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Same name, very different – Renault Scenic First Drive

The name is the only familiar aspect of Renault’s newcomer that has been named European Car of the Year.
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27 May 2024

What is it?

Many readers may recall the Renault Scenic, one of the most popular models from a time when people-carriers were as popular as SUVs are today.

The Scenic was last sold in the UK in 2019 but now it is back – or at least the name is, because while being described in some quarters as the ‘fifth-generation’ Scenic, the new car bears absolutely no relation to its predecessor – this is a throughly modern electric vehicle (EV) which is much more spacious family car than MPV.

One could argue, admittedly, that the new arrival is the modern reincarnation of the people-carrier. It has one thing in common with its predecessor – the ‘old’ Scenic was effectively an MPV on the floorpan of the Renault Megane family car and the new one employs the same CMF-EV platform as the already on-sale Megane E-Tech.

The prime purpose of the Scenic appears to be to appeal to those taken by the general specification of the Megane but not so happy with certain aspects such the interior space, particularly in the rear – the Scenic has a wheelbase some 100mm longer that that of the Megane, and all the extra space is in the back.

The car measures up at 4.47m long, 1.86m wide, and 1.57m high – officially it’s described as a crossover, but with much less hint of the close-to-SUV proportions of typical perceived rivals.

The all-electric drivetrain comes in two options – with either 60kW or 87kWh batteries, enclosed under a completely flat floor and matched respectively to 170hp and 220hp motors driving the front wheels. The less powerful combination offers a WLTP-certified range of 260 miles and the larger one up to 379 miles – the range having been another concern of some potential Megane buyers.

Both versions also include a heat pump as standard, helping to recover heat and energy that would otherwise go to waste, and crucially keeping the battery range up in winter temperatures. Charging statistics are impressive too, with up to 150kW charging possible if such a unit is available but also a pre-conditioner fitted – this helps to set the battery to an optimum temperature as a charger is approached and cuts charging time as a result.

Three trim levels are on offer, dubbed Techno, Esprit Alpine and Iconic. As has in recent times become the norm the focus is on standard equipment with the options list extending to little more than metallic paint. There is plenty on the standard list too with such niceties as wireless smartphone charging and connections to the pair of 12-inch digital displays dominating the front, which are all naturally integrated with Google apps. Other standard-fit highlights include heated seats, front and rear parking sensors with a camera, automatic air conditioning and electric boot opening.

Another equally agreeable aspect becoming an industry norm is not having to pay extra for certain active safety features – the full suite of aids such as lane departure, adaptive cruise control, cross traffic alerts and the like come as standard and the Scenic’s creators confidently expect a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

The overall recipe of the Scenic seems to have impressed – in March an international jury of journalists named it European Car of the Year for 2024, overcoming a shortlist that included the BMW 5-Series, Peugeot 3008, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30, BYD Seal and Toyota C-HR.

And Rebuilt believes such credentials will appeal to the company car market – 58% of Scenic sales are expected to be to fleet buyers.

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What do we think of it?

The Scenic impresses on first viewing – overall it looks like a large family car without straying into the bulbous proportions of the typical SUV. It has sharp lines and creases and the front end is done particularly well, Renault succeeding better than many rivals in designing an acceptable nose when it no longer needs a traditional grille.

Step inside and the roominess is apparent, both in front and back and particularly above one’s head – our correspondent’s rather tall driving partner on the launch event was suitably impressed at not having to drop the seat as far to the floor as possible.

In the rear there is plenty of room for three but if one needs to carry only two a neat trick is to drop the centre armrest – both passengers get their own, plus USB sockets, cupholders and clever holders for smartphones and tablets that can be swivelled for either joint or individual viewing of screens.

A concealed central trap door opens into the boot space for carrying long items without folding down any seats. Said boot offers 545 litres of space that increases to 1,670 litres if one does fold the rear seats.

The interior is well put together with quality surfaces and airy and bright too, though admittedly we were driving the top-spec version with the impressive ‘Solarbay’ sunroof. This is segmented and one can choose to have part or all of it opaque at a time. It also saves weight and space compared to a normal sunroof, while half of it is made from waste glass and 90% recyclable – sustainability is a constant theme running through this car.

The front or the cabin is dominated by a pair of 12-inch digital displays, one ahead of the driver and the other forming the central multimedia infotainment console. As mentioned already these are naturally aligned to the products of Google – from Google Maps to Google Play and Assistant, and using them is quite impressive, with big clear displays in particular.

There is an oddity – the driver’s display is divided into three with vertically angled lines, said angles apparently replicating those in Renault’s diamond logo. The left of the three screens shows one’s speed by means of a big digital number, and the angle crops off the bottom right of the second digit – not enough to make it unreadable, but it’s slightly odd…

Our test cars were fitted with the higher-power drivetrain and it admirably fulfils the brief. Acceleration at just under eight seconds is more than swift enough in this market and the smoothness and unflustered progress that comes with an electric powertrain is as expected.

On the road the ride is generally competent. Driving modes of Comfort, Sport, Eco and ‘Perso’ (personally customisable) are available. The car is a little floaty if pushed on in comfort mode but more precisely placeable in Sport, though as one would expect in this market it’s not exactly optimised for competitive rushing along B-roads.

Four levels of battery regeneration are available and these are accessed via paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. They work very well and one pedal driving is easily possible.

At slow speeds the car emits a pedestrian-warning noise that we are told was especially created by French electronic music superstar Jean-Michel Jarre – he was also responsible for the ‘welcome sounds’ that play as one enters the car.

Overall this is an impressive entry into the market from Renault which does all that its target market might expect it to with no vices. Certainly those fleet buyers who have previously been drawn to the likes of the Kia Niro, Volkswagen I.D.4 or the Skoda Enyaq could benefit from taking a look at the Renault Scenic.

Performance

Tested model: Renault Scenic E-Tech Iconic long-range 220hp

Max power:  220hp

Max Torque: 300Nm

Top speed:   105mph

0-62mph: 7.9 seconds

WLTP range: 369 miles

CO2 Emissions: 0g/km

BIK: 2%

OTR price: £45,495 (range starts £37,495)

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Award Winners 2024

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Andrew Charman

Andrew Charman has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, writing about vehicles, technology and the industry. He is a Guild of Motoring Writers committee member and has won several awards including for his business coverage.

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