Renault Megane E-Tech Review

Introduction

Renault has plenty of SUVs in its range nowadays. There is the Captur, the electric Scenic, the Symbioz, the Arkana, the Austral and the Rafale.

And there’s the Megane, too. Sort of.

No, you didn’t read it incorrectly - the Megane E-Tech (to give its full name) is something of an SUV today, or at least it certainly looks like one, even though it's still classed as a family hatchback by its dimensions.

The fact that it embodies SUV styling is no mistake, though – it seems everyone wants an SUV nowadays, and the Megane of today is far removed from what you used to know.

Not only have the aesthetics changed a lot, but so too has the power source: It is now an all-electric car, and, in practice, this is a brand-new design with the Megane name attached to it rather than an upgraded or evolved version of the old model.

It is about time, though, given that Renault's first electric car, the Zoe, was launched in 2012, and the Paris-based manufacturer hasn’t looked like it’s been in a hurry to launch any other emissions-free cars since.

Recently, however, the floodgates have started to open, and with a bunch of hybrids already under its belt, Renault is steadily building up its electrification programme.

It even includes the relaunch of the retro 1970s-designed Renault 5, which has been given a modern-day makeover.

The Megane E-Tech's platform is the same as that the Nissan Ariya SUV used. But is it any good in Renault form? That is what we’re aiming to find out.

At A Glance

The Megane E-Tech has a modern, futuristic appearance.

It features thinned-out headlights connected by a bar of the same height, in the middle of which is the Renault badge.

The absence of a grille means there's plenty of blank space beneath. Out to the sides, LED day running lights weave their way down towards the lower grille, which features two trapezoids.

The air intakes are out to the sides, too, and the bodywork accommodating them looks like two large arrows pointing inwards – they’re painted gold on the top-of-the-range version.

The vehicle looks rounded when viewed side-on, with skirts that rise up significantly into the lower part of the doors, hinting at SUV-like characteristics.

The rear is also bulky, with the taillights connected by a horizontal bar that spans the entire width of the tailgate.

Beneath, there’s black bodywork, giving off a more rugged off-road appearance.

The similarity to the Scenic E-Tech, Symbioz and Austral SUVs is no coincidence.

Is it pretty? Well, that’s for you to decide. It is likely to divide opinion, but it certainly looks sleek, modern, and sophisticated - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all.

Key Features

The Megane E-Tech comes in three trim levels.

The entry-level Evolution gets 18-inch alloy wheels, a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen with an Arkamys audio system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, satellite navigation, a 12.3-inch driver information display cluster, a heated synthetic leather steering wheel, and heated front seats.

You also get interior ambient lighting, a keycard with keyless entry, dual-zone climate control with humidity sensors and air recycling, automatic LED headlights and rain-sensing wipers, a wireless phone charger, and a rear-view camera.

Techno trim acquires 20-inch alloys, paddle shifters for regenerative braking, six-way electric adjustment in the front seats with two-way lumbar support and driver’s massage function, plus two extra speakers. It also has a larger 12-inch infotainment touchscreen that features Google services, meaning popular features like Google Maps have become native to the car.

The top-of-the-range Iconic trim boasts a surround-view 360-degree camera, hands-free parking, tinted rear windows, and dynamic indicator signals.

All versions also now get a heat pump, which can warm the vehicle prior to departure - and that actually saves energy on cold days, as a warmed-up battery performs better than being left freezing on a typical British winter’s morning.

Regardless of trim, power comes in the form of Renault’s EV60 electric motor, which has 220PS.

Range & Batteries

The Megane E-Tech has a 65kWh (60kWh usable) battery.

That is good enough for a claimed range of 280 miles, which is reasonable, but some rivals can do better.

Don't expect to achieve those range figures in practice – anything between 60 and 80% of the claimed figures is about par for the course.

Performance & Drive

With only one powertrain offered, you’ll be getting identical performance no matter which model you choose.

220PS isn't bad at all in a Megane, and a 0-62mph time of 7.4 seconds is not very Megane-like, apart from older sports versions, not that we’re complaining.

Speaking of which, this latest model has a Sport mode, which makes the accelerator more responsive. However, even in more restrained driving modes, it feels very pacey and eager to make progress.

On our test drive, we were impressed by the performance, especially considering this is just a run-of-the-mill version that does not claim to be performance-focused.

There is plenty of grip, too, and that bodes well when the road ahead is less straight.

Tackling a twisty B-road at national speed limits on our test route proved no problem, with precise steering, reasonable levels of agility and well-controlled body roll. However, there’s more lean than older models due to extra weight and a slightly higher centre of gravity.

Admittedly, the steering is a little too light, but it weights up reasonably well around faster bends if you put it in Sport mode, and overall, we were left to conclude that Renault has done a decent job.

After all, considering this isn’t meant to be a model built for its athleticism and entertainment, such as the older Megane RS, the handling is pretty good, although we’d stop short of saying it was thrilling.

Around town, it’s easy to drive, but at lower speeds, we wished we had the smaller wheels of the entry-level model. Ride comfort is alright, too - but it's even better with 18-inch rather than 20-inch alloys.

Our car isn’t uncomfortable by any stretch of the imagination, but you will feel the thud of potholes and ridges in the road surface more than in the entry-level model.

One feature of nearly all electric cars is regenerative braking, which is adjustable by paddles behind the steering wheel on our test car. Turning it all the way up enables one-pedal driving, where the brakes are applied as soon as you lift off the accelerator, bringing you to a complete stop.

In this mode, the regen braking is very strong and took us a while to get used to, as it can feel like you’ve slammed the brakes on.

Overall, Renault has done a great job with the Megane, offering good acceleration without being excessive, surprisingly impressive handling, and lots of grip.

Charging

The Megane charges at a maximum rate of 130kW, which is good enough to get a 10-80% top-up in around half an hour.

It doesn’t have vehicle-to-load functionality, though, which would enable you to run household appliances from the car – something that could be useful in a power cut, for example – so that’s one small downside.

Charging it using a 7kW wall box can achieve a 0-100% charge in around ten hours.

Running Costs & Emissions

The beauty of leasing an electric car is the lack of expensive refills at petrol stations and, of course, its zero emissions.

Despite the surging cost of electricity, it’ll be cheaper than filling the car with petrol or diesel.

Because it's environmentally friendly, it'll be much cheaper to have as a company car than a combustion-engined vehicle or even a plug-in hybrid, as it'll be in the lowest band for Benefit In Kind tax. Furthermore, road tax remains free until next year.

Depending on spec, the Megane E-Tech is in insurance groups 24 to 26.

This particular car is too new to know how it will perform long-term in terms of reliability, although Renault as a whole has an average reputation.

Interior & Technology

Considering the Megane is just an average family car, it feels quite special inside.

It is short on outright luxury, but it looks very cool, nevertheless. It offers a sophisticated feel and a nicely designed layout.

The buttons on the steering wheel are finished in piano black and surrounded by silver.

The wheel's top and bottom are slightly flatter than the sides, while the infotainment touchscreen and the digital instrument cluster are housed together in one unit, bolted onto the dashboard.

The infotainment screen is tilted towards the driver, providing a better view and creating a more cockpit-like feel.

The infotainment system itself has sharp, clear graphics. Thanks to the intuitive menu layout, it’s fairly responsive to your touches and prods and easy to navigate.

Suppose you're unsure which trim to choose. In that case, one reason to pick the mid-range Techno over the entry-level Evolution model is that you get Google services that become native to the car, offering some extra advantages.

Yes, you could use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but these are separate systems that merely display on the infotainment screen rather than being part of the infotainment system itself.

As a result, drivers of the entry-level model won’t be able to display Google Maps on the digital instrument screen, for example, and they will miss out on several other practicalities.

We are grateful for Renault's common sense in retaining physical buttons for the climate control, resisting the urge of so many manufacturers who seem intent on secreting them into the touchscreen. The latter approach makes the settings difficult to find, and once you've found them, they won’t be as convenient to operate on the move as a button that you can physically feel around for without taking your eyes off the road.

Overall, the cabin feels well-made with well-sourced materials, and everything fits nicely in a pleasingly convenient, simple layout.

Practicality & Boot Space

Despite still being a reasonably small car, the Megane has plenty of space inside it.

Finding a comfy driving position is easy enough, thanks to our Iconic test car's six-way electric seat adjustment, two-way lumbar support, and massage function. This feature is also available on the mid-range Techno trim but not on the entry-level model.

There is a lot of legroom and headroom in the front, so even taller drivers won’t feel squashed. You will also find a surprising amount of legroom in the back, with headroom only slightly compromised by the sloping roofline. Taller adults might struggle, and some competitors do offer more space.

You will want to look at Renault's several larger SUVs if you intend to carry three adults in the back on a regular basis, but at least an occupant in the middle seat has a flat floor that’s free of any humps.

Forward visibility is pretty good, thanks to Renault keeping the windscreen pillars reasonably thin. Plus, they sweep back quite acutely, meaning they’re mostly out of the way of your eyeline when you're trying to look to the side.

The rear is less successful, though, partly because the pillars are much thicker. The combination of a sloping roofline, roof spoiler, and small letterbox-like rear window heavily compromises the view.

Happily, rear parking sensors are standard on all models, while the bottom two trims also get a rear-view camera, and our top-of-the-line test car gets a 360-degree surround-view monitor.

Boot space measures 440 litres, expanding to 1,332 litres with the rear seats folded down. They only fold in a 60/40 configuration rather than the more convenient 40/20/40 split, but that's typical for a small family hatchback.

There’s no extra ‘frunk’ storage space under the bonnet, as you’ll find in some electric cars.

Safety

Euro NCAP put the Megane E-Tech through its paces in 2022, earning a five-star rating. It scored 85% for adult occupants, 88% for children and 75% for safety assists.

The latter category includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, distance warning, driver drowsiness alert, emergency lane keeping assist, oncoming traffic and road edge detection, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

You also get a tyre pressure warning light and two new features just introduced by Renault: intelligent speed assistance and active emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist protection, warning if there’s a risk of a head-on collision.

The mid-range Techno trim gets all the above, plus blind spot recognition and intervention, front parking sensors, lane centring, and a rear cross-traffic alert with a rear automatic braking system.

The top-of-the-range Iconic trim adds hands-free parking and, as we said earlier, upgrades the rear-view camera to a 360-degree surround view camera.

Techno and Iconic trims have been recently upgraded with additional safety kit. You will now benefit from contextual adaptive cruise control, which tells the car when it's approaching roundabouts or sharp bends and automatically adjusts its speed.

Options

There are plenty of options to personalise your Renault Megane E-Tech.

The main body colour is white, while entry-level Evolution trim comes in light grey, dark grey, black, dark blue, and red, the latter two being the most expensive.

Mid-range Techno gets the same choice, but you can also specify a black roof if you wish.

The top-of-the-range Iconic has quite a limited choice, but again, a black roof is available, and the car has a gold lower front end, which looks nice.

Many accessories are available in 'packs', including ones geared towards cycling, touring, adding dash cams, family features, or offering additional protection to parts of the vehicle, such as protecting the door sills or boot from scuff marks.

Rival Cars

There are plenty of rivals to the Renault Megane now.

If you want more entertainment behind the wheel, then the Cupra Born is a good contender, while the Volkswagen ID.3 has tidy handling, too.

Let’s not forget the MG4 EV, either. It is also great to drive and, in fact, is an impressive all-rounder, offering generous equipment levels, practicality, and price.

Alternatively, there’s the Hyundai Kona Electric and Nissan Leaf, plus one you might not have considered: the BYD Dolphin.

Of course, if you aren't set on leasing an all-electric car, there are several alternative options available.

Verdict & Next Steps

Overall, the Megane E-Tech impresses, offering fashionable looks and a lovely interior. It is also quite enjoyable to drive.

It is practical, comfortable, fairly refined and quiet. too. That said, there are still a couple of rivals that are more fun behind the wheel, while quite a few can beat it for spaciousness, particularly in the back seats.

However, if your heart is set on a Renault and you want more practicality, there are plenty of larger crossovers and SUVs in its line-up nowadays.

Our top-of-the-range Iconic model is nice but doesn't offer the same value for money as lower models, so, on balance, we'd go for the mid-range Techno trim, which, unlike the entry-level model, offers the excellent Google-native infotainment system.

Renault has done a fine job here, and the latest Megane ticks plenty of boxes. If it remains reliable, it'll tick more.

It deserves to be a solid contender on anyone's car leasing shortlist.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Renault Megane E-Tech.

**Correct as of 22/10/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £2,689.11 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.