2024 Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric a chance for Oz

Renault Australia has expressed interest in importing the new 2024 Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric, which made its public debut overnight at IAA Mobility exhibition in Munich.

A far cry from the nameplate's people-mover origins, the new Scenic E-Tech is a battery-electric mid-size SUV positioned above the inbound Megane E-Tech small electric SUV in Renault’s global line-up, and is firmly on the radar of Renault Australia product planners pending right-hand drive availability.

“We are excited by the Renault Scenic E-Tech and could see it working in Australia if it’s made available to our market in right-hand drive,” a Renault Australia spokesperson told carsales.

“As always, each potential model then needs to go through an internal business case to justify Renault’s investment to comply with Australia’s unique design rule requirements.”

Underpinned by the same modular CMF-EV platform, the new Scenic measures 4470mm long, 1864mm wide, 1571mm tall and rides on a 2785mm wheelbase, liberating up to 545 litres of cargo space behind the second row and up to 1670L when said row is stowed.

Two single-motor powertrains will be offered from launch, with the lesser ‘Standard Range’ outputting 125kW/280Nm and drawing current from a 60kWh battery, while the ‘High Range’ features a 160kW/300Nm motor and an 87kWh battery pack.

The former has a ELTP crusing range of up to 418km compared to the latter’s 610km.

Neither is a rocket out of gate, officially stopping the 0-100km/h clock in 9.3 and 8.4 seconds respectively.

The exterior design makes the Scenic look more like a Peugeot than a Renault with crisp lines, sharp angles and narrow features, but that correlation doesn’t transfer to the cabin, where occupants are greeted by a straightforward, driver-centric dash layout headlined by a panel-like cockpit.

Driver’s score a 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster behind the two-spoke steering wheel and can access key vehicle and infotainment functions via the portrait 12.3-inch interface featuring Google built-in and run by Android Automotive OS 12.

But Renault says the star attraction is the Solarbay panoramic glass roof, which features AmpliSky technology to vary the amount of light allowed into the cabin, with four settings to choose from: full light, full opaque, light at the front but opaque at the back, and light at the back but opaque at the front.

“Renault is the first mass-market car manufacturer to offer a panoramic roof that can be either fully or partially opacified in segments,” the brand said.

Other global standard equipment highlights for the new Scenic E-Tech include 20-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting, integrated door-handles, four ‘Multi-Sense’ modes that pair the cabin ambience with a matching drive mode, battery pre-conditioning system, four-level regenerative braking, adaptive cruise control and myriad recycled/sustainable materials.

Both battery packs can be DC fast-charged, albeit at varying powers: 130kW for the standard battery and 150kW for the High Range unit.

“Up to 24 per cent of the Scenic E-Tech Electric’s materials are recycled and 90 per cent of its mass – including the battery – is recyclable,” Renault said.

“The European specification offers a choice of Techno, Esprit Alpine and Iconic trim – the top-of-the-range version being available for the first time in a Renault all-electric vehicle.”

The Scenic E-Tech is primed for European launch early next year, but it’ll likely be mid to late 2024 or even early 2025 before we see it in local showrooms.

And given the smaller Megane E-Tech will arrive here in a single well-specified variant with a $65K starting price later this year, don't expect the Scenic E-Tech to match the top-selling Tesla Model Y's sub-$70K starting price, even if it was sold here in its most basic form.