Category: Large MPV 
Price Range: £20,295 to £35,640
Airy, solidly-made interior, versatile seat-sliding ability, excellent air conditioning, refined V6 diesel, very easy gearchange on manual versions, lots of storage space, quiet ride, crisp handling in four-cylinder versions.
V6 versions feel a bit clumsy, long-wheelbase Grand version's boot is smaller than before, too many hard plastic surfaces, rear seats are heavy and awkward to remove, expensive.
A highly individual MPV with a huge engine choice, but it doesn't seem much of an advance over the previous model.
Curtain airbags for all three rows of seats are this season's MPV must-haves, and the Espace obliges with a full complement. The front airbags vary their inflation according to the severity of the impact, and the front two seat rows have side bags. All rear seats are identical, and all have built-in three-point belts (which makes them heavy to lift out).
Other safety features are an ESP system which automatically brakes individual wheels to set a skidding Espace back on course, traction control, anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist and electronic brake-force distribution, a tyre pressure monitoring system and bi-xenon headlights. Door locks are shielded and cable-controlled, and the hands-free 'ignition card' swaps data with the engine management system before the engine will start. It also unlocks the electric steering lock, which is fitted with a declutching system. This makes it impossible to break the lock's pin by a violent blow to the steering wheel. Ten parts are marked with the car's VIN number, to make it harder to conceal their origin should the Espace be stolen.
