RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH ELECTRIC
Practical crossover with some sporting pretensions initiates the second generation of electric Renaults
TESTED 20.10.21, PARIS, FRANCE ON SALE AUTUMN 2022 PRICE £35,000 (EST)
The all-new Mégane crossover is another serious ‘budge up’ from battery technology as it starts to shove combustion engines out of the mainstream. After all, the Mégane is a trusty old member of the family hatchback class, but this new car is purely electric – albeit to be sold alongside the plug-in hybrid Mégane for a couple of years.
You won’t mistake this new model for the old one, though: its Range Rover Evoque-esque look, complete with a high waistline, a frowning brow and contrasting chevrons on its chin, is very distinct and rather sporting.
This, in fact, is because this design was originally conceived as the styling for a performance version of the new car. As design boss Laurens van den Acker told us: “Everyone liked it so much that we made it the standard styling.” That will also explain the 20in wheels that will be standard fit on higher-spec versions, then.
This is also an important car for Renault, since it’s the first model to sit on its new EV-specific modular platform, the CMF-EV.
In this guise, that means frontwheel drive and a slimline mattress of lithium ion batteries with a usable capacity of either 40kWh or 60kWh, which translates to a WLTP range of 186 or 292 miles.