Renault Scenic E-TECH EV (2023 - )

The Renault Scenic E-TECH Electric is a five-door SUV that boasts attractive styling, a spacious and practical cabin, a decent driving range between charges, along with plenty of on-board technology and safety features.
With prices starting from £37,495, the line-up is simple with three trims to choose from called techno, esprit Alpine and iconic.
There are two batteries – a 60kWh unit that can deliver up to 260 miles between charges and this is available on the entry-level techno model only. Then there is an 87kWh pack that sees the range increase to 379 miles and this is available across all versions.
And if you’re looking for a quirky fact then it has to be composer Jean-Michel Jarre. He was renowned for his electronic, easy listening style back in the day and, in a joint partnership, his gentle ambient sounds can be heard by those inside the cabin, along with pedestrians outside.
The new Scenic EV is on sale now and we opted for the range-topping iconic model for our test drive.
 

The Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric boasts a strong road presence stretching 4,470mm in length, 2,085mm across, including mirrors, and 1,589mm tall with the shark fin antenna. With its sweeping lines and bold styling, it certainly stands out from the crowd and customers can choose from six vibrant body colours with two-tone roof options available.
Eye-catching design cues include a distinctive grille with tiny diamond patterns, new signature headlights, flush door handles, gloss black pillars, rear privacy glass, Y-shaped rear lights to accentuate the car’s width and a choice of 19 or 20-inch alloys.
Moving inside, the interior is high-end with top quality fixtures and fittings throughout, including a soft fabric dashboard made from recycled materials with laser-cut wooden door panel parts, an embossed light grey recycled mesh trim that looks a lot better than it sounds, fabric seats, a sports steering wheel, along with a wealth of tech to explore.
Creature comforts include a 12-inch portrait multi-media screen that merges into a 12.3-inch driver information display. Systems include full navigation with google built-in maps, voice assistant and playstore, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, full smartphone integration, a 360-degree camera and plenty more besides.
There is a head-up display, a separate panel housing the climate control settings, along with a clever driver’s personal preferences function where favourite safety settings can be stored. This is ideal if the car is shared and one person, for example, prefers active lane assist and the other doesn’t.
All controls, dials and readouts are ideally positioned inside the Scenic E-TECH Electric and comfort levels are impressive on longer journeys with seats offering ample support including lumbar adjustment and a massage function.
 

Our top-of-the-range Scenic E-TECH Electric iconic model featured the larger 87kWh battery pack with 220hp and 170Nm of torque. This translates into some interesting performance figures with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds and top speed of 105mph. But the most important stat on any EV is always the driving range between charges and this model can achieve up to 369 miles, which will avert any range anxiety issues.
All models are front-wheel drive only and all come with a heat pump as standard (a feature that often bumps up the price on EVs). This helps to recover energy and increases the range.
With instant torque, the Scenic is quick out the starting blocks without being brutally fast and it is a confident motorway cruiser with barely a sound filtering into the cabin.
On more challenging country lanes, it offers impressive grip through bends and minimal body sway. The ride seemed a little choppy at times, but it was possibly down to poor road surfaces rather than the car itself.
The acceleration through the single-speed automatic transmission is beautifully smooth and there is ample power on tap for overtaking slower-moving vehicles.
There are drive modes called Sport, Perso, Comfort and Eco that are quite self-explanatory, along with four levels of regenerative braking that are adjusted via the steering wheel paddles.
With a suspension set-up that is tuned towards comfort, most bumps and dips are absorbed along the way and there is minimal noise within the cabin, apart from Monsieur Jarre’s ambient background sounds.
In busy town centres, the car was nice and agile with an excellent turning circle, but on the downside, the rear-view visibility is really poor, mainly due to the sporty design of the Scenic with its narrow rear window. In addition, the over-the-shoulder view is not much better because of the wide pillars. 
There are faster and more dynamically performing rivals out there that will deliver a more engaging driving experience, but in all honesty, is that what buyers of this style of car really prioritise over practicality and comfort? I don’t think so.
 

Practicality is an area where the new Renault Scenic truly excels. It is described as a family car and it is just that with bundles of cabin space including room in the back for two full-sized adults (three at a squeeze) or three teenagers.
That is all down to the clever design packaging and it means there is 278mm of knee room in the back, along with 884mm of head space – that makes it one of the very best in class in the sector. That said; like most EVs there isn’t a lot of space for your feet beneath the front seats.
Our range-topping iconic grade featured a panoramic sunroof as standard and that can often impact rear head room, but not so in the new Scenic. That means occupants benefit from the clever Solarbay sunroof technology that changes the opacity of the glass, without ruining their hair styles in the process.
Up front, the driver and passenger are treated to plenty of room and the driver’s seat is power-adjustable, can be heated and even features a massage function.
Storage options are impressive too with a boot, accessed via a powered tailgate, that can accommodate 545 litres of luggage, increasing to 1,670 litres with the split-folding rear seats dropped flat. This was a bit of a faff to achieve as there is a pull-chord to release the seats that gets caught behind the seatbelts.
Additional deep storage beneath the boot floor is ideal for keeping cables and other items secure and there are numerous compartments throughout the cabin too. These include a glovebox, deep central cubby beneath the front armrest, door bins with space for a bottle, a large storage tray on the lower centre console with dividers to personalise needs, a wireless charging pad, trays and cup holders.
Rear passengers have seat back pockets with additional sections for phone storage and the central armrest folds down and has extra cup holders, trays and even swing-out mobile phone sections to watch movies on the move.
Charging the larger battery from 15 to 80 per cent takes 8 hours, 27 minutes via a 7.4kW wallbox, 5 hours, 52 minutes using a 11kW charging point or 37 minutes if accessing a rapid charger.
 

The Renault Scenic E-TECH Electric costs from £37,495 for the entry-level techno trim with the 170hp smaller battery pack. The larger 220hp unit sees the price rise to £40,995 (techno), £43,495 (esprit Alpine) and £45,495 for the iconic version as tested. Our car featured metallic paintwork that added a further £1,250 to the final price-tag.
The Scenic E-TECH Electric boasts zero carbon emissions and therefore benefits from a number of Government-led incentives, including being exempt from road tax, along with the freedom to drive through Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zones without any fines and there are no added charges for purchasing a car costing in excess of £40k. 
However, we should point out that these incentives are on their way out as the Government has announced they will be either reducing or withdrawing them completely in 2025.
That said, the vehicle is an attractive option for company car drivers with an excellent Benefit in Kind tax rating of just two per cent. 
The Renault Scenic E-TECH is sold with a three-year, 100,000-mile standard vehicle warranty, extended to eight years or 100,000 miles for the battery.
 

The Scenic is a household name, but now Renault has introduced the fully electrified version for the first time and it makes quite a statement. The line-up is relatively simple with a lower-range 60kWh battery available on the entry level car while all three trims have the larger 87kWh unit that can deliver up to 379 miles between charges.
The car is packed with safety features with up to 30 driver assistance aids – this is a vital factor on any family SUV that will often feature on that dreaded school run. And the spacious cabin, along with generously-sized boot will meet all practicality requirements with ease.
It is pleasant to drive, although there are more dynamic rivals out there and the price is competitive too. And another plus-point for many will be that the Scenic is completely free from any leather materials.  
The vehicle has already scooped the European Car of the Year title which is a real feather in Renault’s cap and it will likely gain more accolades throughout the year.