Renault Megane E-Tech Review
The Newest Renault Mégane E-Tech, which is related to the Mégane in name only, as this has been built from the ground up as an EV, which is very exciting because it means that you get some cool EV features because of it.
It’s not a hatchback like its namesake either, but rather a crossover, which means it sits lower than its small SUV rivals.
It competes against heavyweights like the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Volvo C40.
Megane E-Tech Pricing
For now, the Mégane E-Tech is only being offered in one grade for the Australian market, and that’s the mid-level Tech no EV60, and it’s priced from $64,990 before on-road costs.
That positions it right in the middle of its rivals.
Features
For a mid-spec variant, you get a decent array of features in this model, like heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.
However, you did miss out on items like a powered tailgate, sunroof, and electric front seats, which all of its rivals do sport.
the E-Tech’s plump body paneling does give me some cute marshmallow vibes from certain angles but there’s enough cool features on it to keep it looking slick, like the fun LED headlights, the massive 20-inch alloys, and the two-tone paintwork.
I quite like the door handles on the E-Tech. The front have auto flush handles that pop out on approach, and the rear are featured on the C-pillar.
Even the boot has a square little button instead of a normal handle, but it all creates an interesting focal point no matter where you’re looking at.
Megane E-Tech Design
If you’re eco-conscious, this ticks that box because Renault has designed the E-Tech to be 90% recyclable.
The body is made of aluminum, and it’s reshaped and repurposed at the end of its life.
The inside cabin materials are made from recycled fabric for the trims, and even the lithium-ion battery is free from any rare earth minerals.
I like the eco-thinking that’s gone into the design, and the finish has been beautifully executed.
Even though there are some recycled plastics in here, you don’t focus on them. The gray knit fabric This week on the seats, doors, and dashboard create a really welcoming and warm cabin space.
Maybe it’s just the knitter in me, but I really loved the texture of these seats this week.
Practicality
Up front, it’s very roomy, and I love how well positioned the armrests are because it makes the seats feel a little bit more like a lounge.
The seats themselves are very comfortable, and I I like that you have powered lumbar support.
I could forgive the fact that they’re not electric if the price point was a little bit lower. You get lots of individual storage up front, and center console pocket is probably one of the most practical that I’ve seen in this class.
I also love how you get a dedicated phone shelf for your phone. The charging is good in this model with both rows getting two USB-C ports.
The front also gets a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt port. However, this car does miss out on vehicle to load capability.
Megane E-Tech Touchscreen
The nine-inch touch screen multimedia system looks great and it’s easy to access information from it.
It has shut down on me once during use, but it rebooted quickly. Other than that, it’s been very responsive.
It’s got wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, like I mentioned, and it’s been very easy to connect to the Apple CarPlay this week.
The steering wheel looks great and feels lovely underhand. I also like how driver-orientated it is.
Buttons
You have lots of buttons, the regen paddles, the usual storks, as well as a column shifter on this one. In the back seat there is plenty of headroom for 168 centimeter height.
Leg room is okay, but if you’re tall, you’re definitely going to get squished. There’s also not heaps of toe room in this model. For the width of the seat, this is probably best suited to just two back seat passengers.
USB
The amenities are okay with directional air vents, those two USB-C ports, map pockets, reading lights, as well as storage bins in each door.
The door seals sit quite low in this car, which means you have to duck to get in and out, which I found to be a little bit awkward.
It’s also a little bit uncomfortable when you’re on the road because you can get jostled against it.
Boot Space
The boot is decently sized at 440 liters. The well is It’s quite deep, though, which could get annoying if you have to lift out heavy gear.
Underneath the floor, you have a little pocket for storage of cables and the like, which is great. Like I mentioned, there’s no power tailgate in this model.
Megane E-Tech Under the bonnet
The Techno EV60 has a single electric motor with a combined power output of 160 kilowatts and 300 Newton meters of torque.
It can do a zero to 100 kilometer per hour sprint time in 7.4 seconds, which is perfectly adequate for your urban trips and keeping up with traffic on the open road.
The only time that you notice that it’s a little bit sluggish is when you have a full load of gear or people.
Road Experience oF Megane E-Tech
The steering is crisp and that makes this quite responsive. The power is delivered smoothly and feels quite well balanced.
There is a little bit more roll in this in corners than I was expecting, but having said that, it still feels pretty firmly seated on the road.
The ride comfort is really good and the suspension is more firm than soft.
While you do feel the road, you’re not bothered by it. At high speeds, there is some wind noise in this. Can’t It’s like you’ve left your door ajar by a millimeter.
It didn’t actually bother me like I thought it would, but it is there. There are three levels of regen braking as well as a one pedal function.
I actually found the one pedal function to be pretty smooth, even in stop/start traffic, which was great.
You can control the regen braking levels via paddles on the steering wheel, which I think is really convenient to change them while on the go.
Because of the small stature of this crossover, it makes it pretty easy to park. It helps, too, that you have front, side, and rear parking sensors, which is pretty essential because the reversing camera on this is not very good for this price level.
Efficiency
The official energy consumption figure is 15.6 kilowatt hour per 100 kilometers.
The official driving range for the 60 kilowatt hour lithium my on battery is up to 454 kilometers, which is similar to the Kona, but I still had my eye on the range on longer trips.
The E-Tech has a Type 2 CCS charging port, and that means that you can benefit from faster charging speeds. On just standard AC power, the max speed you can accept is only 7.4 kilowatts.
On that system, you’ll go from zero to 100% in as little as nine hours. If you plug it into just a standard house port, which only gives you 2.4 kilowatts, expect that to creep up to a whopping 30 hours.
On a 130 kilowatt DC charger, expect to go from 15 to 80% in as little as 30 minutes, which is pretty convenient if you have access to one.
But this car doesn’t have vehicle to load capabilities, so you can’t charge bigger items while on the go.
Safety In Megane E-Tech
The Etech has a maximum five-star NCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022.
It has seven airbags, including a front-center airbag, and there are a bunch of safety systems on this car, including some bonus items like rear collision warning and rear fog lights.
A real highlight is the digital rear view mirror, which I feel is essential in this model because the The back window is quite narrow, and that camera feed just provides a much clearer view than you would ordinarily have.
Ownership
the E-Tech is covered by a five-year or up to 100,000-kilometer warranty term, but it is usual to see an unlimited kilometer warranty term for this class.
The battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000-kilometer term, and The Renault haven’t released service cost pricing yet, but servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 30,000 kilometers, whichever occurs first.
Verdict
I really like what the Renault Mégane Etech offers. Its design is top-notch, and the eco-conscious footprint is even better.
It’s a comfortable and nice car to get around in, but the price point is a smidge too high, in my opinion, especially given that there’s only one option available for us Aussies, and it’s a mid-level variant at that.
Its rivals do have a couple of features that this doesn’t have, but it still gets an 8.1 out of 10 from me.