New Renault Grand Scénic - the 12th model of the Renault range

...to secure a five-star EuroNcap Raging


New Grand Scénic has become the 12th model of the Renault range to secure EuroNCAP's maximum five-star crash-test rating1, despite the stepping up of the severity of the independent body's evaluation criteria (side and rear impact, child and adult protection, pedestrian protection, equipment) at the beginning of 2009.

New Grand Scénic has been engineered to delivery exemplary active and passive safety performance, and features the same equipment package as the rest of the Mégane family:

- twin side impact sensors, an innovation first seen on Laguna III,
- six airbags, including two dual-chamber thorax/groin airbags,
- the Renault System for Restraint and Protection (comprising double pretensioners, load limiters and dual-chamber twin-stage adaptive front airbags),
- new-generation headrests.

It also comes with ABS and emergency brake assist as standard, as well as ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and CSV understeer control, depending on version. Renault's across-the-range approach to safety is founded on the study of real-world accidents and places the priority on developing the most effective technologies when it
comes to preventing accidents from occurring in the first place, taking corrective action and protecting occupants, as well as to enhancing the safety awareness of all road users.

Renault considers actively improving safety to be a priority and stands out as the only carmaker to have obtained the maximum five-star rating on 12 occasions. New Grand Scénic's programmed crumple structure absorbs impact energy with a view to protecting both the cabin's structural integrity and the lives of occupants. The materials it employs – including high, very high and even very, very elastic limit steels – are selected for their ability to absorb energy and dissipate kinetic energy. Controlling deformation in this way reduces the deceleration forces to which occupants are subjected and, combined with the benefits of the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection (SRP3), guarantees a particularly high level of protection.

New Grand Scénic's third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection takes both impact force and occupant build into account. It comprises double front seatbelt pretensioners, 1 Adult: 91% (32.7pts), Child: 76% (37.2pts), Pedestrian: 42% (15.12 pts), Safety Asist: 99% (6.9pts) (which restrict forward movement of the body by holding the strap firmly across the thorax and groin), load limiters for all seats (which reduce the pressure applied to the thorax by the belt strap) and dual-chamber twin-stage adaptive airbags (which deploy by just the right amount to round off the absorption of impact energy).

The hump-form of the reinforced seat cushion structure combines with the SRP3 to ensure the best possible protection against submarining, a phenomenon whereby the groin has a tendency to slide beneath the lower part of the seatbelt.


Submarining is responsible for sometimes extremely serious abdominal lesions.

Impact from the side is a major cause of fatal injuries in built-up areas (one-third of all accidents) and specific attention has been paid to providing optimal protection in the case of side-on collisions. Equipment includes the twin side-impact sensors first seen on Laguna III and which halve the time required for the lateral airbags to deploy. This system combines with larger, innovative, new-generation curtain airbags which improve head protection by 30 per cent. Another advantage of this set-up is that the pressure applied by the dual-chamber thorax/groin airbags to the more exposed and more resistant groin area is three times that which is applied to the thorax.

The Mégane range's new-generation headrests feature fixation rods which slide within the headrest – and no longer within the upper part of the seatback – to provide greater protection of the cervical vertebrae in case of impact from the rear. They no longer form a rigid component inside the seatback. The curved form of the frameless seat allows the occupant's back to sink 60mm into the seatback, resulting in less movement of the head and thorax.

New Grand Scénic's front-end design has also benefited from new technical solutions aimed at improving the protection of pedestrians in a collision. The bumper's rigidity and thickness have been revised with a view to protecting lower limbs by absorbing energy at tibia and knee height. The bonnet and its immediate environment (wings, bonnet-opening mechanism, design of the inner bonnet skin) have similarly been modified.

Child safety is an aspect of automotive safety in its own right. Renault's specific research in this field meets the same exacting standards as its investment in the development of adult protection systems, and New Grand Scénic's child protection credentials figure among the very best. Isofix anchorage is available for all second-row seats, enabling Isofix child seats and booster seats to be fitted swiftly and safely.

New Grand Scénic features a range of equipment aimed at helping the driver prevent risk situations from occurring in the first place:
- Tyre pressure monitoring system,
- Innovative cruise control with speed limiter, including a new, bright, practical and intuitive interface which is both safer and simpler to take in,
- Automatic headlight activation,
- Automatic activation of windscreen wipers,
- Bi-Xenon headlights with cornering dipped-beam lights which rotate as a function of the steeringwheel angle. They contribute to night-time driving comfort by improving the
driver's perception of the road ahead and by providing additional lighting to the side.

On the active safety front, New Grand Scénic is equipped with ABS incorporating electronic brakeforce distribution, as well as emergency brake assist as standard. Depending on version, New Grand Scénic is also equipped with ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and CSV understeer control to assist in difficult conditions or emergency situations.

New Grand Scénic shares all this equipment with the rest of the Mégane range, and notably with its smaller sibling, New Scénic, which delivers the same standard of safety for all occupants.

Renault and safety: a holistic approach based on four fronts

Renault's approach is founded on accident research and real-world safety which it analyses to develop equipment that matches real traffic situations. The emphasis is accordingly placed on developing the most effective technologies when it comes to preventing accident risks, taking corrective measures when faced with unexpected situations and protecting occupants should a collision occur. Over the years, Renault has emerged as the benchmark carmaker in terms of automotive safety, as illustrated by the results it has scored in media ratings:


New Grand Scénic 5 stars (2009)
New Mégane 5 stars (2008), the best score ever obtained for adult protection (37/37)
Koleos 5 stars (2008)
New Laguna 5 stars (2007)
Clio III 5 stars (2005)
Mégane II Coupé Cabriolet 5 stars (2004), the first vehicle of its class to achieve a score of five-stars
Modus 5 stars (2004), the first vehicle of its class to achieve a score of five-stars
Scénic II 5 stars (2003), the first compact MPV to achieve a score of five stars
Espace IV 5 stars (2003)
Mégane II 5 stars (2002), the first C-segment vehicle to achieve a score of five stars
Vel Satis 5 stars (2002 and 2005)
Laguna II 5 stars (2001 and 2003), the first car in history to achieve this level of safety

EuroNCAP results for Renault:
the only carmaker to have secured the maximum score 12 times
But Renault's approach extends further than the purely technical aspect. Enhancing the awareness of all road-users in safety matters is another of the Group's priorities. As a sociallyresponsible company, Renault is actively involved in a long list of awareness and educational programmes, both at national and international level. These campaigns are aimed at improving the behaviour of road users and include the international Safety For All programme (www.safetyfor- all.com), as well as the Global Road Safety Initiative.


- Renault -