The original Espace helped pioneer Europe’s minivan boom. Now, Renault wants to make the segment cool again.
Renault is going back to its roots with a new Espace concept, and that’s rather fitting considering what happened to the actual Espace. The French automaker has announced that the E-Space Concept will make its world debut at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, where it will reinterpret the company’s famous “voiture à vivre” (“cars for living”) philosophy for a new era.
The timing is almost comical. Renault still sells an Espace, but you won’t find a traditional minivan underneath the familiar name. Rather blasphemously, the sixth-generation model is an SUV, complete with the obligatory raised ride height and chunky body cladding. It’s one of many models that have betrayed their roots after catching the SUV bug.
Now, Renault is teasing a concept that seems to take that original idea in a new direction. Details are still being kept under wraps, but the company describes the E-Space Concept as a reinvention of the OG model launched in 1984. The original Espace was a pretty wild idea for its time. Developed with Matra, it put a huge, airy passenger compartment into a relatively compact footprint, with up to seven seats and an interior that could be configured in countless ways. The rear seats could be removed or rearranged, while the front seats could even swivel to create something resembling a lounge on wheels.
First-generation Renault Espace
It was also pivotal to the European minivan segment. Renault’s own historical material describes the Espace as a pioneer of the genre, and the company wasn’t kidding. The Espace arrived at a time when conventional hatchbacks, sedans, and wagons still dominated the European family-car market. It effectively demonstrated that a family car could prioritize interior space and flexibility without simply being a commercial van with windows.
Of course, the Espace wasn’t an immediate smash hit. Renault famously sold just nine examples during its first month on the French market. Buyers needed some time to wrap their heads around this strange, boxy thing that was neither a conventional car nor a van. Eventually, though, the concept caught on, and other automakers followed Renault into the booming European MPV market.
That makes the Espace one of those rare cars that didn’t merely compete in an existing segment. It helped create one. Ironically, the segment it helped create eventually almost disappeared under the weight of the SUV boom. Now, Renault is preparing to show a concept that promises to revisit the very philosophy that made the nameplate famous.
The boxy shape, short overhangs, and retro-futuristic grille seem inspired by the original Espace. But in 2026, it has the obligatory massive wheels and a light-up badge, while, in typical concept-car fashion, the side mirrors have been replaced by cameras. To clean up the profile, traditional door handles have made way for winglets built into the beltline.
Renault is tight-lipped about the technical specifications, but it says the concept is 4.7 meters (185 inches) long, making it about the same length as the Espace SUV. But while the sixth-gen model has a combustion engine, the E in E-Space points toward a purely electric drivetrain.
The timing is particularly interesting because the minivan’s decline wasn’t caused by a lack of practicality. If anything, MPVs offered exactly what families needed: loads of space, flexible seating, excellent visibility, and a relatively compact footprint. They simply lost the image war to SUVs, which offered a more fashionable alternative without sacrificing much utility. Renault now seems interested in whether it can make that formula desirable again.
We don’t yet know whether this is simply a design exercise, a preview of a future production model, or something else entirely. Renault isn’t giving away the good stuff just yet. What we do know is that Renault will unveil the Espace Concept on October 12. If a production version follows, it’ll compete against another nostalgia-heavy minivan: the Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
Now, Renault, how about making another Espace F1? The V10 era of Formula 1 engines may be long gone, but even with a V6, it would sure make for another amazing concept.
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