Same name, new style: 2023 Renault Espace returns as Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4-sized SUV, ditching people mover past

Renault's Euro-centric people mover has undergone a metamorphosis, taking on the shape of a mid-large SUV and following the global shift to high-riding wagons.

The 2023 Renault Espace, now in its sixth generation, is now a five- or seven-seat SUV, sized up about the same as the Nissan X-Trail with which it shares a platform.

The brand has confirmed a drivetrain for the Espace, a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with hybrid assistance thanks to a 2kWh battery and two electric motors, making 147kW.

The SUV is 4722mm long, 2083mm wide with mirrors, and 1645mm tall, with a 477-litre boot space in the seven-seat version with the third row folded, or 581L in the five-seater with all the seats up.

Like most Renaults, its multimedia screen inside is vertically mounted and measures 12 inches, with a 12.3-inch widescreen instrument panel for the driver.

Renault CEO Fabrice Cambolive explained that the change in body style for the Espace aligns with the brand's attempts to become a more premium offering.

"The All-new Espace is a major vehicle to ensure and confirm our move upmarket," Cambolive said.

"It retains the DNA of the five previous generations, through its top-of-the-range presentation, its comfort, its habitability and its luminosity."

Currently, there's no confirmed plan to produce the Espace in right-hand drive, effectively ruling it out for this market.

However, a spokesperson for Renault Australia told CarsGuide that "should that change, then like every Renault product made in RHD we would consider it for the Australian market."

Renault Australia currently sells the Koleos SUV that competes against the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and mechanically related Nissan X-Trail, but it is expected to be discontinued next year with no replacement in sight, leaving a gap in the French brand's local line-up come 2024.