As a preview, we took the wheel of the new Mégane E-Tech, which will be marketed in February 2022. A promising test of the 218 hp EV60 version which gives an idea of what the zero-emission Renault of tomorrow will be. The Volkswagen ID.3 had better watch out!
Negotiating a technological shift and attracting new customers while retaining the brand’s loyalists, such is the mission of Mégane E-Tech. The car, 100% new and 100% electric, inevitably raises a large number of questions. It is for this reason that Renault wanted to keep this surname that everyone knows, the idea being to reassure and make the link between the contemporary automotive world and that of tomorrow.
This small SUV is called Mégane, but it is shorter and lower than the Captur : 4.21 m long (- 2 cm) and 1.50 m high (- 8 cm). On the other hand, it has a larger wheelbase of 6 cm (2.70 m) and promises a nice roominess as well as a properly cut trunk. It will therefore coexist with the compact of the same name, which we have known for twenty-six years, but in another category. Then, by 2025, the Mégane 4 will abandon its thermal engines to enter the world of electrification. By then, the E-Tech version, 100% electric, will have prepared the spirits.
Electric Mégane price and range
The French manufacturer has not yet communicated the prices. To remain credible given its moderate size, this car should be able to appear at the entry level below the € 30,000 mark, including a bonus of € 6,000 (amount until June 30, 2022). Which makes an estimate of € 34,500 with the 40 kWh battery. By way of comparison, a Peugeot e-2008 equipped with a 50 kWh battery (but with a range made narrow by its excessive consumption) is currently offered from € 36,800, excluding bonuses. Our test Mégane E-Tech, equipped with 60 kWh of cells, could for its part exceed 40,000 € depending on the level of finish, which will be the case of the Iconic version which has been entrusted to us.
Autonomy side, the small battery promises 300 km (with a 130 hp engine), against 450 km for the large (and 218 hp under the hood). Note that the “high performance” on-board charger, capable of conversing with the 11 kW and 22 kW terminals, will remain an option regardless of the battery chosen.
Driving
The user experience begins on approach, when the flush front handles deploy. Opening the door frees up a digital interior and gives a glimpse of a good quality of finish on board this Mégane E-Tech. The counter extends to the right and almost merges with a second screen, the upper edge of which is at the same level. On the other hand, the digital slab goes down very low, to an induction charging space. Misplaced, too low, this set is not Renault’s best idea. It even forces you to take your eyes off the road to adjust the air conditioning. On the other hand, the definition of the screens is very good. It changes from what we can see on board certain Citroën, DS, Peugeot and Opel in particular.
Getting started does not pose any particular problem, even if the gear lever, located behind the steering wheel as on a Tesla Model 3, is not very practical to handle. With the windshield wipers and the radio control, we end up with three levers to the right of the steering wheel. It’s too much. There are also two paddles which allow the regeneration power to be adjusted in four levels, from freewheeling to a marked slowdown. But total stopping at one pedal is not possible.
The square steering wheel, adorned with the new Renault logo, exudes quality and the desire to offer something else. The various driving modes of the Multisense system are controlled from a button placed inside the rim of the steering wheel, which gives a sporty touch to the whole. Moreover, accelerations from a standing start and pick-ups around 80 km / h are also reminiscent of a sports car. However, the maximum speed is limited to 160 km / h. Who wants to go far, spares his battery.
Good point in terms of handling: the car is agile, does not completely forget its weight but shows progress in this area. The handling is studied with finesse, and the filtration is successful even if it sometimes appears a little rigid. When the pace picks up, we notice that the whole is well maintained. The battery pack is part of the chassis, and it shows. The electric motor is positioned at the front, in the traditional way, under the hood. Renault preferred this architecture to a direct installation on the rear axle, as on board the Volkswagen ID.3, to limit the length of the cables and to be able to imagine a short circuit cooling system. The only downside to this technical choice is that the hoped-for storage space under the hood does not exist.
At 80 km / h, most of the wind noise comes from the mirrors. The passenger compartment is well soundproofed, and the large wheels do not generate noise. In general, we travel in silence aboard this new generation “zero emission” model. The direction is one of the great successes of the driving chapter. Very pleasant, precise and fun-oriented, it has a calibration that would almost make you forget that you are driving in an electric car, often with somewhat artificial controls. Besides the brake pedal, too, gives the change. On these points, the progress made is important.
A word on consumption, finally, which seemed to us well controlled on our test model. Announced at maximum 16.1 kWh / 100 km according to WLTP standards, this value seems realistic since we even consumed a little less in normal driving and up to 20 kWh at a fast pace while somewhat abusing the stimulus from 80 km / h to overtake. These energy performances demonstrate the progress made in systems management. The advances concern not only the battery and cells part, which escapes the manufacturers, but also the software, the management software of the assembly, which is developed in-house. This plays both on driveability and on all the operating laws that make consumption (and the resulting range) of a better level.
On board
The materials are of good quality, the digital atmosphere is modern, and the square-looking steering wheel is very pleasant to handle.
Competetion
This is a big question since in France this car is a first of its kind. At Citroën, the ë-C4 is bigger, less efficient and less skillful (but perhaps softer) on the road. At Peugeot, the new 308 will not switch to electric until 2023, when the e-2008 is less expensive in terms of autonomy and driving pleasure. On the other side of the Rhine, the Renault is facing the Volkswagen ID.3, less well finished, rather pleasant to drive as well, but which does not offer the same comfort or the same road precision. The slightly larger Cupra Born can also be an option in its 231 hp version, when the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric are either larger or smaller, but are now awaiting succession despite energy performance of good level.
Find the test report, the equipment and the technical sheet on the next page.
