Highlights

• A competitor to the Skoda stylish and Kia EV6
• no mpv
• Based on CMF-EV

If you’re reading this, chances are the last Renault Scenic has just rolled off the production line. At least, the last one for now. In its traditional MPV guise, Renault no longer sees any point in it, just like all its competitors. The Citroën C4 SpaceTourer, Volkswagen Touran, Opel Zafira and Toyota Verso have all disappeared from the scene in recent years. However, this does not mean that Scenic will disappear as a model name, as we learned in the spring of 2022. Then Renault Scenic Vision was presented, a concrete harbinger of a car that will actually be launched on the market next year. It will likely be called Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric and will be the big brother of the Megane E-Tech Electric. Both cars use an old, well-known name, but either way, they are completely new models that are technically and externally unrelated to their previous names. Where the electric Megane meets the Volkswagen ID3, the Scenic runs in a higher class. The somewhat massive crossover is entering what is currently the hottest global electric vehicle segment, competing with cars like the Volkswagen ID4, Skoda Ignac, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Nissan Ariya, Toyota bZ4x and Tesla Model Y, which will become equals. Much busier with the arrival of this Frenchman.

Renault Scenic (Illustration: Larsson)

Renault’s new design language, Scénic is like vision

The Renault production version will look very similar to the Vision concept. This is not our thought, Renault itself has confirmed it. In fact, the production version already exists in secret and served as the basis for the already presented concept car, which, of course, was embellished with some futuristic details. So our painter was easy for once. With the removal of the extreme wheels, the hard-to-clean 3D light units and the delicate window patterns, a very beautiful image of the car that will soon be found in Renault showrooms has already been created. With Megane E-Tech and Austral in mind, the result may raise some eyebrows. Scenic certainly isn’t a scaled-down version of the electric Megane, but it emphatically sets its own style. Consciously, of course, because Renault is introducing an evolved form of the existing design language with this model. This new shape features narrower angles, straight folds, and less voluptuous curves. The brand logo is much smaller and also plays a less important role on the nose in general. The stunning LED strings we’ve known since the Renault Talisman don’t return in this form either. Instead, we find tighter lighting units, which make the car look more uncluttered, but also perhaps less distinctive.

Catching up in the field of electric vehicles, a lot of Nissan Ariya in Scénic

The fact that Renault now only offers an electric car in this world-famous segment is remarkable in itself. After all, Renault was once as much of a leader in electric vehicles as it was in the MPV field, with the Zoe already sold out in 2012. Just like with alliance partner Nissan, it took a long time before that initial lead led to Continuing, but now the French and Japanese are seriously getting ahead of it. They do it with the same platform, the base CMF-EV that can already be found under the aforementioned Megane and Nissan Ariya. Because of the larger size, we’re primarily looking at the Ariya for Scenic’s tech specs. It is available with 63 and 87 kWh battery packs, good for a range of 398 to 533 kilometres. Powers in Nissan range from 217 to 306 hp. It’s not said that Renault will also use these exact values ​​- as well as all versions – for the Scenic, but it certainly gives an idea.

Scénic back seat no MPV experience

What sets the CMF-EV platform apart is that the front wheels are driven in a 2WD configuration. According to Renault, this saves space and is important for a car that must support the Scénic name. However, you definitely shouldn’t expect an MPV-like interior. The new Scenic will likely have a rear bench seat that folds down in two unequal parts and will dispense with the third row of seats. The luggage compartment will be large, but not unprecedentedly large. There is plenty of legroom for rear seat passengers. In addition, the vehicle benefits from a completely flat floor, providing a spacious and airy experience both in the rear and in the front. With the Megane E-Tech, Renault is already showing that it can craft high-quality, attractive interiors, and larger landscapes will certainly not be inferior. 2024 will be an important year for Renault, because in addition to the electric landscape, the electric 5 will also appear. Yes, a retro compact electric model that is a net reference to last year’s R5. Back to the past whether it was recent or not.