Launched in 1984 and with over 870,000 vehicles produced to date, the first three generations of Renault’s Espace were the European leaders in the MPV segment. The latest version is intended to maintain the car’s position, but at an even higher level of sales.

Espace IV has inherited the expertise displayed in Vel Satis and the target sales are 450,000 units. Espace alone accounts for 5.1% of the E segment (1,159,271 units sold in 2001) in Western Europe, all brands and body types combined. With 59,322 vehicles registered last year, it confirmed its lead by taking 18.5% of the E-segment MPV market. In 2003, the first full year of sales, Renault is aiming for 20% of the European top-range MPV segment. Espace customers previously owned another Espace, and MPVs' share of the European E segment increased from 16% in 1995 to 27.7% in 2001.

Espace IV is at the core of Renault's new visual identity. Its cabin has an elegant and sober design, and the rear of the vehicle was designed to offer greater comfort to passengers in the back row of seats. They will have more elbow room and greatly improved headroom.

In line with the previous generation of the vehicle, Renault is offering two versions: Espace IV and Grand Espace IV. Grand Espace IV is 20 centimetres longer, providing more space inside the cabin, a 456-litre boot in the seven-seater version and over 3,000 litres in the two-seater configuration.

Air conditioning is customized. Adjustable air outlets are fitted in the top of the cabin for every row of seats, directing the flow of air upwards or downwards. In addition to air conditioning adjusted by separate controls on either side of the front doors, ventilation speed can be set from controls in the rear door panels in the second and third row of seats.

Access to the third row of seats has been improved by making the opening 30% wider. On board Espace IV, all the occupants have their own personal stowage space, including those in the third row. A second stowage bin has been added to the dashboard on the passenger side, as well as two new pockets in the top of the dashboard.

Espace IV offers the biggest glass sunroof currently on the market, with a surface area of 2.16 square metres, and the car totals 25% more glazed surface and remains the most generous in the segment at 7.42 square metres.

Espace IV has the same front suspension system as Laguna and Vel Satis, offering better control of drifting on bends than the system fitted to Espace III, plus a brand new rear suspension system. The tendency to understeer sometimes found in MPVs is reduced and the car responds much more directly to driver input. With 16-inch, 17-inch or even 18-inch wheels, Espace IV is equipped with Emergency Brake Assist and ESP with understeer control logic. By simultaneously braking on two wheels and reducing engine torque, the system puts the vehicle back on course.

Whatever the version, Espace IV provides the same level of safety for all occupants. Eight airbags are fitted to the vehicle, including chest airbags in the second row – a first in the MPV segment. A dual pretensioner system (over the shoulder and across the pelvis), already fitted to the driver's seat, is now used in the front passenger seat as well. In the event of an impact, it prevents the occupant from hitting the dashboard. The rear seats, which have three-point seat-mounted safety belts, are also fitted with an anti-submarining bar.

Like Laguna and Vel Satis, Espace IV has Emergency Brake Assist fitted in addition to ABS, to help reduce stopping distances. Another safety feature is the tyre pressure monitoring system which can detect slow punctures. Six engines, including two petrol or diesel V6s

Espace IV is available with six different engines, and is the only MPV to offer a choice of two 6-cylinder engines. The 3.5 V6 24V petrol unit, which develops 245bhp and torque of 330Nm at 3,600rpm, is the most powerful in the segment. The 3.0 dCi diesel engine, with a generous 180bhp (a 165bhp version is also available in Belgium) and torque of 350Nm from 1,800rpm, is also unmatched in the category.

Two turbocharged diesel engines, 2.2 dCi 16V with common-rail direct injection (providing 150bhp at 4,000rpm and torque of 320Nm at 1,750rpm) and 2.0 16V (torque of 250Nm from 2,000 to 4,250rpm, with 165bhp at 5,000rpm) are particularly flexible and powerful, taking the Espace IV range further upmarket. Two other 4-cylinder engines, a 2.0 16V petrol unit (140bhp and torque of 191Nm from 3,750rpm) and a 1.9 dCi (117 or 120bhp, depending on the country, and torque of 270Nm from 1,750 to 2,750rpm), round out the range, which is the biggest in the segment.

Moreover, two types of transmission are available, depending on the engine: either a six-speed manual gearbox or five-speed Proactive automatic transmission with flickshift control.

Strongly influenced by Vel Satis, Espace IV also incorporates technologies used in the top of the range in some original features such as the automatic parking brake. Espace IV has xenon headlamps that operate on both full and dipped beam to provide even more powerful high-tech lighting. Other equipment includes the intelligent Carminat navigation system with foldaway screen, parking proximity sensor, rain and light sensors and the fuel filler flap with built-in cap.