Seven days spent with the battery-powered French model resulted in some surprises for John Challen.

The Renault Megane E-Tech at Challen Towers

Day 1

It was dark when the Renault Megane E-Tech turned up at Challen Towers and the first journey was early the next morning up to the UK’s Midlands. As a result, I didn’t actually get a proper look at the car until I stepped out to charge at Banbury. What did impress me on first meeting with the French EV in the dark was the large new-style Renault logo’d puddle lights, which activate upon unlocking the car. A small touch, but a welcome one – literally!

Day 2

For a car that represents the future of Renault – in everything from design to technology – I was amused to see the same audio controller/scroller design that had been a staple of models from the French manufacturer for many years. A case of ‘if it ain’t broke’ don’t fix it’? Maybe, but it is functional, effective and a physical item, rather than a haptic or touchscreen-only option. Such throwbacks are welcomed by many drivers, even on a car that signifies a step into the future.

Day 3

Last winter saw numerous stories of EVs suffering from temperature-affected driving ranges. The week spent with the Renault avoided the worst of that weather, but the miles available still weren’t quite as many as I – or other drivers – might have liked. I am completely on board with the thinking that the average driver only travels a fraction of the possible range in a day, but for longer journeys, stopping to recharge and getting to your destination in one hit makes a big difference. I have an ‘acceptable’ threshold of 200 miles in an EV and, while the quoted figure is 280 miles, I failed to reach that on the longer trips in the E-Tech over the course of my week with the car, the best being 174 miles from full charge.

Day 4

It’s fair to say that the Megane E-Tech is a really entertaining car – and also one that attracts plenty of attention. It might be ‘just’ a Renault, but in the seven days I spent with it, there were numerous people who stopped to ask what it was (the styling differences are subtle, but also enough to stand out). It’s not slow, either – which, thinking about it, might be partly why I couldn’t reach my holy grail of 200 miles from a full recharge. Plant your foot down and the car’s 217hp and 300Nm can really be felt, powering the car along nicely from moderate speeds.

Day 5

A quirk that is not exclusive to the Renault, but one that I found more frustrating on it than any other car, is the voice control and recognising names from my phone book. That meant that the clever computer thought I wanted to call Joseph Stallin, not my son, Joseph and sometimes, it simply didn’t understand me at all. Admittedly I’ve become a bit of a convert to shouting commands at a car while on the move, but it’s so much nicer when the machine actually knows what you want to do!

Day 6

Renault is famed for creating desirable and very capable hot hatches and the Megane E-Tech deserves to follow in their footsteps. It might be bigger than a Renault 5 GT Turbo and not quite as quick as the likes of the Clio Williams or 172 – and definitely not the V6 – but there is a lot to love about the performance of the E-Tech. With electric power alone, the 7.5 seconds it takes to reach 62mph from a standstill feels much quicker.

Day 7

Being based on a standard ICE car, the Megane E-Tech doesn’t look out of place, which – as we’ve mentioned before – isn’t a bad thing. One thing that impresses in the French hatch is the aerodynamic improvements – such as fully flush door handles – work seamlessly and don’t look out of place. They are one of a number of subtle touches that make the car stand out without it looking too futuristic, putting off potential drivers. The push button boot opening is another example of style AND substance. Clever, but simple.