Our Scenic is the range-topping Iconic Long Range model with no options, except for the £1,250 metallic paint. So it costs £46,745 as tested with 20-inch wheels of an unusual design, a 360-degree camera system, the 12-inch portrait infotainment screen, a 12.3in driver’s display screen and its party piece, the Solarbay panoramic roof, which can electrically switch from opaque to clear at the touch of a button. It’s around £4,000 cheaper than the rear-wheel-drive Ford Explorer with the larger battery that we tested it against.
Family buyers might panic at the sight of the Scenic’s interior. The light-grey fake leather and textiles look like a recipe for disaster for those with young children. Our kids are a bit past the ‘let’s colour-in the headrest’ stage, but we’ll be keeping an eye on how well the fabrics stand up to use over the course of the long-term test.
What the choice of materials does do, in combination with the Solarbay roof, is create an airy feel. It’s also a premium ambience, perhaps not as plush as the Explorer’s cabin, but more modern and design-led. Renault’s compromise between touchscreen controls and physical buttons, either under the screen or on the wide array of steering column stalks, is working very nicely so far.
| Rating: | 4.5 stars |
| Model: | Renault Scenic Iconic Long Range |
| On fleet since: | September 2024 |
| Price new: | £45,495 |
| Powertrain: | 87kWh battery, 1x e-motor, 217bhp |
| CO2/tax: | 0g/km/2% |
| Options: | Metallic paint (£1,250) |
| Insurance*: | Group: 32E/Quote: £766 |
| Mileage: | 3,490 |
| Efficiency: | 3.2 miles/kWh |
| Any problems? | None so far |
*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.
