Renault Scenic E-Tech Review 2024

Yes, if you want a car that does most things well and few things badly. There are cheaper cars out there, for sure, but when you take into consideration practicality, battery range, the amount of tech you get, plus aspects like interior quality, the Scenic is well worth considering. The fact that it’s reasonably fun to drive is also a bonus.

The Tesla Model Y offers access to the best charging network, though, and the Kia EV6 is arguably a better all-round package, but both those alternatives come at a price.  

So far, we’ve driven only the mid- and upper-trim levels with the bigger 87kWh battery. If ultimate range is key, then the 87kWh battery’s 379-mile official range makes it the one to buy. 

That said, the 60kWh battery officially manages 260 miles on a single charge. It’s slower than the 87kWh version (0-62mph in 8.6 seconds instead of 7.9 seconds) but matches the pace of an entry-level Enyaq and it’s quicker than many traditional petrol and diesel rivals. The entry-level trim is well kitted out, too, and at around £37,500 we reckon it’s a tempting combination.  

When we asked Renault about which cars its Scenic is competing with, it said there’s not one particular car, or even a single segment, it’s aiming at. Family car, MPV, SUV, petrol, diesel, or hybrid; it’s all the same to them, apparently. 

However, if you have around £37,500 to spend for the entry-spec Scenic, and you want an electric car, then the Kia Niro EV and Skoda Enyaq ranges start at similar money. The Enyaq 60 offers more interior space and a comparable range to the Scenic’s 60kWh battery, but isn’t as dynamic to drive. 

If your budget stretches to around £45,500 then you could look at cheaper versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y. And we have to mention the Nissan Ariya, because it shares the same underpinnings as the Scenic – although the top versions of the Ariya are much pricier. Meanwhile, you might want to consider the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Volvo XC40 Recharge for their more premium or evocative brand names, but you’ll need to find even more cash. 

It’s worth noting that while some of the cars we’ve mentioned get near to the Scenic 87kWh’s 379-mile official range, none match it. 

As we’ve mentioned, there are lots of smart materials dotted about the Scenic’s interior that lift the ambience. For instance, all versions come with gloss black and chrome highlights on the dashboard, and from Esprit Alpine trim you get a soft, fabric dash that adds to the air of plushness. There are some neat touches that go above and beyond, too, like carpeted door bins front and rear. This stops your odds and sods rattling about and looks and feels pleasant, too.

It isn’t perfect, mind. There are some harder, less appealing plastics – most noticeably the top of the door trims – but while that’s a shame, you’ll find similar plastics in all its price competitors. And the fact is your eyes are drawn to the smarter bits, so overall the Scenic is a nice place to be.

What about build quality? Well, we’d say that matches up with its main rivals, too. Overall it’s at least as robust, if not sturdier, than an Enyaq when you start prodding and fiddling. 

There’s plenty to talk about here, which is good if you like your tech. For a start, when you climb aboard and press the start button the 12.3-inch driver’s display bursts in to life with welcome graphics and an accompanying tune by composer Jean-Michele Jarre – for younger readers, he’s a French composer who was mega famous in the 1980s. Both the driver’s display and the 12-inch portrait-orientated infotainment screen are crisp with easy-to-read graphics.

The infotainment system is generally easy to operate once you’ve learned your way around its various menus. It’s responsive, too. Renault told us that there will be a software update for the production cars to iron out some niggles, though. Any further software updates can be done over-the-air, which saves you having to book the car into the dealership.

The software is Google assisted services, which means you get Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play store – with around 50 apps available. On top of that it comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, and all versions have wireless phone charging along with USB-C sockets front and rear. Top Iconic trim is fitted with a high-end Harman Kardon sound system with a punchy delivery.

There’s plenty of head and legroom in the front for a tall driver and passenger, and the interior’s wide enough that neither will be banging elbows on the centre armrest. Those in the rear are also well looked after. True, the Kia EV6 has more rear legroom, but the Scenic has enough; certainly enough to fit two six-footers behind their equivalents up front. The rear middle seat is a little narrower and higher than the outer two, but still fine for a fifth passenger when required. There’s no floor tunnel to straddle, either. Another highlight is the rear seating position. In a Tesla Model 3, the rear seat squab is so low to the floor that there’s little under-thigh support. The Scenic’s rear bench is set higher, so it’s more supportive.

Unfortunately there isn’t a sliding or reclining rear bench but the rear compartment has at least one clever feature. The rear armrest drops down to reveal two cup holders, which you can swivel round to reveal smartphone/ tablet holders – one for each outer-rear passenger. And when you lift up the armrest lid you’ll find extra storage space and two USB-C ports. If that’s not enough to keep the backseat passengers happy, there are also pockets in the back of the front seats for popping phones into. In fact, with all the various trays and cubbies – front and back – you’ll find plenty of storage space in the Scenic. Only the tiny glovebox blots its copybook.

There’s no problem with luggage space, either. The power-operated rear tailgate give access to 545 litres of carrying capacity. To put that into context, it’s only a few litres shy of the Skoda Enyaq’s boot and more than you get in a Kia EV6. Swallowing a pushchair won’t be an issue, then, and there’s another 38-litres of underfloor storage. That’s where the charging cables live because there isn’t a second boot in the nose, like you get with the Model Y.

When you drop the 40/20/40-split-folding rear seats, the space increases to 1,670 litres, but this reveals an issue: a big step in the extended boot floor. However, there’s a solution. Make sure you order the adjustable boot floor, which isn’t a hugely expensive option. It reduces the step when the rear seats are down and makes the loading lip smaller, too.

The cheaper option is the 60kWh battery coupled with a motor producing 170PS and 280Nm of torque. Not massive numbers, true, but good enough for 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds – similar to an Enyaq 60 and quicker than your average petrol or diesel family SUV. We haven’t tried this version yet, but we’ll let you know what it’s like once we have.

At this early stage we’ve tried only the 87kWh battery. It adds more range but also more performance, with 217PS and 300Nm of shove. Even that isn’t enough to match the Tesla Model Y’s crazy acceleration times, but it’s quick enough. 0-62mph is done in 7.9 seconds, and that’s plenty to get you off the line smartly at traffic lights and up to motorway speeds with ease. The other nice thing is how effortlessly you can increase speed thanks to the accelerator’s intuitive response.

Top speed is a little academic in the UK, but the 60kWh maxes out at 93mph and the 87kWh will keep going until 105mph.  

This is a definite strength of the Scenic. Even the smaller 60kWh battery will officially carry on for 260 miles on a full charge. That compares well with an ID.4 Pure’s quite limiting 223 miles and is not far behind the Niro EV’s 285-mile maximum.

It’s the 87kWh battery that really does the business, though. If you travel long distances regularly, or simply have a serious case of range anxiety, then this version will go on and on until, officially, it runs out of charge after 379 miles. What else could you buy that tops that? Not much, really. It’ll still be going long after the Kia EV6 RWD has run out of puff at 328 miles and the Tesla Model Y Long Range at 331 miles – both more expensive cars, remember.

A heat pump is standard, which helps extend the battery range in extreme temperatures – it makes the air conditioning and the interior heating run more efficiently, and helps maintain the battery at its optimum temperature as well.

There’s next to no noise from the electric drivetrain while you’re driving along. It accelerates almost silently, and the only time you hear a faint whine is when you lift off and the motor starts harvesting electricity to top up the battery.

Road noise is also very well isolated; unless the surface is truly rough there’s not much drone from the tyres. The main thing you’ll hear is wind noise, but even at 70mph it’s something you’re aware of but it’s not a deal breaker.   

Renault claims up to 30 safety assist systems for the Scenic, which includes a Safety Coach that rates your driving. This assesses data, such as how you accelerate, how much distance you leave to cars in front (there’s a handy readout on the dash that tell you the distance in seconds), speed limit awareness, etc. 

The motorway and traffic assistant Active Driver Assist combines adaptive cruise control, Stop & Go and lane centring that adapts to the road. At low speeds, such as in a traffic jam, the lane centring system can be adjusted by the driver to keep the vehicle to one side of the road to ease the passage of emergency vehicles.

The Intelligent Contextual Adaptive Cruise Control system uses GPS data so the Scenic knows when to slow for upcoming roundabouts, bends and changes in speed limit. And, of course, there’s also active emergency braking to help prevent an accident, which detects cars, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as a secondary braking that puts the brakes on after a shunt.

So far the Scenic hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP. We’ll update you with the results when it has.

The Renault Scenic E-Tech is too new for us to have any idea of how reliable it will be. But as a brand, Renault finished down the bottom – last but one place – in our latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. The good news, though, is that electric cars tend to be more reliable than their petrol or diesel counterparts. There are less moving parts to go wrong - and we've heard of very few issues with other Renault EVs, including the popular Renault Zoe.

The entry-level Scenic 60kWh is in insurance group 28. The rest of the range is in group 32. That’s quite reasonable for a large EV in this price range.

Because the Renault Scenic is all-electric, there’s no VED (road tax) – unless the government changes that situation in years to come. Which it currently plans to do from 2025 - but enjoy the tax break while you can.

Even the entry-level Techno trim Scenic comes well equipped. We’ve mentioned some of the items already, such as the 12.3-inch driver’s display, 12.0-inch infotainment screen, wireless phone charging, wireless smartphone mirroring, adaptive cruise control, a powered tailgate, a rear-view camera and parking sensors front and rear. That’s not the end of it, though. You also get 19-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, automatic lights and wipers, power-folding door mirrors, LED headlights, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, ambient interior lighting and a heat pump.

Esprit Alpine trims adds 20-inch alloys, heated sports seats and upgraded trims including blue interior detailing.

Iconic adds an electric driver’s seat with massage function, Harman Kardon sound system, part faux-leather seats, wood trim, automatic parking and a 360-degree parking camera. Also you get a rear-view mirror that turns into a screen, which shows you what’s behind even when the view through the rear window is blocked. And also something called a Solarbay Roof. Instead of a simple blind to stop glare, this full-length glass roof has polymer-dispersed liquid crystals that make individual sections of the glass opaque at the touch of a button.