What is it?
What’s new?
What’s under the bonnet?
The smaller batteried model gets a 168bhp motor while the 87kWh is powered by a 217bhp motor – both are front-wheel drive with no dual motor versions offered. In terms of charging, the Scenic gets 22kW AC and 150kW DC capability, while a heat pump comes as standard.
What’s it like to drive?
What it does extremely well is give a super comfortable and polished driving experience, with a well controlled ride, light steering, and lovely linear power delivery. It’s quiet – very quiet, in fact – and drives like a far more expensive electric SUV. That is at normal and motorway speeds, though – at a walking pace, the Scenic emits a pedestrian warning sound composed by the musician Jean-Michel Jarre, along with a whole host of other chimes and welcome greeting tunes. Again, you probably have to be over the age of 30 to know how cool that is.
How does it look?
It wears the latest version of Renault’s corporate face with the brand’s diamond logo repeated across the entire front end, and neat aero blades front and rear aid efficiency. It’s a rather good looking car, we feel, and doesn’t suffer from the bloated look so many electric SUVs tend to suffer from.
What’s it like inside?
The Scenic also comes with a stunning opacifying sunroof instead of a traditional glass roof and sunblind combo. Different panels can be made opaque to give shade at a touch of a button, and it’s the type of feature you’d expect on a £100,000 limousine.
In the back, leg and headroom is very impressive – the latter improved, apparently by that roof not needing a cumbersome sunblind – and there’s a treat when you fold down the centre armrest. Open it and it reveals a couple of USB-C charging ports and swivelling cup holders with natty holders to place smartphones and tablets.
Boot space is good at 545-1,670 litres but you will need the optional moveable boot floor (expected to cost around £150), as without it you’ll need to see a back specialist after hauling heavy luggage over the huge load lip. The back seats fold in a 40/20/40 split but it’s a shame they don’t slide or recline or even remove like they did in the original Scenic.
What’s the spec like?
The Scenic is keenly priced for an electric car, too, with the Techno pegged at £37,495 for the small battery and £40,995 for the larger one. The Esprit Alpine and Iconic come in at £43,495 and £45,495 respectively – that’s good value compared to some rivals’ offerings such as the Peugeot E-3008.
Verdict
