First impressions - Renault Megane E-Tech Electric

Renault Megane E-Tech Electric went on sale in February this year and during the Sofia Motor Show we had our first chance to have a closer look at it. This is Renault’s first model built on the dedicated CMF-EV platform and is available with two battery sizes - 40kWh and 60kWh. The smaller battery is coupled with a 96kW (130hp) electric motor that drives front wheels and gives the car a 302km (187 miles) range and 0-100kmh comes in a leisurely 10 seconds.

The bigger battery equipped car comes with 160kW (220hp) electric motor still driving just the front wheels but it makes a much better work of it - 0-100kmh takes 7.4 seconds and the range goes up to 454 km (282 miles) on the WLTP cycle. The faster model has 300Nm of torque and the slower one comes with 250Nm, which explains its rather conservative performance.

Renault Megane E-Tech Electric

The Megane E-Tech Electric is a deceptively large car - it looks dynamic and low in the photos but in real life this 4.2 meter long crossover is taller than expected. The window line is really high with narrow side windows really accentuating the bulk of the car. It gives it a really solid appearance but the windows are really small and it becomes apparent when you jump inside.

Once you’re inside the car feels really solid, the seats are exceptionally comfortable, the driver and passengers will feel cocooned and safe. The majority of the materials are of great quality, Renault paid attention to a lot of details in the cabin to make the car feel more upmarket - there’s the contrasting leather stitching on the dashboard and the little shelf under the center screen, while seats have contrasting beads running on the edge.

But then there is also a multitude of plastics with varying surface finishes seemingly randomly picked for Renault parts’ bin - the car’s on/off button is randomly placed behind the steering wheel and indicator stalks are leftovers from Megane from 20 years ago. Typical Renault then.

Once behind the wheel, the driver is faced with a sporty steering wheel full of capacitive buttons, the wheel feels good - it has a decent thickness to it and is really small making the car feel sporty.

There are two screens - the center one is positioned vertically and has a 12” diagonal. Thankfully Renault decided to leave some physical buttons for climate control. Overall they perform ok - functional without getting in the way and the display itself is sharp and easy to navigate. Renault Megane E-Tech infotainment is operated by Android OS with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration which makes the use of it really easy and intuitive.

The driver’s instrument panel is 12.3” diagonally, but it’s much narrower than the center screen. Graphics are clear and easy to understand, there are few options to choose from when it comes to what is displayed and how. Again no revolutionary solutions, just plain and safe Renault Megane.

Renault Megane E-Tech Electric - interior

The car’s dynamic silhouette comes at a price - on paper its trunk has 440l capacity with the rear seats up but it is actually quite narrow with a really high sitting bumper meaning you need to lift things really high to put them inside, not ideal situation. There is a separate compartment under the floor for charging cables and it has plenty of room for smaller items. The rear window is so narrow that the wiper ends up looking like it’s been snapped in half - when it’s on it makes the car look like a happy terrier wagging its tiny tail.

The rear passenger room is adequate - the roof slopes down and the seats are a bit higher due to the battery under the floor. In all honesty the room in the back is perfect for two kids but adults of above average size won’t feel great there on longer journeys.

There is no denying the car looks really great, amazing actually. It has some of the best looking headlights and taillights on the market, the whole body of the car looks dynamic and solid and it makes you wanna jump in and drive.

The smart use of black color on the upper part of the car makes it look even better, black and gold accents all over the body greatly accentuate the lines - really amazing design, Renault knows its game. But it seems the interior design was left to team Dacia.

There’s nothing wrong with it - it’s perfectly functional, it’s very comfortable and no driver will complain about it. But it feels like it's from an entirely different car. The outside makes you go “oooooo…” and the inside makes you go “right…” Did Renault spend the entire budget on the outside? It sure feels like it.

Renault Megane is a very important car for the brand, it’s equivalent to what Golf is for Volkswagen and Renault didn’t want to risk upsetting its audience.

Was it a wasted opportunity? Not entirely, the car is very well put together, the quality is really nice and the technology is well tried and tested and the Megane E-Tech will deliver solid performance for years to come. The interior will get a refresh in a few years and this Megane will go on to make many customers happy.