Renault Scenic E-Tech electric debuts with special sounds

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So far, there have been four generations of Renault Scenic, all powered by petrol or diesel engines. This new one is not really the 5th-gen model, but is rather a successor of the ICE-powered past. In other words, the Scenic is gonna be all-electric moving forward. Production will take place in Douai (France), with market launch expected sometime in early 2024.

The full name of this new model is Renault Scenic E-Tech electric, and it is classified as an SUV, as opposed to being an MPV for four generations. Besides the regular Scenic E-Tech, there’ll be Scenic E-Tech Iconic and Scenic E-Tech Esprit Alpine variants, with the latter sporting a sporty flair. The Scenic E-Tech is built on the CMF-EV platform that underpins the Nissan Ariya and Megane E-Tech as well, which should offer a good idea of the size and powertrain options.

But anyway, the front fascia sports a “grille” with a diamond-shaped pattern, flanked by rather slim LED headlights. The bumper houses arrow-shaped running lights with a rhombus-like pattern, and similar arrow shapes can be found at the rear. Also, notice that different variants have different wheel designs. But anyway, the Scenic E-Tech measures 4,470 mm long, 1,864 mm wide and 1,571 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,785 mm, which makes it roughly about the size of a Mercedes EQA.

Inside, the dashboard houses a 12.3-inch digital cluster and a portrait-oriented 12-inch central touchscreen. Also, the Scenic E-Tech boasts recycled materials in the passenger compartment. These include the following:

• The dashboard structure materials are up to 80% recycled (polypropylene from industry scrap) and the dashboard cowling materials are 43% bio-sourced (kenaf, a plant that yields a fibre resembling jute)
• 51% of the steering wheel cover is bio-sourced: 25% is PVC made from ricin oil, 26% is cotton weft
• The reinforcements of the storage bins in the door panels are 50% natural fibre
• The carpets are 97.65% recycled material (Dilours) from plastic bottles
• 99.5% recycled material from plastic bottles in the headlining
• The seat covers in the Techno and Esprit Alpine trims are 100% recycled fabric and the seat covers in the Iconic trim are 87% recycled fabric. The Esprit Alpine trim uses fabric made from the reprocessing of plastic bottles (80%) and seat belts (20%)

In addition to the limited use of chrome, there is no leather whatsoever in the car. But wait, there’s more. The panoramic glass roof developed in partnership with Saint-Gobain is claimed to contain recycled glass. Only 50% of the glass in the roof is made from primary raw materials; the rest is made from waste from plate glass and car glass production processes.

Moving on to the juicy bits of the story, the Scenic E-Tech will be available in two variants: Standard Range and High Range, both are single-motor front-wheel-drive.

The standard setup’s motor offers 125 kW (170 metric hp) and 280 Nm (206.5 lb-ft), drawing juice from a 60 kWh battery pack, estimated to offer a WLTP range of over 420 km (261 mi). The official 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time is 9.3 seconds and the top speed is 150 km/h (93 mph).

The long-range setup offers 160 kW (217.5 metric hp) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft). An 87 kWh battery pack is estimated to offer a WLTP range of over 620 km (385 mi). In this case, the official 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time is 8.4 seconds and the top speed is 170 km/h (106 mph).

If none of these sound exciting to you, how about this: Renault collaborated with Jean-Michel Jarre to compose sounds for the Scenic E-Tech.