Can New Renault EV Still Compete?

Renault was one of the pioneers of EVs with the legendary Zoe. Since it went on sale in 2012, the Zoe had sold 285,000 units by the end of 2020, and continues to be a popular choice today. However, while the car has developed over the years, most notably with a doubling of the battery capacity since launch, it has started to show its age. The 2021 update received zero NCAP stars, mostly due to its lack of modern safety assistance features. It was about time Renault released a new EV, and with the Megane E-Tech it’s back. But can Renault regain the Zoe’s former glory?

Under the hood, the Megane E-Tech is based on the same CMF-EV platform as the excellent Nissan Ariya. This is not a huge surprise, because the Zoe also shares a platform with the Nissan Leaf, as part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Like the Zoe and the Leaf, the Megane and Ariya are very different cars. In fact, they are even more unlike each other. Whereas the Zoe is smaller than the Leaf, they are both basically compact hatchbacks. But while the Ariya is a crossover tending towards SUV-sized, the Megane is more of a crossover tending towards a compact hatchback – like other vehicles bearing the Megane name before it.

Renault Megane E-Tech: Exterior and Powertrain

The external design isn’t as “weird” as some Megane predecessors, but the E-Tech is still a striking-looking vehicle. It rides quite high in typical crossover style. The black wheel arches and trim at the bottom of the doors provide the requisite rugged look, but the fact that the arches are gloss rather than matte adds a bit more class. With some color choices, such as the gray car I drove, there’s a black roof as well that improves the appearance even further, but it’s included only with select premium options.

Globally, Renault is offering a variety of different powertrain options. There are two battery sizes – 40kWh and 60kW – and two motor powers – 130hp and 220hp. However, in the UK only the larger battery and more powerful motor will be available. The 130hp / 60kWh combo gives the most range – 294 miles – but the 220hp motor only reduces this to 281 miles, which is an acceptable compromise for the extra power. That’s not quite Tesla Model 3 range, and there are several EVs from Kia, Hyundai and Volkswagen group that go further. Even MG’s highly affordable MG4 matches it. But these all have larger batteries, so Renault is doing quite well on efficiency.

Renault Megane E-Tech: Driving and Interior

While the range is good but not outstanding, you could say the same thing about the driving experience. In Sport mode, the Megane E-Tech takes 7.4 seconds to reach 62mph, which is around the same as the most powerful current version of the VW ID.3, the Cupra Born, and the non-S variant of the venerable BMW i3. The MG4 is a bit slower. But all these latter cars benefit from rear-wheel-drive, and the Megane E-Tech is front-wheel-drive. This could make it safer in the wet, and it’s certainly still good fun to drive. It’s just that these competitors have the slight edge dynamically, particularly the Cupra Born.

Carrying on the theme of decent mid-range features, interior space is good but not to SUV levels. The rear seats have enough head and knee room for a six-foot adult, but the middle rear seat is too narrow for all but a small child to endure a long journey. It also doesn’t integrate an armrest or cupholders, although rear-seat passengers do get some USB C ports and their own air vents. The front seats will be comfortable enough for a longer journey, although adjustment is mostly mechanical, with just height and lumbar electronically controlled.

Luggage space in the rear is generous, but not without issues. The basic capacity is 440 liters, which is beyond the typical compact hatchback, but not as much as a true SUV. You also get 32 ​​liters more under the floor, which is a perfect size to stow charging cables. Drop the rear seats down, with the usual 60/40 split, and capacity extends to 1,332 liters. That’s slightly less than a small station wagon / estate car or SUV, but again ahead of a compact hatchback. The main drawback is that with the rears down the space is not flat. There is a sizeable step up to the seat area, which is surprising in a pure BEV platform with the batteries under the car floor. The lip on the rear door is also very deep. This seems like a truly missed opportunity. Yes, the space is good, but the shape of that space is problematic.

Renault Megane E-Tech: Quality, Infotainment, Safety and Charging

The area where Renault steps ahead of much of the crowd is the quality and feel of the car’s interior. The stylish, purposeful look of the exterior is matched inside. There’s no leather upholstery – that’s a given with most EVs nowadays. But the material on the two premium trim options, Techno and Launch Edition (the entry-level is called Equilibre) is made from recycled plastic bottles and looks good. This isn’t German luxury, but except for the dashboard covering the materials and stitching have a sense of quality.

Renault has put plenty of attention into the infotainment, too. The dashboard and media screen form an angled continuum that produces an immersive sense for the driver. In Europe, there is apparently a 12in infotainment option, but in the UK you only get 9in. On the plus side, it’s powered by Android Auto, so it gets both Google Maps (with traffic) and the voice-activated Google Assistant. You can also head to the Play Store and install apps, including music streaming services such as Tidal and Spotify. Sure, you could use your phone for this, but having music streaming services fully integrated with the car is more convenient.

Safety is another area where Renault has clearly upped its game. The development team must be still having nightmares about the Zoe’s zero Euro NCAP safety stars, because the Megane E-Tech has no fewer than 22 different ADAS features, including all the necessary emergency braking and lane keeping. This has enabled it to achieve the full five stars.

Charging is another area where Renault has a solid offering. There are lots of options for this in other regions, but in the UK, you only get one – the top of the range. The DC charging rate is 130kW, which is good, but the more unique feature is 22kW AC charging. You can charge from 10 to 80% on a sufficiently fast DC charger in just 30 minutes – ideal for a longer journey. On a 7kW home box it takes 9 hours 15 minutes to go from zero to 100%. But if you (or your company) has 22kW AC, this drops charging times to just 3 hours 15 minutes, which could be really useful for corporate car owners.

Renault Megane E-Tech: Price and Verdict

The biggest obstacle Renault will face with the Megane E-Tech is its price. The base Equilibre trim costs £35,995 ($40,000), the Techno trim I drove starts at £38,495 ($43,000), and the range-topping Launch Edition costs a whopping £39,995 ($44,000). These are in the same ballpark as competitors from Volkswagen Group, Kia, and Hyundai. Quality and features are similar too. The fly in the ointment is the MG4 EV, which starts at £25,995 ($29,000), and is still a lot cheaper even if you go for the larger battery offering a similar range to the Megane.

So has Renault done enough to put itself back on the map as an EV contender? On one level, the Megane E-Tech is not the most exciting electric car release this year. It’s also expensive, in a world where MG in particular is really pushing the costs down with every new vehicle it launches. But the Renault still has a certain something, and few real weaknesses. The range is good, it’s enjoyable to drive, and there is a practical amount of space for passengers and cargo. It makes a strong case for itself as an alternative to European and Korean competitors. Only the Chinese invaders will give it a harder time.