Renault Megane E-Tech Hatchback (2022 - ) Electric review

At the time of writing prices are still to be confirmed, but we expect the sticker price and monthly finance offers to be in line with the competition, which ranges from the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 to the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Cupra Born and Citroën e-C4. As with all electric cars running costs have the potential to be very attractive, at least as long as you can charge at home on an off-peak tariff overnight. On that basis 200 miles of charge could cost little more than £10, though if you have to use a public charging point it could be as much as five times that. On the plus side there are currently no congestion or low-emission-zone charges, ultra-low Benefit In Kind taxation for company car users, very cheap VED/road tax and much reduced servicing charges. At the time of writing the Government plug-in grant still exists for the base version of this car.

Having sold its all-electric Zoe for over a decade now Renault’s pedigree in with battery technology is impressive. It is also in an alliance with Nissan, which has the Leaf - another electric car that’s been around for over a decade. While the Mégane Electric sits on a new platform we’re not expecting many faults or disgruntled customers - Renault as a brand sits above Volkswagen in the 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey, coming 16th out of 30 brands. There are also far fewer moving parts to go wrong with an electric car. For extra peace of mind you get a five-year warranty with unlimited mileage for the first two years, which is above the industry average.

The Mégane E-tech Electric rides a little higher than your average hatchback because the battery, although the thinnest on the market, sits underneath the car, forcing everything up a notch. This gives it better visibility and a good view of the road, enhanced by large windows. There are also seven airbags on all versions. The best-selling trim level, the mid-level Techno, includes a fantastic amount of tech, including blind-spot warning and rear-traffic alert with automatic braking as standard. Adaptive cruise control with speed limiter and lane centring (it’ll do the braking, accelerating and steering for you) is also standard on Techno. So too is a rear-view camera and parking sensors front and rear, and there’s also the option of a Smart Rear View Mirror, giving you a camera-generated view of what’s behind you if your rear window is blocked. There isn’t really much more you could ask for.

Renaults are very comfortable cars now, with light steering and cosseting suspension. The Mégane Electric is even more so, thanks to the smooth, silent running and lots of sound deadening, which makes for an eerily quiet cabin. The slim battery pack sits beneath the car so there is plenty of space inside, and the boot is noticeably deep. You even get a further space below the floor to store the charging cable. There is a selection of recycled materials inside, and the dashboard on our Techno spec test car was covered in a lovely grey fabric instead of the usual hard black plastic. The result is an impressive degree of lounge-like comfort.

Renault now uses Google in its cars and the Mégane E-tech Electric gets a large central screen from Techno up while the base model gets a smaller interface. On the fancier one you can swipe from Google Maps navigation to Google apps, and there’s an area on the screen dedicated to managing your electric usage with information like how many miles you’ve got left, to setting the timer for charging overnight. We find Renault’s graphics and user experience on the screen one of the best in the market on the basis it’s bright, fun to engage with, clear and easy to use. Renault has also introduced ambient lighting that mirrors the circadian rhythm, starting with brighter, cooler lights in the morning, switching to warmer colours in the afternoon.

You can choose from two batteries, the more expensive 60kWh version delivering up to 292 miles of range while the 40kWh option still does a commendable 186 miles. Ask yourself if you really need that extra range because the bigger battery takes a lot longer to charge and will need as much as eight hours hooked up to a regular 7.5kW home point against the five and a bit for the smaller battery. Both cars have a selection of drive modes going from Eco to Sport and, within each, you can dictate how much regenerative braking you use via flappy paddles on the steering wheel. We enjoyed having the Mégane Electric in Sport mode for some spirited driving but with maximum regenerative braking to recoup as much energy as possible back into the battery. Eco driving really is sluggish, but you do eke out more miles. Either way, the ability to choose how and when you use and recover your power is an increasingly popular feature in electric cars.