The 2024 Renault Scenic has a completely new look. The MPV has earned its place. In its place is a sleek, zero-emission family vehicle that is also the 2024 European Car of the Year. Just by looking good from the outside, the 2017 Renault Scenic E-Tech beats many of its rivals, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y, Nissan Ariya, Skoda Enyaq, and Peugeot E-3008.
Renault is selling the Megane E-Tech’s bigger brother for a very reasonable £36,495. It has three trim levels: the Techno, the sporty Esprit Alpine, and the even better-equipped Iconic. It also comes with two battery choices and two power outputs. It’s obviously attractive, with hatchback and SUV parts. On the front of the car, the present Renault logo is surrounded by diamonds, which looks great with the LED headlights. This car makes a statement with its big 19- or 20-inch metal wheels and flat door handles.
There’s more to love inside, with a 12.3-inch driver display and a 12.0-inch center infotainment tablet that uses Google’s smart technology. The cabin is wide and beautiful, and the 545-liter trunk can be expanded to an amazing 1,670 liters by folding down the back seats. It’s worth mentioning that the back center armrest has two USB-C ports and cup holders for smartphones or tablets.
In addition, high-end cars have a smart glass roof called “Solarbay.” It can be used as a modern sunblind that doesn’t block your view because it can be changed from a single button may change the light from clear to dark.
It’s about the same quality of build as its top competitors. Most of the surfaces look luxurious, especially the leather-like seats that are safe for animals. However, the cheaper, scratchier plastics are only visible when you look closely.
The Scenic E-Tech is also very environmentally friendly. Renault says that 24% of the parts used are recycled, and 90% of the car’s bulk, including the battery, can be recovered.
The car comes with automatic wipers, heated front seats and steering wheel, a rearview camera, and a frameless electro-chromatic rearview mirror with an option for a rearview screen. It also has paddle shifters for regenerative braking.
The driver aid and safety package includes adaptive cruise control, a driver attention alert, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, emergency braking with detection of pedestrians and cyclists, and a blind spot warning.
Only the front wheels of the new Renault Scenic E-Tech can be driven. The batteries come in two different sizes. The normal range car has a 60kWh battery and an electric engine with 168bhp. It can go from 0 to 62 mph in 8.6 seconds and should have a range of more than 260 miles.
With its bigger 87kWh battery and more powerful 217bhp electric motor, the car can go 379 miles, and it only takes 7.9 seconds to go from 0 to 62 mph.
Rapid charging—up to 150kW for the bigger battery and 130kW for the smaller one—is good enough but not great, so a 20–80% boost should take about 30 minutes. The Scenic E-Tech does have a heat pump, which is usually an extra that you can choose not to have. This helps with charging, especially in cool places.
The Scenic E-Tech Iconic trim, which had a bigger 87kWh battery pack, was the top-of-the-line model we considered. The driving position is a bit high, but it gives a great view of the road ahead, and the seat and steering wheel are flexible enough. The big C-pillars and short trunk window give a better view of the back. Still, the Scenic E-Tech has a tight turning circle, many parking-assist technologies, and light handling, which makes it easy to get around town.
Getting going is also quick, though less fast than some other EVs… it has instant torque. The cabin is beautiful, which makes it a smooth cruiser. The ride is also usually comfortable, though it gets rough on rougher terrain.
It looks sportier than it really is, so the drive isn’t boring, but it’s also not very exciting either. Still, there is a lot of grip, and even when turning is hard, the surface stays mostly level.
It’s hard to slow down easily because, like many EVs, the brakes are sticky and need a lot of dead travel before they bite. There are four “MultiSense” driving modes: Personal, Comfort, Eco, and Sport. Each one changes the throttle response, steering weight, and lighting inside the car. For the best gas mileage and fun, choose Eco or Comfort.
We would have to drive the car for at least a week to get a good idea of its real-world range, but it should be between 200 and 310 miles for the base model and between 310 and 330 miles for the 87kWh model.
The brand-new Renault Scenic E-Tech is one of the best EVs for families because it is cheap and comes with many great features. It looks nice, is safe, has a lot of space, and is simple to use.
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