Really that good?
Renault Scenic: traveling with the longest range
A range of 625 kilometers, plenty of space and route planning that automatically takes charging stops into account. Sounds like the "Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric 220 PS" long range - the "longest range variant" - is a really good touring car. "Krone" motoring editor Stephan Schätzl clarifies whether it really is in this video driving report.
In the first driving report from the international presentation, the likeable Scenic did quite well. However, some things cannot be examined in depth on such an occasion due to limited time. How is the fuel consumption in reality? How is the car in everyday use? One thing that bothered us at the time turned out to be less serious in the long run.
Interior
The edge or corner of the cell phone holder on the center console, which always rests against the leg, is not ideal, but it doesn't affect comfort as much as it might seem. It is therefore pleasant to sit in, even in the driver's seat, especially in the sports seat of the Esprit Alpine version. Only the footwell in front of the rear seat is limited. And the center shelf is too low. On the other hand, the fact that a 1.5-liter PET bottle fits into the carpeted (!) door compartment is a positive feature.
The trunk is voluminous (545 liters), but the loading sill is high, so you have to bend down low. A double floor is not available, so a high step remains after the somewhat awkward folding down of the rear seat backrest. There is a compartment for the charging cable under a flap. Placing it there proved to be impractical.
Charging route planning
The Google sat nav quickly prepared a route when called upon via the voice control ("Hey Google!"), which is not always easy to understand, and planned charging stops moments later. However, the choice of charging stops often leaves a lot to be desired, because you are often sent to the plug with a charge level (SoC) that is far too high. In an extreme case, it was 59 percent.
In addition, these charging stops are scheduled as fixed intermediate destinations. They do not change if you use more or less than predicted or charge in the meantime. It is also not possible to specify the SoC with which you want to arrive at charging stops. You can roughly specify this value for the destination.
Once we were standing in front of the locked gate of a shopping center area where a charging station was supposed to be located that the navigation system had selected. The only way to find out that this was only accessible at 7 a.m. was to check each planned station individually on the screen.
Charging process
It is practical that there is a release button next to the charging flap. It is annoying that the car sometimes locks when you remove the cable from the station and then does not unlock again when you want to open the flap.
The control system switches off during charging. So if you want to stay in the car, you can neither monitor the charging process (except via the cell phone app) nor listen to music. This is because charging stops when you press the start button. At least then you don't have to do anything at the charging station, you can simply unplug the car and drive on.
Charging is generally not very fast. The maximum charging power is 150 kW. In reality, it was 147 kW, which was not maintained for long. Renault specifies a charging time of 37 minutes from 15 to 80 percent. The usual range is from 10 to 80 percent: here it was 38 minutes.
Range
The WLTP specification is promising: 625 kilometers. The reality is different. At temperatures in the teens or early 20s, the travel consumption was around 22 kWh/100 kilometers, which means just under 400 kilometers with a net capacity of 87 kWh. However, since you hardly ever drive a fully charged battery down to zero, it is more relevant how far you get from 80 to 20 percent - and that is not even 280 kilometers. At temperatures in the low single-digit range, the travel consumption (mainly highway with a maximum speed of 137 km/h, cruise control) was around 28 kWh. That makes just under 220 kilometers from charging stop to charging stop.
However, two things are exemplary: both the heat pump and the 22 kW charger are on board as standard.
Travel comfort
The driving experience is essentially pleasant when traveling. As soon as you leave the area of the particularly loud pedestrian warning sound after starting off, the Scenic is quiet. However, from 120 km/h there is a humming noise that becomes increasingly audible as the speed increases. The optional Harman Kardon sound system helps.
Apple CarPlay is wireless, and it is also well integrated. So you can easily switch between cell phone functions and on-board systems, unlike some BMW or Mazda models. However, there are sometimes problems with the connection. If the journey is interrupted, the connection is often not re-established automatically - and if you don't take care of it before continuing your journey, it gets complicated. It also happens that you start a song on Spotify on the screen, but it is then played on your cell phone instead of the sound system.
The suspension is firm and comfortable, but the brakes and steering are somewhat numb. Nevertheless, driving is fun because the Scenic turns corners well. At 1.9 tons, it is relatively light, as the battery alone weighs over half a ton. But it is not a sports car, contrary to what the name Alpine might suggest. With 218 hp (the model designation is deceptive here) and 300 Nm, it has an absolutely adequate engine.
The recuperation can be adjusted via steering wheel paddles, from almost sailing to really strong. Exemplary.
A real gain in comfort: a button to the left of the steering wheel can be used to switch off the annoying forced assistants. Simply click together in the menu how you want it, then in future a double press of the button will be enough to give you peace of mind.
The prices
The base price for the Renault Scenic with 87 kWh and 210 hp is 48,800 euros. In Esprit Alpine trim, the price is 50,890 euros. With extras (matt paintwork, driving assistance package, Harman Kardon, electrochromatic glass panoramic roof), the test car comes to 57,220 euros, minus the subsidy, but you won't find LED matrix high beam or a head-up display in the price list.
Driving citation
In principle, the Renault Scenic is a good electric car for everyday use, but you need patience. On the one hand, in terms of charging time, and on the other, by overlooking its weaknesses. Let's hope for an update soon. Most of the problems should be easily solved via the software. Then the Frenchman will earn even more sympathy points.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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