The Renault Scenic is again! However not as we all know it

The Renault Scenic was a large participant within the Nineteen Nineties family-car sport, a super-versatile people-carrier. Then these egg-shaped issues went out of style. Now the identify is again, as an all-electric crossovery-thing however nonetheless with an emphasis on household handiness.

Really, within the publicity Renault bumf avoids the C-word fully, and that is certainly a decrease automotive than the rival Tesla Mannequin Y, VW ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Ford Mustang Mach E.

It is carefully associated to the electrical Megane – a automotive we price extremely – and inherits the identical glorious sprint format. If all goes properly, the driving smarts too.

However the Scenic has an extended wheelbase for a stretchier again seat and a much bigger boot. It leverages that by making life correctly homely within the second row. The central armrest has fold-out stands for screens, powered by adjoining USBs. A number of pockets within the entrance seatbacks swallow the muddle of journey, and the entrance armrest slides. Total Renault reckons there’s 39 litres of storage across the cabin. The boot is a stable 545 litres.

A panoramic glass roof is electrically dimming in two individually managed sections, so it may be clear over the again seats however opaque over the entrance, or vice-versa.

The lengthy wheelbase provides house for a battery of as much as 87kWh. That interprets to a 379-mile WLTP vary. Name it 300-330 in the true world. That is paired with a 220bhp electrical motor, for a 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds. Recharging is speedy, peaking at 170kW, so motorway stops ought to be transient.

A less expensive possibility is 170bhp and a 60kWh pack, for 260 miles vary WLTP, or 200-plus real-world. Which is definitely sufficient for practically everybody, representing because it does three hours’ plus of UK motorway driving with the odd jam or roadworks part. It is a household automotive keep in mind, and by that point somebody onboard will probably be yelling for a consolation cease. All variations have a warmth pump so vary should not collapse in winter.

A web-based journey planner takes under consideration the climate and public charger energy, so works out the perfect locations to cease, and tells the automotive to chill its battery on strategy to chargers so it could actually suck vitality sooner. The planner works in your cellphone so you’ll be able to construct the route beforehand, and ship it to the automotive. Which ought to keep away from the stress of the youngsters’ impatience when you’re jabbing on the display whenever you first get in.

Even with the massive battery possibility, the Scenic is 1,850kg, which is lighter than most rivals. The bonnet and door skins are aluminium to avoid wasting weight, and that is 80 per cent recycled materials. The iron and metal is 37 per cent recycled, and the cockpit plastics and fabric are in large measure recycled or bio-sourced. Total, Renault says the Scenic is 24 p.c recycled out of the manufacturing unit, and the corporate has the experience to recycle 90 per cent of its mass on the finish of life, together with recovering battery supplies.

As a result of it is so carefully associated to the Megane, you’ll be able to deduce costs for the 60kWh model will begin at simply over £40k. But it surely’s nonetheless practically half a 12 months till precise UK specs and costs are introduced, and several other months extra earlier than deliveries begin.

So even for those who do not assume you want a household automotive proper now, you’ve got bought time to get pregnant and provides beginning earlier than the Scenic hits UK roads.