Renault Scenic E-Tech
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.