The introduction of the Renault Scenic marked the first compact, family-friendly MPV and it duly won the European Car of the Year title in 1997.
Now Renault have thoroughly rethought the Scenic and introduced the first electric version and it too, has taken the Euro CoTY title.
It’s a very different car from that first Scenic, which could truly be called the first of the mid-sized MPVs or people carriers. This time around, the styling is more SUV/Crossover and neat detailing and plenty of glass make it an airy and attractive looker.
Charging and range
There are no ICE versions and nor will there be any in the future. It’s electric only with a choice of standard and long range batteries with the latter claiming a WLTP range of 610km.
I had the larger battery and the range indicator was giving me a predicted 500km on a full charge and I reckon you’d come near that in normal driving. At motorway speeds that drops to around 400km but that’s still a very useful figure. The battery itself is liquid cooled and thermally managed to maximise charging rates and as it’s modular, it can be readily repaired if necessary.
Charging arrangements are comprehensive with a speedy 22kW AC charger on board, allowing full use to be made of on street charging. DC charging is supported up to 150kW but Renault have taken a lot of care with thermal management in an effort to make the charging speed consistently high across the entire charge.
The charging port is on the front wing, which I don’t find ideal as it makes it a stretch to reverse into a charger. I hate nosing into a parking space.
Incidentally, when I stopped to fast charge, the screen offered to recline the seat into a more relaxed position while I waited. When I was ready to go again, a touch of a button brought me back to my preferred driving position. A neat and well-thought out feature and the car also offers to remember your seat position every time you adjust the seat. The seats themselves, heated and covered in a hard-wearing material, are particularly comfortable.
Clever tech
Another incredibly useful feature is the MySafety button. Modern cars are fitted with a plethora of driving aids and there are times you want some of them off, particularly lane departure warning on a country road and even the speed limit warnings can sometimes be fooled by signs on approach roads. Rather than diving into a screen while driving in order to turn these off, you can set your personal preferences once. Then, when you want them to activate, you simply double press a button on the dashboard and the job is done. It’s a brilliant solution and one that should be taken up by every manufacturer.
Another clever idea is a QR code on the windscreen. When scanned, it brings up technical information about the car for fire fighters or rescue workers. From now on, all battery Renaults will also come with an access hole under the rear seat allowing the battery to be flooded with water if it’s in danger of overheating. I don’t know whether to be worried or reassured about this but at least it’s an intelligent solution to a potential issue.
Interior
The instrument panel consists of a large driver’s screen and a portrait touchscreen for infotainment, formed into an L shape. Below the screen there are physical buttons for ventilation and other functions and that’s a really welcome development. The air conditioning worked particularly well and that’s not something I can say about some other EVs.
The infotainment system itself is google OS based so you get the full satellite navigation and voice control, even over some of the car’s functions. It worked very well.
There’s plenty of oddments storage dotted around the cabin, with plenty of USB-C charging points, wireless phone charging and a very clever rear armrest incorporating cup holders, chargers and stands for smartphones or tablets. By contrast, I thought the front cup holders were sited a bit too low to be truly useful. I’d prefer them to be higher up.
The dashboard itself is attractive, with a soft fabric covering, made from recycled materials. In fact quite a lot of the materials making up the Scenic are recycled or come from the circular economy.
There’s ambient lighting and Harmon Kardon speakers and on my test car, a panoramic sunroof.
No ordinary sunroof, this one is photochromic, so at the touch of a button it can be lightened or darkened without needing a sunblind. It’s a neat party trick.
There’s plenty of room in the back, and a deep boot which still has room to house the charging cable in a separate underfloor compartment.
Driving
Performance is strong and the car is particularly comfortable on the road. On very wet roads, the low rolling resistance tyres sometimes scrabbled for grip as they attempted to put all the power down on the road. It’s not a big problem as the electronics smoothly dealt with things.
Incidentally, there are a few driving modes, including Eco, Sport and Comfort, which are easily selected via a prominent button on the steering wheel. There are paddles too, which control the levels of regenerative braking, although one pedal driving isn’t supported.
Buying
The Scenic EV range starts from €39,995 for the 170bhp version with a 60kWh battery in evolution trim. Techno trim is also available for €2,000 more.
The longer range 87kWh batteried car comes with 220bhp and starts with Techno trim at €48,995. esprit Alpine trim is €51,995 while top of the range Iconic cars are priced at €54,795.
Renault have reinvented the Scenic for the electric age and it’s a car that certainly warrants your attention. It’s comfortable, roomy, drives well and has a very useful range.
