavy horseboxes or large double-axle caravans over demanding terrain.

For detailed records of software updates, component recalls, and recurring mechanical issues reported by drivers, consult the owner experiences section of this review.

In everyday family use, the Renault Espace relies on a modular rear seating layout to balance passenger space and luggage capacity. The second-row bench slides longitudinally and features adjustable backrest rake, providing ample knee room for tall adults when set fully rearward. Sliding the bench forward expands cargo room while retaining practical seating for smaller passengers. In seven-seat versions, the third row consists of two individual jump seats that stow flush into the boot floor. Professional evaluations consistently note that the rearmost row functions primarily as emergency transport for children, as low cushions and scarce footwell space make adult accommodation uncomfortable on anything beyond short urban trips. Accessing row three involves folding and sliding the second row forward, an operation testers describe as somewhat awkward. Drivers who rarely carry more than four passengers may prefer the five-seat configuration, which yields a noticeably deeper boot compartment without the space compromises of the stowed rear mechanisms.

Professional road tests describe the Renault Espace as a taut crossover rather than a soft family wagon. The suspension prioritises body control and high-speed stability, which translates to a firm edge over urban ruts and transverse ridges. Four-wheel steering, standard on higher trims, sharpens low-speed agility in tight spaces. Testers note, however, that the direct rack can cause nervous responses to minor inputs at speed, with muted road feel around the centre.

Powertrain refinement varies by driving mode. While the hybrid Renault Espace glides quietly under pure electric propulsion, the petrol engine introduces noticeable booming and vibration when cold or recharging under heavy load. Testers also observe that the multi-mode automatic transmission hesitates under sudden acceleration and can hunt between drive ratios.

Inside, the cabin scores well for clear, responsive Google-based infotainment and straightforward physical switchgear. Upper surfaces feature soft-touch materials, though harder plastics line the lower console, and thick pillars obstruct rear visibility. The mid-cycle update brought redesigned front seating and subtle trim refinements, but the underlying ride firmness and gearbox behaviour remain largely unchanged.

All market charts in this section are drawn from Carvago listings of the entire Renault Espace model family, including earlier generations represented in the data, rather than the reviewed generation alone. Because listings are grouped purely by build year, the dataset does not establish a separate price level for the reviewed generation. Across the wider lineup, the median asking price sits at 23000 EUR for 2019 vehicles and reaches 40000 EUR for 2023 examples. For 2026 production, advertised cars command a median asking price of 47500 EUR.

Between April and September 2026, the count of advertised Renault Espace models rose steadily from 1,564 to 1,721, as tracked in the chart below.

With inventory consistently increasing across all six months to reach 1,721 active listings, buyers currently have an expanding pool of vehicles to choose from.

Among used Renault Espace listings advertised today, the median asking price for cars built in 2019 is €23,000, while listings built in 2026 show a median asking price of €47,500.

Buyers focusing on 2020 or 2021 models see median asking prices of €27,000 and €27,900, while newer 2023 listings require a median asking price of €40,000.

The depreciation curve shows how the Renault Espace loses value as it ages, with the car shedding roughly 18% of its initial residual value in the first year alone. By age three, cumulative value loss reaches approximately 34%.

Over the seven-year span, the model loses around 60% of its initial residual value, with the steepest decline occurring in the first year before settling into more moderate annual reductions.

Between April and September 2026, active listings were led primarily by hybrids, which grew from 1124 cars in the initial month to 1307 by the end of the period. The chart below illustrates how advertised inventory broke down across each powertrain over these six months.

In September 2026, hybrid variants accounted for the vast majority of choice with 1307 listings, alongside 345 diesel and 69 petrol cars. Buyers will realistically encounter the widest selection among hybrid models, while petrol options remain comparatively scarce.

The chart below outlines the average asking price for the Renault Espace between April 2026 and September 2026, opening at €34,100.

Over the six-month period, the average asking price moved from €34,100 in April to €34,700 in September, with a peak of €34,800 in August. This net shift of under two percent represents very little movement relative to the vehicle's asking price.

Sources: media.renault.com, adac.de, ec.europa.eu, greenncap.com, autobild.de

This article was prepared using artificial intelligence tools. The section guarantor is Petr Dušek.