Familiar name gets a new lease of life after a lengthy absence, and with electric power and SUV style, it’s now bang on trend On sale July Price from £37,495
Lawrence Cheung lawrence.cheung@haymarket.com
WHEN THE ORIGINAL Renault Scenic arrived in the 1990s, MTV was – as the name ‘Music Television’ suggests – the go-to channel for music videos. Over time, though, MTV has evolved to meet changing demands; celebrity scoops and reality TV now make up most of its output. And the Scenic? Well, it faded away when MPVs fell out of fashion, but now it’s back as the Scenic E-Tech, ditching MPV frumpiness to combine electric power and SUV style. Like MTV, it seems to have its finger on the pulse.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
Of the two versions offered, the entry-level Scenic, with its 60kWh (usable capacity) battery and 167bhp electric motor, does 0-62mph in 8.6sec. We’ve not yet tried that version, but even with the larger, 87kWh (usable) battery and 215bhp motor, the Scenic doesn’t feel particularly quick; 0-62mph takes 7.9sec, trailing most rivals, particularly the Tesla Model Y RWD. However, there’s enough punch for the Scenic to safely merge onto fast-moving motorways or overtake dawdling rural traffic.
The Scenic’s suspension does a pretty good job of soaking up bumps most of the time, but there is a degree of choppiness when dealing with sharper abrasions. True, it doesn’t thump over these as much as the Model Y, but it’s enough to jostle occupants in their seats.
It’s fair to say the Scenic is best experienced at a relaxed pace. Fast cornering exposes plenty of body lean and moderate levels of grip, plus the steering is light and inconsistent; its initial response isn’t particularly quick, but the speed at which the nose darts into corners increases the more you apply lock. As a result, it’s less confidence inspiring than that of a Model Y.
More impressive is the Scenic’s range, particularly for the 87kWh version, which officially manages 379 miles on a full charge. That’s farther than the Ioniq 5, Enyaq 85 and the Model Y Long Range will take you. The smaller battery, meanwhile, promises 260 miles, and that beats the Enyaq 60 (at 249 miles) and entry-level versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (238 miles). It can’t match the Model Y RWD’s 283 miles, though.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
Even though you don’t feel like you’re perched quite as high in the Scenic as you would in a Model Y, there’s plenty of adjustment for the driver to find a comfortable
