From Towcar Awards 2008

List price: £19,555 (when tested)
Kerbweight: 1540kg
85% Match: cannot tow 85%
Max towing weight: 1300kg
Towball limit: 75kg

DRIVEN SOLO, the Grand Scénic is very comfortable. Unfortunately, that doesn’t translate into a great tow.

At 60mph, the Renault tracked true, but through the lane-change test the steering and heavy body roll weren’t impressive. The caravan lurched around behind, hitting a peak G-force reading of over 0.9.

Minimal wheelspin

Things were better on the hill start, tackled with minimal wheelspin. The electronic parking brake released the car automatically as the clutch reached biting point.

Practicality scores were mixed. With the two rear seats folded, the boot swallowed all the luggage. Points were lost for poor towing advice in the manual and no 12V socket in the boot.

We say

Towing: 3/5
Solo: 4/5
Practicality: 3/5
Buying & owning: 4/5

Verdict: 3/5. A very good MPV, but just an okay towcar.