What you'll learn from this article:

  • What are some of the safety features implemented in the new Scenic
  • How this car contributes to Renault's vision for a sustainable production and end-of-life approach
  • What is the range you can expect on this battery-powered EV

First things first, the design of this car is special, just like it is for all the Renaults sold now. Most of the people I know and to whom I've shown the car were impressed with its design. Admittedly at first, I didn't like it as much as I did the Megane E-Tech, which I drove previously and which you can read more about here. But after I finished my test drive with the car, I figured why it may not be as impressive, although still beautiful, because it focuses more on practicality, rather than beauty alone, a given for a vehicle this large.

Sticking to the design and build quality, the Scenic wants to be a crossover and that's obvious from the first look. It has a lot of black plastics for protection around its sides, front and rear, which combine together very well and complement the chassis, but also very good ground clearance, allowing you to take it on country roads.

The promise of sustainability

Renault recently switched its production strategy and turned on the "sustainable" mode, which I mentioned in my time with the Megane E-Tech. In fact, even the company specifies this, stating that the Scenic "embodies the Group’s new sustainability strategy and the three pillars that strategy stands on: the environment, safety and inclusion."

Just like the Megane, the Scenic is made in the EU, more specifically in France. The electric motor is also made in its home country and as much as 24% of the materials found within the vehicle are coming from circular, recycled sources. Moreover, up to 90% of the Scenic is recyclable, so indeed a strategy focused on the future of the brand, but also of the vehicles, even when they aren't road-worthy anymore.

Just as I wrote in my test drive with the Megane E-Tech, the broader objective here is for the French carmaker to achieve recycled interiors in a share of 33% by 2030 and until now, Renault is on the right path.

The car seems a bit "fat", because it's hood sits quite high and because the vehicle is overall wider than the Megane. This makes it more practical, as well and since we're here, let's hop in. Well, I don't have much to say here, since the Megane and the Scenic are almost identical on the inside, but that's not a bad thing, as they are both very spacious. Having a unitary design language is beneficial on more than one stand-points. First of all, it allows you to reduce design costs, without sacrificing quality or space, since everything is optimized to work on a larger and smaller scale, as well.

So, the Scenic is very spacious and comfortable, I took two passengers on the right seat and none complained about feeling tired, on the contrary. Furthermore, the Scenic is equipped with the same Solar Bay roof as the Rafale, which we talked about more in our detailed test drive.

In the back, there is plenty more space on the Scenic, just like with the Rafale, and the boot space is quite generous, as well, at 545 liters. So, if you wanted a larger family EV from Renault, but the Megane seemed a bit too small, this new model should fill in perfectly.

Scenic E-Tech is larger by some tens of centimeters compared to the Megane, so the design team had to make it so that you can see everything outside as easily as possible,

The driving experience and safety systems

To help with a better safety for all occupants, Renault implemented a system in the Scenic that forces everyone to wear a seatbelt, even passengers in the back. If not, a beeping sound will continue, accompanied by a virtual map of the seats, marking the problematic one with red. Speaking of passengers in the back, there can be three of them and they'll have plenty of space, especially legroom and headroom, but if there are only two, they can unfold the center seat and reveal a large console, which can act as cup-holders or a laptop table.

You should know that no matter which version you pick, evolution, Techno or Esprit Alpine, the Scenic comes with dual-zone air conditioning, so that those in the back can enjoy a breath of fresh air. At the same time, the two occupants at the front can opt for individual temperatures, so the driver can have 23 degrees Celsius, while the passenger, 25, for example.

Back in the front, you will discover that the Scenic has textile seats, but that might be since my version was not the one that will be shipped to customers, which is also why electric adjusting was available only for the lower back. What I liked about the seats was that they were comfortable, soft and very breathable, but also supportive. Heating is also available for the seats, while the steering wheel, covered in leather and alcantara, is also a heated unit.

One important function, especially for driving this car in the city, is air filtering through the air conditioning system, which works here as well as for the Megane.

On the road, the Scenic feels very stable, even though it is more of an SUV compared to its smaller brother, the Megane. It's a heavy car, at over 1.800 kilograms and it has a high ground clearance, but wide tires and a low center of gravity, thanks to the heavy battery located below the seats, so improbable to overturn it. It feels best on the highway, even at speed in excess of 130 km/h, where it sits beautifully on the road and can still accelerate more than adequate enough, even though I didn't push the 170 km/h limit.

Scenic has a 170 HP electric motor for the lowest-end model, compared to 130 HP on the Megane, but the top-end drive is still 220 HP. Because the Scenic is heavier, it doesn't accelerate as fast, but it's pretty unlikely you will notice a difference and even on this model, it is more than enough. I overtook on the highway, on express roads, as well as took of first from stoplights in the city, all without the system's full effort.

Even if it's a bit larger, you can easily drive the Scenic in the city, as well and the only issues might arise when you try to park it, especially between two cars, as the vehicle is a bit wider. The boot will be plentiful for your vacations and if you need more space, you can use some of the extra legroom from the passengers.

I counted no less than six USB-C charging ports in the car, two in the front and four in the back, as well as a wireless charger in the front.

Range, equipment and conclusions

Let's get to what I liked most about this car, being the range. At 615 kilometers of stated WLTP range, I had no issue getting to where I needed to, but my expectations were still outmatched. Overall, after 120 kilometers, 60 on the highway and 60 in the city / villages, the battery dropped from 100 to 72%, a very admirable performance, given that I wasn't soft on the accelerator and I drove the car for over a day in Bucharest's heavy traffic. For charging, you can use a fast DC charger of up to 130kW for the 170 HP version or 150kW for the more powerful 220 HP versions, which come with larger packs and to juice the cell from 15 to 80%, you will have to wait only shy over 30 minutes. My final consumption was 18.8kWh/100 kilometers, which rose a bit after I drove the car in the city.

I also liked that the car shows you an estimated range, which combines urban and highway driving, but can also show the range only for city environments or the highway, this being around 100 kilometers higher or smaller, respectively.

What helped me get this excellent range was the regenerative braking system, aggressive, but not annoying. If you'll get used to it, which shouldn't take more than a week, you will be able to brake until almost a full stop without touching the brake, recharging the battery in the process. You will still need to brake on your own when the speed reaches 12 km/h, but the system will still make you a safer driver, regardless, encouraging a more predictive driving style. You also have auto-hold, which can be disabled with a physical button.

The car is also equipped with front and rear parking sensors, which warn you not only when you get too close to an object, but also when you steer and you might be on a collision course with something. The sound signal is accompanied by a visual representation of the car, showcasing which is the side that might get scuffed. Since we're talking about the screens, they are identical to those on the Megane E-Tech or the Rafale, also with Google, also very fluid and well-made. I set up the navigation to be shown in the dashboard, between the speedometer and the energy consumption indicator, which can be customized to display various other information.

Among the base features of the car are full LED lights, rear parking sensors, reverse camera and driver monitoring systems, all contributing to a safer driving.

Scenic E-Tech starts at 39.900 euros for the evolution package, which offers you most of what you need for a modern driving experience, including the 170 HP electric motor and the 60kWh battery, which comes with 420 km range. The Techno and Esprit Alpine versions up the electric motor to a 220 HP unit, as well as the battery to an 87kWh unit, with 615 km range and those cost 45.500 or 47.500 euros.

Personally, I would choose the Techno equipment, for the extended range and slightly more power, but also some added optionals, such as front and rear parking sensors, the electric boot and the large armrest in the back. Also, on the Techno you will find the recycled textile seats, a plus for those who want to be more sustainable.

Otherwise, Scenic E-Tech is a good match for those who value a family car they can count on for road trips and that is powered exclusively by batteries, which offers good range, while also recharging quickly. It has many safety features, plenty of power and is a good match for the city, even though that's not necessarily the environment it was designed for first and foremost.