Renault Scenic E-Tech long term test review

Renault Scenic E-Tech long term report 1: Living with an EV in winter

Key details

Spec: Renault Scenic Iconic Esprit Alpine | Price: from £35,495 (£40,495 as tested) | Mileage: 527 | Test miles per kWh: 3.3 | Report date: 5^th November 2025

The pace of progress in the electric car arena is fast. Every month it feels like there are more affordable, longer range, more technologically advanced models arriving onto the new car market. But is newer always better?

The Renault Scenic E-Tech is a couple of years old now – a lifetime in today’s tech-savvy era. But even with a glut of new rivals, we reckon the Scenic remains one of the best family-sized electric cars you can buy today.

That doesn’t mean Renault can’t improve on it, though. It’s recently launched some tech upgrades for the 2026 model year including a new one-pedal driving mode, facial recognition, bi-directional charging and other tech and kit upgrades.

Does that improve the package a great deal? Well, we’ll put all that to the test, as we’ve taken delivery of an upgraded Scenic E-Tech for six months. Yes, we’ll be running an EV through the depths of winter and into spring to see the real effect of the cold on the Scenic’s real-world range, efficiency and charging.

Of course, we’ve opted for the bells-and-whistles Iconic Esprit Alpine version to sample the full roster of kit on offer. That now includes six-way electrically adjustable front seats, a massaging driver’s seat and new upholstery, among other bits.

That’s on top of the 20in alloy wheels, Harmon Kardon sound system upgrade, heated seats and steering wheel, surround-view camera, smart rear-view mirror and Renault’s fancy opacifying panoramic glass roof. More on some of those bits in later reports.

We’ve gone for the distinctive Matte Shadow Grey paint (hopefully that’s good at disguising winter grime) with a contrasting black roof. Renault doesn’t charge you any extra for that paint option, but this top-spec trim only gives you a single alloy wheel and upholstery choice. It's a nice spec, but some choice of extra colours wouldn't go amiss - even if we love the blue fabric used in the door bins and for the carpets.

Every Scenic still gets a 220hp electric motor powering the front wheels, and an 87kWh usable battery pack for a strong official WLTP range of 381 miles - not the longest range electric car out there for below £50k now, but more than a lot of similar family SUVs.

Our efficiency for the first few hundred miles (with 70% motorway, 30% town/country roads) gives us a real-world range of 287 miles. While that’s well short of the official figure, it is getting cold and rainy, and our motorway-heavy drive takes its toll. In our experience, that's a decent figure for an EV of this size - and it helps that it weighs less than two tonnes, unlike some.

With a heat pump fitted as standard, we’re keen to see if the Scenic can avoid dropping too many miles of range as the wintry weather starts to set in. Stay tuned to find out.