New Megane E-Tech Electric is a deceptively easy drive

Published on 24 December, 2022

Overview

I wouldn’t blame anyone who feels a bit confused by Renault’s decision to call their brand new battery electric hatchback the Megane E-Tech Electric.

That’s because the E-Tech name was used on a hybrid companion belonging to the ‘old’ range.

The new, and proper, E-Tech Megane Electric is as different as chalk and cheese compared with the previous line-up. Indeed, the name is just about all that has been carried over.

That’s a good thing as the company gets on with electrification of its cars. The least we can expect is clarity of function. E-Tech Electric works for me as far as this new battery electric vehicle (BEV) hatch is concerned.
It’s important, too, that this Megane doesn’t even look like the older name-bearer.

If you are thinking of buying the car, it should be a clean break with what’s gone before. And it is. Being a total BEV, its set-up is also vastly different.

This car is designed to lead the way for new BEV powertrains – and to stamp the new Renault look with buyer approval. This has its blemishes but I think you’ll find it to be quite a step-up in function and form.

It certainly needs to be, given the sort of competition in its class (rivals include the Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, Kia Niro EV and MG4 to name but four).

So how well did it fare? Good and bad, I think, but first a few facts and observations.

It is, and feels like, it’s taller than your ordinary family hatchback and, as such, it shifts in perspective. People love taller cars – it gives them a greater sense of vision and control.

At 4,200mm long, 1,768mm wide and 1,500mm tall with a 2,685mm wheelbase, it is far from being a trailblazer on size. It is, for instance, 200mm shorter than Kia’s Niro EV.

The physical limitations (or blessings if you worry about parking) are exploited to the full by minimising front and rear overhangs. The result is it looks taller and more robust than the key stats would suggest.

On the downside of its design is a centre pillar that is too bulky and robs some visibility while the rear windscreen is too shallow altogether.

My test car was powered by a 60kWh battery and an electric motor driving the front wheels. Rear-drive is favoured by many others of the genre. The architecture of the car is such that a secondary rear-motor version can be produced at some point in the future.

The upside was a decent-sized deep boot as there is no invasion from a rear motor. But loading it wasn’t as easy as I would have liked – the boot lip was too high.

Renault do great little storage spaces. The one in the centre console, for example, has dividers you can move to create extra space or make room for an additional cupholder.

The dash is illuminated by nine-inch multimedia and 12.3-inch driver information displays that do what I expected. Importantly, key-function buttons are retained.

But there are too many stalks around the steering wheel – including one for a gear-change lever that, to my initial surprise, worked grand (I had fears it would be like the monster selector on Volkswagen’s ID EVs).

And if there wasn’t enough steering-wheel clutter, there is a ‘Multi Sense’ button that lets you choose what mode you want to drive in. The sense in me said Eco. I opted for Sport most of the time. It just meant a quicker accelerator response.

I also used the steering-wheel (again) paddles to control the amount of regeneration when braking or slowing down. I did a lot of that but was disappointed to see the energy-remaining dial show half-expiry quite early.

The fault wasn’t fully Renault’s. Nor mine. It was, I’m convinced, the effect on the battery and system of the big freeze. It was the best example I’ve seen of how prevailing conditions enhance or hinder energy consumption.

Renault claim a 450km range between charges. I reckoned on 320km with my test car in trying conditions. I didn’t try anything remotely fast under those conditions so I’ll take Renault’s word for the zero-to-100kmh time of 7.5 seconds.
They are anxious to put emphasis on the Megane being a sporty EV, so quicker steering is another claim. I didn’t notice anything major.

But then I wasn’t in tarmac-tear-up mode. It seemed I cruised gently all week.

And that, despite what they say about it being ‘sporty’, is what this new Megane is really best at: making the drive deceptively easy.

Should it be on your shopping list? Yes, I reckon it’s one to watch.

I think you’d feel you had missed out on something if you didn’t give it a try.

Fact File

The Renault Megane E-Tech electric hatch is available from €37,495 (includes €5,000 SEAI grant). ​
Technical features: 220hp, 60kWh battery. Max AC charging speed of 22kW; max DC 130kW.
Specs: Nine-inch multimedia, 12.3-inch driver information displays. Automatic emergency braking assist as well as pedestrian, cyclist and junction alerts. Rear parking sensors, two-zone climate control and heated front seats. Adaptive cruise control, front/rear parking assist and sensors.