Renault Megane E-Tech Electric

Renault's staple hatchback is reborn as a stylish EV into a very competitive class. Timing is important in the car industry. At the UK launch of the new Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric, Renault was keen to mention it beat the Tesla Model S to market with the first Renault Zoe. It could be argued the world wasn’t ready for EVs then, but there’s no doubt the small hatchback was more suited to its time than the wonderful but weird and expensive BMW i3.We drove a pre-production example of the new, pure-electric Mégane almost a year ago, and it would have been well-timed too, had it gone on sale soon after – late enough to learn from the Volkswagen ID 3’s troubled launch, but early enough to steal a march on the Cupra Born, Kia Niro EV and MG 4.But it has taken Renault until now to put its EV family hatchback into production, and those three rivals have all turned out to be quite excellent in their own ways, somewhat overshadowing the Renault.It’s not for want of ambition. The Mégane is the second product of the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s grand EV plans. The ‘CMF-EV’ dedicated EV platform that underpins the Mégane saw its debut in the Nissan Ariya, but rather than competing with each other, the Mégane is to the Ariya what the ID3 is to the VW ID 4.As a result, the Mégane comes with a smaller, 60kWh battery. Renault also makes a 40kWh version, but has decided to only offer the longer-range Mégane over here. That seems eminently sensible, as its WLTP range of 280 is perfectly in line with that of the Kia Niro EV, and roughly splits the difference between the two versions of the Cupra Born.Further differentiating it from the Ariya is that the Mégane is only available with front-wheel drive. After all, Renault emphatically positions it as a hatchback rather than crossover or SUV. And although the battery pack in the floor gives the new car a taller, chunkier aesthetic than the old Mégane, it’s definitely not an SUV. On its 18 or 20in wheels, it does have a much more confident stance than the Niro, while avoiding the MPV-like one-box shape of the Born and ID 3The Mégane is lower and quite a bit shorter than those rivals and takes up less space on the road, but that does also mean it’s not quite as roomy in the back. However, at 440 litres, the Mégane’s boot is bigger than the Cupra’s, and there’s an additional 32-litre cubby under the floor. It might be larger in volume, but does lack some usability due to the very high sill and the lack of a moveable floor to even out the step when the rear seats are folded down.Inside the cabin, Renault has created a stylish open space with flexible storage areas. Renault has successfully used some interesting materials to lift the ambience, but the cabin is also marred by plenty of hard plastics.The interior is dominated of course by twin screens for the gauge cluster and infotainment, and Renault is particularly proud of the latter, which now runs Android Automotive, Google’s platform for cars’ built-in multimedia systems, not to be confused with Android Auto smartphone mirroring. Volvo uses the same basic software, but each manufacturer applies its own look and feel, and apart from the notable presence of Google Maps as the native navigation and Google assistant as the voice recognition, you wouldn’t guess the two are related.In the Renault, it’s pretty slick and smartphone-like – in a good way – and you can still mirror your phone with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to use services such as Apple Music that aren’t (yet) available through Android Automotive.It’s quite pleasing how different to its rivals the Mégane is in its interior and its mechanical lay-out, and that theme continues in how it drives, even if that’s not always for the better. It rides remarkably firmly, but calmly, not unlike the Cupra Born. However, the Mégane’s 20in wheels seem to introduce a bit more brittleness over potholes than in the Cupra. Even so, it’s far more comfortable than you might expect given those massive wheels.Unfortunately, the chassis’ calm is slightly broken in the corners, because Renault has chosen to give the Mégane a steering rack that is very light yet very quick off-centre. This makes it needlessly difficult to steer smoothly or judge the amount of grip left. There is plenty of front-end bite to back up the steering response, but it all feels rather unnatural.On the plus side, even if you unleash the full 215bhp on the front wheels, there is virtually no torque steer, and while the traction control evidently has its work cut out, it does a reasonable job of controlling the power without impeding progress.That power output results in a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds. Pleasantly brisk for a hatchback, in other words. The drive modes allow you to make the accelerator as mellow or as jumpy as you like, and steering wheel paddles control the level of regen, though there is no true one-pedal mode. Mostly standard EV fare, then.It’s just a shame that the Mégane doesn’t get anywhere near its quoted 280 miles of range in the real world. Over a few days with the car, we averaged 3.4mpkWh, which equates to around 205 miles of range in practice. That’s slightly less than the Born’s 220 and quite a lot less than the Niro’s 246 real-world miles. The Mégane can charge at 130kW, resulting in a 10-80% charge in half an hour, which is about what we’d expect from a brand-new EV.The new Renault Mégane starts from £35,995, undercutting the Kia and Cupra, though the base trim level does miss out on most of the fancy new Google tech, as well as adaptive cruise control and front parking sensors. ‘Techno’ trim is the one to go for, and at £38,495, is still slightly cheaper than similarly-equipped rivals, with the notable exception of the MG 4, which is the undisputed value champion.Decent relative value doesn’t make the Mégane our preferred electric hatchback, though. A year ago, it might have been, because it’s stylish, decently practical for its size, has a good infotainment system and is quite comfortable. But so are its rivals, and those also have more distinguishing handling and crucially, go usefully further on a charge.