Scenic II is a visual paradox. It looks smaller than the predecessor version, but put them side by side and you see that the opposite is true.

And sit inside and feel the width. There's certainly more of it. More than ample of it too. Illustrated by the magnificent deep and wide storage box that lives between the two front seats.

Let us step back outside for a moment and consider the shape. In the Scenic II execution of the current Megane styling theme, perhaps it is the best of the range.

Some consider the brave rear end of the hatchback car to be too much. It is not a view I share. But the less revolutionary back of the Scenic II still retains enough of Patric Le Quement's original style theme to be distinctive.

It is also very practically executed, Its straight-up design adding to the excellent boot space and to rear-view vision which makes this one of the easier large vehicles around to parallel park in tight situations.

If you are into MPVs, you'll also appreciate how close the overall look is to the full-size sibling Espace, perhaps the most respected of the genre in European terms.

I have written before about the sense of solidity in this new generation Scenic, and those initial impressions still stand. Both in the substance of the trim and fittings, and in the structural substantiality evident in such matters as the thunk of closing doors.

The car under this discussion was the top-of-the-line in comfort specification terms, with leather-faced seats, full climate control and automatic lights and wipers. It also had Renault's automatic parking brake, which sets itself when you switch off the engine and releases itself when you drive away.

Standard, of course, is the high-set seating which, along with the large windows, gives the occupants a view of countryside beyond the hedges which isn't available in a normal car.

Scenic II is a 5-seater, like its predecessor, though a 7-seat Grand Scenic will be with us in the spring. The 5-seat has all the inside space needed for all passengers and it is not in any way a compromise.

The new generation Scenic's instrumentation is very 21st century, digital, centre of dash biased. It reminds the operator of anything that needs to be done by little messages, such as the 'press clutch or brake and push start button' that comes up after the Renault 'card' key is inserted in its slot.

And, reassuringly, it tells you that the parking brake HAS engaged/disengaged, as may be relevant.

Which seems as good a time as any to gripe. That brake can be operated manually by means of a hand-pull to the right of the steering wheel. This important for hill starts, or maneuvering on a sloping driveway, as I had to do.

And it is bloody awkward to manage in some such situations. The straightforward hill-start is OK, because it disengages automatically. But in to-ing and fro-ing on that said driveway, it proved a real pain because of the tendency to roll back until the long-travel clutch caught.

I've come to the conclusion that any car with automatic brakes should either have an automatic transmission or the kind of anti-rollback clutch feature that Subaru offers on some models.

The other thing I'd like (and maybe it IS in the Renault's system, but I didn't find it) is some way of by-passing the instrument dimming that happens when you switch on the lights. Again, in our dark day winters, I like to drive with headlights on in daytime. But this is often at the expense of adequately-lit instruments.

Anyway, back to the Scenic II in general. It is an easy car to drive, a nice precise gearshift sprouting from the dashboard. Good direct steering. Controls and switches generally well placed and easily used.

And going back to what I said about it being in reality quite big, it nevertheless drives with the ease of a car. Easier than some, even, because of the good driving position that can be achieved by any size of driver.

I've driven various versions, including the 1.9-litre diesel. This was a first venture in the 115bhp 1.6 petrol, and in general terms I found it good. The gearing choice appears to make it quite nippy at lower road speeds. But it lacks the overtaking punch available with the diesel, certainly at higher overtaking speeds. Not to any uncomfortable point, just something to be aware of.

Besides, with a whopping 300 Nm of torque, the 1.9 dCi does rather spoil us.

Your own choice of engine should reflect your needs. The diesel (there's a 1.5-litre dCi available too) for if you do a lot of long-distance work, the petrol if your lifestyle is mainly suburban school running and weekend leisure.

Other thoughts: In acoustic terms, Scenic II's designers have not just halved the interior noise levels against the outgoing car, but they have also achieved exterior noise levels that are half the requirements under current EU vehicle noise standards.

It is also, by virtue of getting five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test programme, it is decreed to be the safest compact MPV available.

Scenic led the field in this genre when it was first launched in 1996. In a much expanded contest, it still has the capacity to be the front runner.