2025 Renault Espace

SUV · 1.2L I3 Turbo E-Tech Full Hybrid · FWD

81/100

AutoVault's overall score, weighted for what a suv is actually for — performance, technology, comfort, reliability, safety and value.

Specifications

Engine	1.2L I3 Turbo E-Tech Full Hybrid
Horsepower	200 hp
Torque	221 lb-ft
0–60 mph	8.2 sec
Top speed	130 mph
Drivetrain	FWD
Seats	5
Combined MPG	31 mpg (30 city / 33 hwy)
Range	471 miles
MSRP	$46,500
Body style	SUV

The verdict

What's good

Five-star Euro NCAP including best-in-class pedestrian detection scores
Seven-seat hybrid with no rival combining this size, efficiency, and tech at the price
Google-built infotainment integration is the most seamless in the Renault lineup
Hybrid system routinely cuts fuel consumption in city and motorway mixed driving

What's not

Seven-seat third row is best suited to children or short journeys only
FWD only — no AWD option despite the near-premium pricing
Reliability record on the new hybrid drivetrain is still building over time
High beltline and rising waistline reduce rear-seat visibility on narrow roads

The engine

E-Tech

1.2L Turbo I3 Full Hybrid

A clutchless, series-parallel full hybrid that glides away on electric power and stitches the three-cylinder turbo in seamlessly, covering most city driving on the battery alone with a smooth, near-CVT-free feel.

Renault's second-generation E-Tech full-hybrid system, developed by Renault Group and rooted in patents inspired by the company's Formula 1 transmission know-how.

The dog-clutch 'multi-mode' gearbox has no conventional clutch or synchronizers — it uses two ratios for the electric motor and four for the petrol engine, with the high-voltage starter-generator matching revs for gearshifts.
Renault says the system can run on electricity for up to roughly 80% of urban driving thanks to heavy regenerative recuperation.
It always launches the car in pure-electric mode, with the combustion engine only joining once more power or speed is demanded.

See the rest in AutoVault

The six sub-scores behind the 81 — performance, tech, comfort, reliability, safety and value
Market value today and year-by-year value history
All 4 trims with pricing
Studio photography — exterior, rear and interior
Side-by-side comparison with up to four cars

Open in AutoVault