Renault’s first new European electric passenger car in a decade is tipped to reach Australia next year, offering up to 470km of range.
The Renault Megane E-Tech Electric small SUV is due to arrive in Australia as soon as next year, as the brand’s first new electric passenger car since the Zoe city car launched overseas a decade ago.
Revealed in September 2021, Drive understands the Megane E-Tech Electric is due to arrive in Australian showrooms sometime in 2023 – though Renault’s Australian importer Ateco is yet to announce a launch date, nor details of local pricing or specifications.
Prices in France start from €35,200 for an entry-level, short-range model, and span to €51,200 for a flagship, long-range variant features – the latter 60 per cent higher than a petrol-powered Renault Captur Intens city SUV in Australia, which is priced from $35,790 before on-road costs.
That suggests a list price in Australia of approximately $57,000 for the new Megane E-Tech Electric – on par with its small electric SUV rivals, including the range-topping Hyundai Kona Electric ($64,000 before on-roads) and Mazda MX-30 E35 Astina ($65,490).
Renault’s last electric passenger car or SUV in Australia, the Zoe city car, departed local shores priced from $49,490 before on-road costs in flagship Intens trim – offering only 300km of claimed driving range, and a 68kW electric motor.
Despite sharing its name with Renault’s iconic petrol-powered small hatchback, the new Megane E-Tech Electric (officially “Megane E-Tech 100% Electric”) is a small SUV sized similarly to the aforementioned Captur, and rides on a new CMF-EV platform designed solely for electric vehicles.
European buyers are given a choice of 40kWh or 60kWh lithium-ion battery packs, paired with one of two electric motors (mounted on the front axle), developing 96kW/250Nm or 160kW/300Nm.
Renault claims up to 470km of WLTP-rated driving range with the larger battery and less powerful electric motor, decreasing to 450km with the more potent e-motor, or 300km with the small 40kWh battery selected.
A 0-100km/h sprint time as low as 7.4 seconds is claimed, towards an electronically-limited top speed of 160km/h.
DC fast charging at up to 130kW is standard on range-topping models, allowing 300km of WLTP-certified claimed range to be added in 30 minutes of charging, or 200km of real-world “motorway driving” range in the same period.
The Megane E-Tech Electric debuts a new ‘Open-R’ infotainment system for the French car maker – powered by Google’s Android Automotive operating system framework – integrated into a new curved dashboard panel, with a 9.0- or 12-inch touchscreen, and 12.3-inch instrument display.
Available features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, 48-colour ambient lighting, leather or fabric seat upholstery, LED headlights and tail-lights, 20-inch alloy wheels, pop-out door handles, and over-the-air updates.
Standard or optional active safety features in Europe include adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane following assist, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear autonomous emergency braking, automatic parking, a digital rear-view mirror, and a 3D-view 360-degree camera.
The new electric Megane measures 4199mm long, 1783mm wide and 1505mm high, riding on a 2685mm wheelbase – on par with a Captur ‘light’ SUV in terms of overall length (28mm shorter) and width (16mm broader), but 62mm lower, and with a 46mm longer wheelbase.
There’s 440 litres of boot space on offer behind the rear seats – with a further 32 litres below the boot floor for cables – or 18 litres more than a Captur.
The Renault Megane E-Tech Electric will go on sale in Europe in the coming months, ahead of an Australian launch understood to be slated for 2023.
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