Driven and reviewed by 
Vicky Parrott
 - 
21 Jan 2025
You’ve heard of the Renault Scenic, right? It was something of a household name through the nineties and noughties, having been a phenomenal success as an affordable and brilliantly utilitarian, if rather boring MPV. Then the family crossover-SUV came along, and the MPV died off – so much so that the Scenic was discontinued altogether in the UK by 2019. But now it’s back and – you guessed it – it’s morphed into a stylish crossover-SUV that’s out to topple the popular Peugeot e-3008, Ford Explorer, Kia EV3 and Skoda Enyaq.
At 4.46m long, the Scenic is a touch bigger than the Kia EV3, a very similar size to the Ford Explorer, and a bit shorter than alternatives like the Skoda Enyaq and Peugeot E-3008. It’s only available with a front-wheel drive, electric powertrain that offers a WLTP range of up to 260- and 379 miles depending on which of the two batteries you go for. Given the long range and generous equipment that it gets as standard, it’s one of the better value electric family cars, as well as being smart inside and useful to live with – all reasons why it won the European Car of the Year in 2024.
Charging speeds are good, too, with a peak 150kW charging rate (130kW on the smaller battery car) being on a par with or better than many rivals, although the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 will charge at over 200kW. When plugged into a powerful enough rapid charger, the Scenic can charge from 10-80% in around 30- to 40 minutes.
The Scenic is a very useful family car that’s got masses of leg- and headroom in the back seats plus plenty of cubbies and comforts around the cabin. There’s even a rear centre armrest that has two phone charging sockets and phone stands. The rear seat backs split and fold flat in a 40/20/40 fashion, so you can fold just the centre section down to carry your curtain rail back from Ikea, while also having four passengers comfortably on board.
But those rear seats don’t slide or recline, nor are they removable, which is the sort of useful versatility that you might hope for of a car wearing a model badge that was famed for its utilitarian values. More than that, while the 545-litre boot is a great capacity that’s rivalling the Skoda Enyaq for sheer volume, it’s a fairly short but incredibly deep boot space that’s a far less useful shape than the long, flat boot floor than you get in the Skoda. You can add a variable boot floor as a dealer-fit option, which we’d highly recommend.
Equipment is very good; even the cheapest techno model gets 19-inch alloy wheels, a heat pump for more efficient winter running, reversing camera, metallic paint, automatic LED headlights, keyless entry, heated front seats, blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control and more. This would be our pick of the range, as it’s great value for so much equipment and that long driving range. You also get a big, 12-inch portrait touchscreen in every Scenic that dominates the whole fascia and is a very good system to use thanks to the in-built Google software that includes Google Maps.
Overall, the Scenic is a really spacious crossover-SUV that’s in the same template as chief rivals like the Peugeot e-3008, it probably won’t disappoint. If you’re expecting MPV practicality tricks and seating flexibility, you’ll be underwhelmed.
As for how it drives? The Scenic is gutsy enough to feel confident even in a fast motorway merge – just don’t expect it to be fizzy and exciting, as this is very much a soft, comfy family car that majors on pleasant, serene progress. And that’s as it should be, really.
The Scenic starts at £37,495 for the Comfort Range and £40,995 for the Long Range, but the entry-level ‘techno’ trim that you’re getting at these prices is so well equipped that you don’t need to add anything – nor go for the higher spec models that mostly add style stuff. And for a car with that sort of range (check out the range section of our full review for more on the real-world range) plenty of space inside, a smart interior, that’s great value. Monthly PCP finance deals are great, too.
Verdict
The Scenic is a really great electric family car; it’s safe, pleasant to drive, roomy inside, stuffed with equipment and has one of the longest ranges of any electric car at this price. It’s got a peculiar-shaped boot and not as much seating flexibility as some might be hoping for, but the Scenic is still an excellent contender for those buyers who are after a roomy, comfortable, long-range and great value family car.
