Renault, it seems, is truly back in the EV game.
Having initially led the way with the Zoe, we have this Megane, the Scenic has turned from MPV to SUV and also transferred to electric power and in 2025, we’ll also see new electric versions of the 5 hatchback and 4.
As much as the 5 and the 4 might grab headlines though, it’s this Megane and the new Scenic that are likely to dominate sales. Sitting in the family car middle ground, they both appeal to company car drivers and are practical, sensible choices with decent battery sizes. This Megane only comes with a single choice of 60kWh battery, which on the surface feels a little small compared to the likes of the Kia Niro and VW ID3.
RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH – DESIGN
Pictures of the Renault Megane can be a little deceptive. It’s certainly slightly chunkier in looks than a normal hatchback, but the design belies that this is more hatchback than SUV. It might sit slightly higher thanks to the usual EV skateboard under the skin and its high waistline and shallow windows do nothing to detract from that.
Overall though, it’s a good looking car. The nose can feel a little bluff fronted and certainly in the summer attracts far more bug spatters than usual, but it’s a sharp looking car with its slim LED lights over over-sized Renault diamond on the front. The only slight frustration is the positioning of the charging port on the front near-side wing which can make for slightly awkward positioning at public charging points.
We’ve got a mixed opinion about the flush door handles too. They pop out when you unlock the car, but opening them when the car has started (such as pulling over to let someone in), they require you to push your index finger in and almost flick them out, which can feel a bit odd.
RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH – POWER AND RANGE
Unlike the Scenic with its choice of two battery sizes, the Megane gets a single 60kWh battery option giving the equivalent of 217bhp.
With an official claimed range of 280 miles, the reality is that closer to 250 miles is possibly on an everyday basis and around 220 miles during faster motorway driving. Renault claims an average of 3.85mls/kWh which we easily matched during our time with the car. Faster roads will obviously eat into that average, but it never dropped lower than 3.6mls/kWh (which to be fair, is probably to be expected) and an average closer to 3.9mls/kWh was easily attainable.
In terms of performance, Renault claims a 0 to 60mph time of 7.5 seconds and a 99mph top speed, but the performance for charging is impressive taking up to 130kW on a DC charger. Renault claims that 30 minutes on a ultra-rapid charger will give 186 miles.
RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH – ON THE ROAD
If past cars to wear the Megane badge are anything to go by, then this should be a mouth-watering prospect. The bad news however is that in the switch to battery power, the Megane has in turn lost some of the engaging driver experience of its forebears.
That’s not to say the Renault is bad, it’s just that there’s not a lot of feedback going on to the driver about what the car is doing beneath you compared to previous Meganes.
That said, there’s little road or wind noise (the latter despite that bluff front mentioned earlier) and the ride is ok – though the 20in alloy wheels of Techno and Iconic models can sometimes be a little unforgiving on rougher roads. The steering is also sharp and direct when pressing on, even if there isn’t a huge amount of feel.
The driving modes are altered via an F1-style button on the steering wheel while there are four levels of regenerative braking changed via the paddles behind the steering wheel. The highest setting is very much a one-pedal driving mode with quite strong regen. The adaptability via those paddles also means it’s easy to switch between modes when driving in an urban environment compared to on a motorway.
Could the Megane do with a larger battery? The answer is probably yes. For 95% of the time it’s not a problem, but while that 130kW charging capability is great, the smaller battery means that you often want to charge beyond 80% to maximise your mileage reach. Then, at 80%, the smaller battery becomes more restrictive on range than you imagine as a result. Admittedly this issue only really surfaces when you’re taking longer journeys, but during everyday motoring it’s not a problem.
The radar cruise control works well too, with an adaptive function for how close you want to be in front. It’s a relaxing car to be in for longer journeys, even if it can on occasion do a phantom hard brake when there’s nothing ahead of you, which is unnerving.
RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH – INTERIOR
The Renault’s interior is dominated by the curving twin screens in front of the driver and centrally. These are slightly deceptive, as the main infotainment screen has a gloss black surround meaning that it looks larger than it really is. It works well on the move and the built-in sat nav has a handy function to show you where the nearest public charging points or other POIs are at the press of a button, which is useful in an unfamiliar area.
What is frustrating though is that Apple Carplay can sometimes be a little hit and miss. Even if try and connect your phone with a hard lead, it simply won’t connect on occasion which can be really frustrating – especially so when it’s been fine up until that point on a journey. There is no reason for it, but the system can be a little glitchy at times generally.
The seats are reasonably comfortable but could do with more lateral support and there’s decent space in the rear seats too, even if taller adults might find legroom a little cosy. There’s a good 440 litre boot (1332 with the seats folded down), with additional space underneath for your charging cables.
SUMMARY
Overall, it’s hard not to come away with a lot of respect for the Renault Megane. There’s a lot of talk about ‘right-sizing’ for batteries in cars at the moment and it would be fair to say that this Megane has, just about, got the balance right.
As we said earlier, would we like the choice of a larger battery? Yes, certainly, but the reality is that this 60kWh unit in the Megane will be enough for the vast majority of people for the vast majority of the time. It’s also a very useable hatchback with a decent amount of space and a reasonable driving experience in a relatively compact road footprint. And that makes it a very hard car to cast fault on and an easy car to recommend.
FACT BOX
Model: Renault Megane E-Tech
Price: from £33,055
Power: Battery – 60kWh
Range: 280 miles
Average efficiency: 3.85mls/kWh
Average charge time on a domestic wallbox: 8hrs 30mins
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
Rating: 9/10