Renault Scenic long-term test
In theory, the latest Renault Scenic electric SUV looks extremely compelling, offering a long range at a tempting price. We're living with one to see how good it is in practice...
The car Renault Scenic Long Range Iconic Run by Allan Muir, managing editor
Why we’re running it To find out whether the Scenic is a better family-sized electric SUV than the likes of the Tesla Model Y
Needs to Deliver all the comfort and practicality expected of a family SUV, while being as easy to live with as an electric vehicle with such a long official range should be
Mileage 3455 List price £45,495 Target Price £42,028 Price as tested £46,795 Test range 270 miles Official range 369 miles
21 January 2025 – Breaking the ice
In cold weather, it’s nice to be able to come out of the house to a warm, de-iced car first thing in the morning. So, for the three days per week on which I regularly commute to the office, I’ve got my Renault Scenic’s heating system set to pre-condition the interior (using the standard heat pump). The times have been scheduled directly via the car’s infotainment system, because I’ve had no luck connecting my newly created MyRenault account so that I can do things remotely on my phone.
I haven’t scheduled the pre-warming on the other four days of the week, because I don’t want to waste energy if I’m working from home or not planning to go anywhere. Inevitably, though, unexpected morning outings are sometimes necessary. Faced with an ice-covered car, I do what many other people do in these circumstances: start the car, set the temperature and demisters on ‘hi’ and grab an ice scraper to start clearing the windows.
And I never fail to be impressed at how rapidly the heat pump warms the interior and softens the ice on the windows. Within seconds, the ice can easily be scraped off, and a minute later I’ve got full visibility all round and am good to go. It seems far more efficient and effective than waiting for a conventional combustion-engined car to warm up.
The cost, if the car isn’t plugged in, is a small but acceptable drop in the remaining range. Sometimes it’s tempting to bemoan the fact that my Scenic is falling so far short of its official range (369 miles), but then I remind myself that 270 miles or so between charges is still very respectable compared with what many other electric cars can manage in cold conditions; my old Toyota bZ4X, for example, could cover only 160-170 miles.
Meanwhile, I’m finding that the tip of my shoe tends to clip something when I move my right foot from the accelerator over to the much higher-set brake pedal. From what I can see, some plastic mouldings on the underside of the dashboard are getting in the way. This hasn’t caused a problem so far, but the slight interruption in getting my foot onto the brake pedal can be a little disconcerting. Moving my seat farther back might help, but that would just mess up a perfectly comfortable driving position.
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