Key highlights:
- Renault E-Space van previews the potential seventh-generation Espace
- Concept measures 4.7m and echoes the original 1984 model
- E-Tech branding hints at an electrified future
Renault has unveiled the E-Space concept van, offering the first glimpse of what could become the seventh-generation Espace, and it appears ready to bring the people mover back towards its original roots. The concept will make its world debut at the 2026 Paris motor show next week.
Renault says its E-Space name directly refers to E-Tech, the brand’s sub-brand covering hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric models. This model spans six generations starting from the 1980s, but it has never been officially sold Down Under.
E-Space revives the original look
Renault has released just one frontal image of the concept, showing it driving across sand beneath the Milky Way, and the only confirmed dimensions are a 4.7-metre overall length and its Black Rubé paint finish.
The E-Space borrows several styling cues from the original 1984 Espace, including its wedge-shaped bonnet and distinctive side-window treatment, but it is substantially larger, as the first-generation Espace measured just 4.25m long.
The alloy wheels also draw inspiration from the original model. And unlike many modern people movers, the E-Space retains conventional front-hinged rear doors, which mirror every previous generation of the Espace rather than adopting sliding rear doors.
The production version of the seventh-generation Espace is expected to use framed windows and conventional wing mirrors.
Also read: Nissan Navara Pro PHEV ute set for Oct 8 Australian reveal
Electric, hybrid or range-extender?
Renault hasn’t yet revealed what powers the E-Space concept, but the E-Space name provides one clue, with Renault saying it “refers directly to E-Tech”. That name covers the company’s hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full-electric models.
The new Espace could potentially use the RGEV Medium platform which is designed to be EV-first but can also support a range-extender configuration, where a petrol engine sits under the bonnet and recharges the battery when its charge begins to run low.
For now, Renault hasn’t confirmed whether that technology will feature in the production Espace.
From pioneering people mover to SUV
The Espace has a long history of adapting to changing buyer tastes. When Renault launched the first-generation model in 1984, the automotive world revolved around coupes, sedans, hatchbacks and wagons.
The Espace offered families substantially more interior space and versatility without demanding a larger-than-normal footprint, and its success encouraged other European brands to add people movers to their ranges.
For its first four generations, the Espace stuck closely to the traditional people-mover formula, using a low floor and tall roof to maximise interior space.
Then SUVs took over.
By 2015, most European manufacturers were cutting people movers from their line-ups. Renault responded by giving the fifth-generation Espace a more SUV-like appearance, but it retained several signature design features, including the steeply raked windscreen, front quarter light and an A-pillar base positioned over the front wheels.
The transformation continued with the sixth-generation model launched in 2023, and the model abandoned its people-mover identity almost entirely, becoming a stretched version of the Austral SUV. The E-Space concept now suggests Renault could be preparing another change in direction.
Reveal at the Paris Motor Show
The E-Space will be one of three Renault concepts displayed at the 2026 Paris motor show on 12th October 2026 and it will sit alongside the 8 Gordini and 4 JP4x4.
For now, Renault is keeping the E-Space deliberately mysterious, with its Paris debut set to reveal much more about the design and technology of the potential next-generation Espace.
Renault says there are no plans to build this model for sale yet, but it gives an idea about how the brand plans to design family EVs in the future.
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