A
S IF SETTING THE STANDARD BY
which small multi-purpose vehicles
are judged wasn’t enough, Renault
is at it again, this time with the RX4 – a 4x4
version of its hugely successful five-seater
Scenic. With rugged four-wheel drive,
greater ground clearance and some
macho make-up, the newcomer appears to
be all set to establish a new class of
vehicle: a compact MPV that’s equally at
home off the beaten track as it is on tarmac.
Although the RX4 is based on the
existing front-wheel drive Scenic, with its
clever seating permutations and numerous
storage spaces, in this case it features a
modified gearbox and driveline. The clever
part is a viscous coupling that diverts
power to the wheels with the greatest grip
when the going gets gooey. And it works.
Our test route comprised an assortment of
rugged tracks, boulder-strewn river
crossings and steep, sandy inclines which
the RX4 mastered with surefooted poise.
Only limited suspension travel, the
two-litre petrol engine’s relatively modest
bottom-end punch and the clang of sump
guard against projecting immovable
object let you know that the RX4 is not
seriously going to threaten the off-road big
boys. That said, it’s up to all but the most
ambitious of cross-country excursions.
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