The symbol of the Slovakia family is returning. Is it just a motorized image generator?
The Renault Scenic E-Tech is a new addition to the Renault family of electric vehicles. However, Scenic isn't a new name, but its current reincarnation has changed almost everything.
The design is beautiful, but the lighting is ......
In addition to being an electric vehicle, a mid-size MPV is also a crossover. However, there is no denying its luxurious design. Forget about the similarities with the landscapes of previous generations. The exterior is dominated by sharp edges, with a textured front trim and an atypical 20-inch wheel wheel (designed for the highest gear) striking attention.
It's not just about the stylish design, it's about the clever details hidden behind it. For example, such a radar is cleverly hidden behind a sign, which adds to the overall clean appearance. The weak point is the lamp, which is not the strongest and does not offer matrix LED headlamps in this price category, which are slowly coming to the market.
It's still family-oriented
Dimensions, the new Scenic is 27 centimeters longer than the Megane, but 7 centimeters shorter than the new Peugeot e-3008. The wheelbase of 279 cm provides plenty of space for rear passengers. Headroom is also not an issue, but we may expect a 1,500 euro panoramic roof with electronically adjustable transparency to be better insulated.
From the back, it can also be seen that Renault is still the overlord of family cars. The premium armrest offers two additional USB C ports, bringing the number of ports in the back to four, but the main swivel cup holder has two phone/tablet holders, allowing kids to watch their favorite shows in complete comfort. The design of the Isofixes is also very good, and the large opening angle of the rear door is also pleasing to the eye.
The system comes from Google
Up front, we have the contemporary concept of the Renault tradition. The interior is dominated by a 12-inch central display equipped with a Google system, so both the built-in user interface and the connection to the smartphone are at a high level. Conceptually, a slight habit requires having a spider behind the wheel, as on the right side you have exactly three levers – a directional selector, wipers, and audio controls. In terms of quality and materials, everything is up to par, especially the seats, which combine leatherette side rails and ventilated fabric centers. There's plenty of storage space too, but you'll have to figure out the oddly located USB-C port, which we searched for for minutes and you can't plug anything into while driving.
The trunk capacity is 478 liters (545 liters according to another method). I'm happy with the deep double bottom, where the charging cable can be installed, but the loading edges are large for no apparent reason. From a practical point of view, with each heavy load, you're stretching yourself a lot. And you can no longer put anything under the front hood.
Can I also travel?
In terms of performance, the Scenic E-Tech is not a rocket, but if we compare it to its combustion-type counterpart, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds above average for its class. So far, there are only versions on the Slovakia market with a maximum 87 kWh battery and a 220 hp electric motor. The weight of 1918 kg was felt in the corners, but we didn't expect any trio from the landscape. Despite the large 20-inch wheels, the ride is comfortable, and the interior of the car is well soundproofed even when driving on the highway. The visibility inside the car is poor, so we appreciate the presence of additional digital mirrors, as the rear window is very small. The A- and C-pillars are also relatively large.
In urban/bypass operation, the average energy consumption is 17-18 kWh per 100 km. In a purely urban environment, you can drive 16 kWh, and without air conditioning, it drops to 14.5 kWh. When driving 130 kilometers on the highway, we achieved a consumption of 20.4-21 kWh per 100 kilometers. The dynamic range indicator is a very clever gadget. This is because it shows not only the values according to the average consumption, but also the maximum values in the urban and highway cycles. At 100% we see a value here of 340 km, which is a good number. It is more than 600 kilometers away from the city. The peak charging power reached 150 kW, but the manufacturer indicated 130 kW in the price list, and the charging time from 15% to 80% took only 37 minutes.
price tag
The Renault Scenic E-Tech starts at just under 44,000 euros and includes a large 87 kWh battery and an abundance of base equipment. We tested the top-spec Iconic, which starts at just under 50,000 euros. Compared to its cousin, the Nissan Ariya, it has a better price, but it is smaller in size and slightly less powerful.