New Renault Scenic review: Better roof than a Rolls-Royce?!

This is the all-new Renault Scenic!

In the past, the Scenic was renowned as an MPV people character, but the design has now been updated to make it more like an SUV. What’s more, it’s also ditched the internal combustion engine and gone electric only!

So does the new Scenic have what it takes to compete with class leaders like the Skoda Enyaq and Tesla Model Y? Let's take a closer look

We'll start with the design, and around the back, the Scenic looks pretty smart, and it comes with a set of futuristic & thin tail lamps. However, the lower part of the car sticks out, and we think it looks a little strange. Along the side, the car we have here (the range-topping edition) comes with smart chrome surrounds, and there’s also a full-length panoramic roof. Along the front, there’s a smart-looking grille, coupled with some thin headlamps.

Step inside and the Scenic is a pretty smart car. There’s a large infotainment screen that sits in the centre of the dash, and the digital dials screen is also pretty large and comes with a number of different settings to choose from. The cabin has some soft-touch materials, but there’s also a fair share of scratchy plastics.

As the Scenic has now ditched the engine, there are just two battery options to choose from. The entry-level is a 60kWh battery with a range of up to 260 miles and a single 170hp motor. Alternatively, you can choose the 87kWh battery, which comes with a range of up to 379 miles and a single motor that delivers 217hp.

So what do you think - does the new Scenic have what it takes to compete with the best? You’ll need to stick with Mat and see for yourself!

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:55 Design
02:11 Price
03:35 Interior
06:52 Back Seats
08:55 Boot
10:59 Annoying Features
14:20 Cool Features
16:27 Batteries & Motors
17:26 Town Driving
20:09 Motorway Driving
21:05 Country Road Driving
22:39 0-60mph
23:54 Verdict

[tbh]

The rotating rear cup holder with phone holder is the first real car innovation I've seen since auto-cruise control.

[markmartinsmith]

Everyone hates on it but I’ve driven Renaults on and off for decades. The stalk radio control is such a well sorted thing. It’s brilliant, it just works, it’s so intuitive. I feel we should all show it more love!

[clivesinclair]

Anyone remember the original Scenic - when it was a real MPV and not a compact crossover?

[lucianviusencu]

9:00 Greatest piece of car journalism since Jeremy Clarkson

[stickygeiden]

I seriously don't understand this review, all the reviews I see said that this car is pretty brilliant for the price. So i test one myself and I found the driving experience pretty good.

[MDL]

In this Renault, you can just tap the door handles (not the grabby end but somewhere in the middle). the handles will come out if you are outside the car and it's unlocked

[ewadge]

Renault have improved so much. Good design and compelling. I’m not an SUV fan but this is not bad at all.

[capetowncoffee]

Ive owned many Renaults and the separate radio/music stalk is way better than steering wheel controls once you get used to it.

[worldpeace]

Separate stalk for audio is an amazing thing about Renault. When you turn the steering wheel, all the buttons turn with it, so you don't really know where each button is. The stalk stays in place, you always know where to reach for it

[JBFlytography]

“Euro NCAP says physical buttons will be “incentivised” in car safety tests from 2025. Car makers have been advised by Euro NCAP not to have important car functions on touchscreens, the idea behind coercing car makers to include more physical controls is to remove the growing reliance on touchscreens for basic car functions and keep the driver’s attention on the road ahead. “

Probably why most new cars have physical buttons for functions again.

[BinXDK]

Drove it recently - can in any way not recognize the issue with the brakes . Worked flawless was my experience

[damianchoma]

I really appreciate giving us 0-62 mph time so it’s the equivalent of 0-100 km/h ❤😊. Thank u Mat

[KristofferEngstrom]

Im amazed people are even lending out cars to you, because you are really living up to the term 'use it like you rent it

[stephen.]

Renault scenic long range has 630 km range and 43000 euros for price + a good interior quality.
Tesla 3 long range has 620 km range and 49000 euros for price + low cost interior quality .
Make your choice.

[eisi-xn]

Capture, Symbioz, Megane, Scenic, Rafale, they all look very similar and it is not just the usual corporate face, it is the whole SUV style that makes them a bit interchangable. They look quite good but is it necessary to copy the style across the whole range.

[phatlaz]

The boot lip is perfect if you park on a slope and don’t want your shopping to run away.!

[devnol]

16:20 oh sod off that's so cool. Electrochromic glass is probably one of the coolest underrated techs out there right now

[benjamindas]

The rotating cup holders with phone stand is genius

[shroomyesc]

It's rare nowadays that cars get smaller wheels as they get a new generation! The previous Scenic got 20" wheels as standard on all models. But that was very unnecessary for an MPV so.

[philipbaul]

Had the car for a full day's test drive and there's nothing wrong with it, in gmfact it's a very good car. Some of the negative points the reviewer makes are traits of a bloke that has OCD rather than the car having being picky for the sake of it. Like many You Tube car reviewers, it feels like his verdict depends on what kind of mood he's in that day. It won't help taht he's probably stepped out of the latest Range Rover or Porsche to test this Renault. Like always, get yourself along and test drive the car you're looking at rather than listen to someone who drives a Porsche as his daily.