Renault accumulates more than a decade of experience in the world of electric cars, as it was one of the first European generalist brands to break into this field. During this time, the diamond brand has sold no less than 400.000 units, with more than 10.000 million kilometers traveled between all its cars. More than enough experience to now put the new Renault Megane E-Tech 100% electric.
Thus, we traveled to the province of Malaga to see first-hand all the details of the new renault megane electric and, of course, drive it. Before you ask yourself the question, we must emphasize that the new electric option will live with him Mégane fourth generation and its internal combustion engines.
How could it be otherwise, this new electric Renault Megane E-Tech takes the CMF-EV platform developed by the famous Alliance. The car itself will hit the Spanish streets during the month of June, available with two battery levels and two engines of different powers, yielding up to 220 CV and homologating autonomies of up to 470 kilometers.
Its exterior is that of a compact with crossover features
At first glance, the new electric Megane looks like a very large car because of its exterior design. Nevertheless, measures only 4,2 meters in length and 1,5 in height, while its width is 1,77 and the wheelbase measures 2,69 meters. The length is similar to that of a Renault Captur, therefore it is shorter than the combustion Mégane.
For this contact, we have opted for the iconic finish, the most complete version of the range. As you can see in the images, it plays with that light blue tone and adds a section in a golden tone in the lower area of the front and rear. To generate a visual crossover effect, there is no lack of additions in the lower parts of the four sides and in the wheel arches, in this case in glossy black.
But leaving these details aside, the electric Renault Megane E-Tech is recognizable as a brand model, as it includes many features already seen in recent releases such as the "appendages" in the headlights. Despite this, it cannot be denied that it has its own personality.
For example, look at the huge brand logos with the new symbol of the French brand, in the style of the LED headlights and taillights, in the multiple tension ribs to give more muscle to the body or in the very high waistline of the sides. Other details to mention are the flush front door handles or the rear ones, hidden in the purest Renault Clio style.
Logically, all these details and the shapes of the bodywork are not accidental. Play between the groundbreaking and attractive design and aerodynamic efficiency, something vital in any electric car. This model has a Cx of 0,29.
Minimalist interior, but sensible and with good front width
It is no less attractive in the passenger compartment, where it has sought to offer an interior with a great feeling of space in the front seats at the stroke of minimalism, albeit sensibly. But let's go in parts, starting with the newly designed slightly flattened steering wheel, which uses physical buttons for the main functions, in addition to a button on the right side with which we change the driving modes, the Multi-Sense system.
Behind the wheel we have the 12-inch digital instrument cluster, with various display modes selectable from the "View" button on the steering wheel, different information and settings, changing its font depending on the driving mode chosen at any time. The truth is that it looks good and we do not miss more information.
Already in the center of the dashboard and in a vertical position, the main screen of infotainment, with 12,3 inches. Through it we manage all the general settings of the car, information, the telephone, the audio and the applications. Its glass has a very successful touch and an interesting detail is that the climate control is not integrated, but is managed from the buttons just below it.
But it should be especially noted that this infotainment comes with google integrated, Renault being the first generalist brand to resort to this system. Thus, we have Google Maps with information such as the percentage of charge that we will have when we reach our destination and a voice assistant (Google Assistant) really effective and who understands us perfectly. Obviously, we can also synchronize our phone with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
No fancy materials, but very well finished in every way
As far as qualities are concerned, the Renault Megane E-Tech has some good finishes and adjustments, being quite visually pleasing due to the impression of relief it conveys, as well as the touch it presents. And that many of the chosen materials are rigid, but well chosen and treated.
The seats used by this test unit also offer a very nice touch and a good design, being comfortable, with adjustments and electrical memory and also heated. Of course, in determined driving they do not have a high level of lateral grip, prioritizing comfort in normal and relaxed use, which is what this vehicle is designed for.
To generate that good interior appearance also helps the multi-configurable ambient interior lighting, which incorporates an automatic operating mode that varies its hue depending on the time of day, resorting to cooler colors first thing in the morning and warmer ones as night approaches.
The rear seats are improvable, but approve
As you have already seen, the rear doors have the “hidden” opening handles next to the pillar. Once open, access is easy, with the bench at a very natural height, a detail that will come in handy for the elderly or those with low mobility.
Within, legroom is ok, as is headroom. I think that four occupants of 1,80 meters tall can travel with enough clearance, without problems. Of course, by having a relatively small side window, the opposite happens to us than in the front seats, that is, we do not have as much feeling of spaciousness.
The less good part is that by carrying the battery on the ground, the floor is somewhat elevated and our knees are slightly above the hips, while we also don't have much room to put our feet under the front seat. This is something common in electric cars.
On the other hand, we have central air vents without temperature adjustment, a couple of USB Type-C sockets, holes in the doors and bags behind the backs to leave the occasional object. To ask for something, a central armrest would not have been too much, although it makes up for it with the total absence of the transmission tunnel.
A trunk with little depth but a lot of height
If we go to the back of the car and open the gate, we receive 440 liters depending on the brand, although it is a volume with a certain "trick", because in the VDA measurement, which is the method used by most manufacturers, they are 389 liters those that this electric Renault Megane E-Tech cubes.
But beyond specific figures, you have to look at other details. For example the loading mouth is somewhat high and that will make it difficult to get large objects in and out. We also see that it does not have too much distance to the back of the seats, but it does have a lot of height. That is, if we are going to load several suitcases we have to place them vertically or stack them. By the way, if we knock down the seats, the space to the ceiling increases to 1.245 liters.
Batteries and motors available in the Renault Megane E-Tech
As we said at the beginning of this article, the new The 100% electric Renault Megane E-Tech is available with two motors and two batteries. The less powerful engine is capable of delivering 130 hp and 250 Nm of torque, linked in most versions to the small battery, with a capacity of 40 kWh.
This variant of access is capable of doing 0 to 100 in 10 seconds and its maximum speed is limited to 150 km / h. The approved mixed consumption data is 15,8 kWh/100 km, achieving a range of 300 kilometres.
For its part, the most powerful engine yields 220 hp and 300 Nm, always combined with the superior battery, the 60 kWh. Among its benefits we find a 0 to 100 in 7,4 seconds, a top speed of 160 km/h (limited) and a mixed consumption of 16,1 kWh/100 km, which result in an approved autonomy of 450 kilometers.
The version with more autonomy is the one that combines the small motor and the large battery, offering 470 km range according to the homologation data. Of course, Renault has said that this mechanical option will have very few sales in our country.
At the wheel of the most powerful electric Renault Megane
In this first test we got on the Renault Megane E-Tech with greater mechanical capacity. We have 220 hp and 300 Nm of torque, approving a range of up to 450 kilometers in this version with a 60 kW battery. By the way, the electric drive is always in the front, as is the drive.
As in any electric car, what stands out most when driving is the smoothness of operation, silence and linearity of its power delivery. Here there is no type of pull, being very comfortable and easy to handle.
In addition, we can play between different driving modes with the “Multi-Sense” button of the steering wheel that sharpen or soften the response of the car, as well as the weight of the steering. An address, which by the way, stands out for being very direct. Therefore, we have to turn the steering wheel very little to make any curve.
Your address is really direct
This is especially practical in town and on twisty roads. Of course, despite the fact that it is very fast and also precise, it barely transmits information to our hands about the grip of the tires.
Continuing with the dynamic behavior of the car, it should be noted that it is a vehicle with a Quite comfortable suspension setting at the time of overcoming the potholes, but that does not swing when we increase the pace in curves. This is because the batteries go on the floor of it and, therefore, they lower the center of gravity a lot.
We can circulate at a high pace on mountain roads, as we were able to verify in this presentation. However, at least during this test we ran into a small problem. And it is that the car lost traction relatively easily, especially when accelerating hard at the exit of slow corners.
We noticed loss of traction, but not because of the car itself
I think the biggest part of the blame is that the polished asphalt of roads in the south of the peninsula is not exactly the best for checking a car's grip. In fact, even off-throttle lateral grip was a bit compromised, as was under hard braking. Eye, of course I mean driving at a fairly cheerful pace, in a sporty driving. At normal speeds absolutely none of this was perceived.
If we add to the above the almost instantaneous 300 Nm torque in the front end and some Goodyear EfficientGrip tiresAs you can imagine, we made the electronic aids work quite hard to channel the energy from the electric motor to the road, especially if we accelerated hard before we got the wheel fully straight.
To finish clarifying, I am practically sure that the main reason for these loss of traction was the asphalt, and that exactly the same would happen with any other vehicle with similar characteristics. Surely on asphalt with an acceptable roughness, we would not have noticed any of this.
Leaving aside the previously mentioned, the Renault Megane E-Tech has four retention levels variable by the driver, something very useful both for descending mountain passes and for urban use. It is managed with the paddles on the steering wheel and helps to recover electrical energy to the battery, being more efficient on our journeys if we use it correctly.
We were able to drive a few kilometers on fast roads at 120 km/h, but enough to notice that it is a well-insulated car, comfortable and with power more than enough to deal with additions, overtaking or other unforeseen events during the march.
Let's talk about assistants and consumption in the electric Renault Megane
To this we must add that the Renault Megane E-Tech has nothing less than 26 ADAS, among which we can especially highlight the intelligent adaptive speed regulator according to the mapping, the emergency braking in reverse and the safe exit of occupants when opening the door, the main innovations in the French brand.
Finally in this section, let's talk about the best before date. You already know that in the presentations the consumption data must be taken with tweezers, as they say. We have covered 200 kilometers with little motorway, but quite a twisty road with high rhythms. The consumption reflected by the computer has been 16,7 kWh / 100 km, consuming 62% of the battery charge.
Only one direct rival, and it comes from Germany
The clear objective of the 100% electric Renault Megane E-Tech is neither more nor less than el Volkswagen ID.3. There are more electric cars on the market today, but the one that most closely resembles it in terms of size and approach is the Volkswagen.
It will depend on the tastes and preferences of each client to opt for one model or another. The German feels more spacious in the rear seats, but the Frenchman clearly surpasses him in details such as the quality and materials chosen inside, as well as in the technological section.
Prices Renault Megane E-Tech
| Motor | Battery | Finished | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Battery | Finished | Price |
| 130 CV | 40 kWh | equilibre | 35.200 € |
| 130 CV | 60 kWh | Evolution | 41.200 € |
| 130 CV | 40 kWh | Techno | 38.200 € |
| 220 CV | 60 kWh | equilibre | 40.200 € |
| 220 CV | 60 kWh | Techno | 43.200 € |
| 220 CV | 60 kWh | Iconic | 46.200 € |
Gallery Renault Megane E-Tech electric
More information about this model
- Plazas 5
- Power 116 - 300 hp
- Consumption 1,2 - 8,5l/100km
- Assessment 4,5