The new machine draws...

The new machine draws its styling inspiration from the Zoe concept, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. It"s also tipped to be influenced by the Egeus (issue 870), which will be revealed at the Frankfurt exhibition next week.

The most significant design changes over the current Scenic are made to the nose, which features larger and more distinctive lamps. The rear is also revamped, with tinted light clusters and a revised rear bumper.

Renault hopes to keep its popular people carrier ahead of fresh-faced rivals such as Vauxhall"s Zafira and the Mazda 5. As with the current line-up, the standard Scenic will boast a versatile interior for five passengers, while a stretched Grand edition provides seating for seven. Both cabins will have individually adjustable, fold-flat chairs, allowing drivers to tailor the seating layout to their own needs.

Standard equipment will be generous - as well as air-conditioning, multiple sunroofs and electric windows, the new Renault will offer a DVD-based satellite-navigation system which has been developed by sister firm Nissan. A predicted five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating will also give peace of mind, with three-point seatbelts for every occupant plus head, side and front airbags. Renault"s engineers will also take the opportunity to make some tweaks to the chassis and suspension set-up. While the existing model is already a comfortable long-distance cruiser, the firm"s experts will be keen to add some excitement to the driving experience with more dynamic handling.

However, anyone wanting to benefit from these improvements will have to wait. According to company insiders, the fresh-faced variant won"t appear for another 18 months, as bosses are confident that the current model still holds plenty of showroom appeal.

If you can"t wait for the newcomer, Renault will be launching revised versions of its current Scenic dCi diesel over the next couple of months. These will have improved emissions without compromising their performance.