The top-spec Renault Scenic should be able to achieve a range of 370 miles on a full charge, which is a class-leading performance

The French brand Renault has been bringing interesting cars to the market since the launch of their first model 126 years ago.

I loved the sweeping curves of the little Dauphine of the 1960s and the Avantime heralded the start of the Millennium as a bold two-door, pillarless grand tourer. It is now a rare collector’s item if you are lucky enough to find one with the doors not falling off.

A more attractive option was the refined Vel Satis, which is also well worth a look if you come across one that has been well maintained.

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They were designed by the famous Renault designer Patrick Le Quément, who became famous a few years later when he designed the Mégane with its distinctive rear end, or to be more specific and linguistically accurate, its butt.

He was also responsible for the first Scenic, which became the world’s first multi-purpose family MPV in the mid-1990s.

He is now almost 80 and designs luxury catamarans, so he cannot take credit for the latest Scenic, the fifth generation of this model.

It’s fully up to date, only available with electric power and now costs over £45,000, but the price has also gone up considerably.

Like every new model, it is considerably larger and faces stiffer competition than its predecessor. There is an EV market full of alternatives from Skoda, VW, Hyundai, Nissan, but also from French brands Peugeot and Citroën and Elon Musk’s Tesla.

The test car on display was the top-spec E-Tech Iconic with the larger 87kWh long-range battery, which should allow for a range of 600 kilometres on a full charge.

The car has already won the 2024 Car of the Year title and it’s not hard to see why.

In addition to a dramatically sculpted exterior with sharp angles and corners, there’s a powerful front end with sleek LED headlamps and two-stage horizontal LED daytime running lights. Each of the three grades comes with 20-inch black and silver aerodynamic alloy wheels.

The light and spacious interior focuses on the use of recycled textiles for the seats and fabric dashboard, while the door panels are laser-cut from real wood.

The test car also had a massage function and lumbar support on the driver’s seat, and a panoramic glass roof. It’s the first in a mass-market car that can be segmentally opaqued using polymer liquid crystals. That means it can change from clear to opaque in sections without the need for a sliding curtain, which would reduce headroom.

Thanks to the 12-speaker Hardon Kardon sound system, the sound is crystal clear, even at high speed.

Like the rest of Renault’s electric range, it’s only available with front-wheel drive, but the platform can handle rear-wheel drive, so an all-wheel drive version could be a future option. Without the rear-wheel drive engine, there’s a larger boot with space for the charging cable under the floor, as all the electrical components are housed at the front, under the bonnet.

There is ample space for passengers with ample head and legroom and all-round visibility is excellent, thanks in part to the digital rear-view mirror and 360-degree 3D camera.

The 12-inch multimedia touchscreen is extensive, yet fairly easy to operate. It’s nice that frequently used functions, such as climate control, are placed under a row of manual buttons.

There are four Multi-Sense driving modes: Personal, Comfort, Sport and Eco. These modes are called up via a push button on the steering wheel. The gear lever is on a stalk at the top, which feels unusual but quickly becomes familiar.

A striking detail is the discreet image of a rooster on the edge of the windscreen, which reflects the car’s French origins.

This is no sports car, but it’s no slouch either. The signature electric power is sent directly to the drive wheels, without any lag. And with four-stage regeneration at its highest level, there’s rarely any need to use the brakes.

Renault Scenic E-Tech car

PRICE: £45,495 (£46,745 as tested)

DRIVETRAIN: 87kWh synchronous electric motor, front-wheel drive

POWER: 220 hp

TORQUE: 300 Nm

TOP SPEED: 105 mph

0-100 km/h: 7.9 seconds

RANGE: 369 miles

CHARGING TIME: 40 min (150kW fast charger)

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