If looks are anything to go by alone, then the latest Renault Scenic has to be one of the best electric cars around.
Renault has never shied away from being just a little bit different style-wise; some were very successful—just think of the original Megane—and some were perhaps just a little too contemporary for their time. Even Harry, our regular delivery man who was admiring the latest arrival into our driveway, mentioned the iconic Avantime, which we think the new Scenic resembles just a little bit.
We were testing the car in the top-of-the-range Iconic trim, which comes with 20-inch Oracle diamond-cut alloy wheels and a huge panoramic sunroof that can be either see-through or opaque at the touch of a button. You can choose which part of the car has which, so cooler in the back for the kids and clear in the front for the adults—very clever.
Once inside the Scenic, the stylish design continues, but it doesn’t just offer good looks; the practicality is excellent. There are plenty of options for the driver’s seating positions, generous space in the front and rear, and lots of storage for all the bits and bobs that families travel with. The 12-inch touchscreen is angled to face the driver and is easy to operate for entertainment, information, etc. Meanwhile, in the back, the center armrest has swivel arms with slots to hold tablets, for example, so the kids can watch movies on longer journeys. Whatever happened to buying comics to read? If you are going on extended trips, then you will have no problem loading up the car boot; it is wide and deep and will easily take several suitcases, while the seats split too if you need extra flexibility.
The Scenic was given a 5-star Euro NCAP rating for its safety features, which include eCall automatic emergency assist and a smart rearview mirror, which is really a camera.
Out on the road, the Scenic drives beautifully smooth, as you would expect. It is not the fastest horse out of the stalls at 7.9 seconds for 0-62 mph but has more than enough oomph for the average family. It is very quiet in an almost tuneful way, which we both liked. The automatic gearbox with column change on the stalk of the steering wheel, while not unusual these days, is very practical too—reminiscent of an old Renault 16 when column change was unusual.
The all-important range is officially 379 miles, but we never really got to prove that. However, as with all electric cars, we suspect that under “normal” driving conditions, the figure would more likely be in the late 200s, which for most families would be quite sufficient.
The new Scenic starts at around £37,500; the top-of-the-range model we had on test starts at £45,495.
Ally says: “The Scenic is a beautiful-looking car that drives well and is competitively priced in an exceedingly competitive sector where strong rivals prowl.”
Lorraine says: “The new Scenic bears no resemblance to the one I bought in the late ’90s, which was then merely a posh van. Now it has evolved into a stunning family vehicle. The only gripe I had was I had difficulty fitting the driver’s seatbelt, as the gap was too tight between the seats.”
