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.

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.

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