Practical experience Renault Megane E-Tech Electric

Although you instantly recognize the Megane E-Tech Electric as a Renault car, the brand has done a great job under it. Not only is the system new, it also uses a completely new infotainment system based on Android Automotive. The old R-Link system in the current Megane was not an unnecessary luxury, but it provided little enthusiasm among users. The Megane Electric is available in three versions. The entry-level version, the 130-hp EV40, has a 130-hp electric motor with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery. This can be upgraded to 60 kWh, making the EV60 130 hp. The top model connects this large battery to a 220-horsepower electric motor and is called, as you might expect, the 220-horsepower EV60. In all cases, driving forces go to the front wheels.

Space and seating comfort

Before we look at modern features like driver assistance and infotainment systems, we'll examine more traditional automotive matters. Let's start with the available space. “On the other hand, I like the car itself. “Quiet, comfortable and spacious, especially in the more spacious back seat of the Megane IV,” writes the driver who also gained experience in the previous model. He writes the following about the seating position. “I also find the steering wheel and seat adjustable The driver is eye-catching, both have a very large adjustment range in height and length. So everyone should be able to find a good sitting posture. And about the furniture: “The seats up front are flatter and, in my opinion, a little wider than in the Megane IV (Bose+ version) I owned, so you sit a little more than you would on the inside.” But no less quality or less comfortable.

Those who regularly take rear passengers with them can still receive criticism from the back seat. One driver wrote succinctly: “Space is tight under the front seats, causing rear passengers’ feet to stick together.” An experience he shares with another director. “Is there anything else to complain about?” “Not really, unless you always have people in the back with fat feet,” he asks and replies. Because the space under the front seats is not suitable for rear passengers. In any case, the matter is neither disturbing nor disturbing to our situation. Even a person taller than 1.90 meters had no complaints when riding in the back. He writes the following about a 440 liter box. “The high lift sill in the boot took some getting used to, but given its sheer depth, the boot is actually bigger than you think. Try using (large) suitcases and you'll be surprised what's inside.”

Not everyone is optimistic about space and seating position, so the next driver finds a less comfortable seat behind the wheel. “First of all, the center console is very deep (the gear lever is on the steering wheel), so your knee rests on a small surface, which becomes uncomfortable after 5 minutes. I now move the seat back so that my knee doesn't rest on it, but it falls off Now it's in the deep center console and I actually sit a little further back.In short, this driver has a problem that drivers also had with the previous generation Megane.

Infotainment and controls

Fortunately for Renault and the drivers, there is one subject that is really getting praise, including this driver. “The openR-Link (or LG IVI on Android Automotive) system works great. Fast, stable, and easy to use. Although there are many options and setup options, it's quick and easy to get up and running.” Another boost: “Spoken commands also work smoothly, just as It's at home with Google Home. In practice, you probably mainly use navigation commands (Hey Google, go to…). This is done very smoothly and very quickly. But typing on the screen also works very well.

Another goes even further. “The Google system is really great in the car. The new standard as far as I'm concerned. It works very quickly and the voice commands finally work as they should – almost everything is done instantly. Well almost. Aside from losing the GPS,” he concludes. GPS) once (well, somewhere deep in Friesland), otherwise nothing but praise.”

Have you had enough of too much positivity yet? Too bad we have to do something else. “I can only repeat that the Google system in the car is really cool, and for us it is a must have for all future cars,” writes a third positive person. “It works very quickly, very efficiently, and very accurately with voice commands.” A fourth, in a semi-telegram style, said: “The process is simple. Google's large screen responds well. All jobs are easy to find. The climate is operated via real buttons, which is very nice.

How does the Megane electric car drive?

So far there are a lot of positive things, but the riders happily carry on. “Handling is excellent,” writes one driver of his 220-hp Megane. “I would say it's an almost perfect combination of ride comfort and dynamics. Cornering behavior is very sharp. Small bumps appear but not too much, and on the highway the car is in its comfort element. This passenger is also enthusiastic about the driving modes. “With the different modes, you can drive nicely Easy or very sporty, the differences are huge. I set the steering tension to Sport (to get “road feel”) and the rest to Comfort. In Sport mode, it's very quick on the gas and in Comfort mode, you drive very comfortably and in a well-measured manner.

Another driver, also with the 220 hp version, experiences the same thing, but begins by describing the peace and quiet on board. “The car is really quiet up to 110 km/h. Above that, a clear, but unobtrusive wind noise can be heard. Then the driving experience. “Sport mode turns the comfortable car into a huge runner, which doesn't go very hard but lasts a long time.” Can you notice it when you're driving sportily? “Front-wheel drive means that during fast sprints, you clearly feel the front rising with the front wheel sometimes seeking control, but then you're really over the line in terms of fun driving. This does not bother you during normal driving. The steering is very direct in Sport mode and comfortable in Comfort mode. “There is a clear difference between the driving modes.”

The driver of the entry-level E-Tech, the 130-horsepower version with a smaller battery, is also pleased with the ride. “The Megane behaves like a very mature car and I was positively surprised by the handling and comfort.” It turns out it's not his first electric car. “I had some difficulty saying goodbye to my Volkswagen ID.3, but after the first few kilometers I quickly forgot about the Volkswagen.” One important aspect of an electric car is of course range. We previously wrote about the driving range of the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric in practice.

Driving aids are received differently

It becomes clear that not everything is experienced positively when we take a closer look at driver assistance systems. “I think the biggest problem is the driving assistance systems,” writes a less satisfied driver in this area and explains why. “Adaptive cruise control is downright dangerous, and I've been there many times where a car was locked in because a car or traffic light was detected when none were there.”

Another rider shares this experience. “In this Megane, you have 'ghost reports' several times per trip of obstacles/cars suddenly appearing depending on the car. This causes the car to suddenly slam on the brakes out of nowhere. You're scared, but fortunately it only takes a split second , so before you can react, the car continues at the set speed. This rider will partly return to this in a later update. “I have a feeling the ghost reports from radar are becoming less. They are still present occasionally, but less and less clearly.

The next contestant has the same experience and comes up with a possible explanation. “The occasional initial 'ghost message' while using adaptive cruise control, such as suddenly releasing the accelerator, for example, actually disappeared quite quickly. The conclusion is that this must almost certainly have come from map notifications from Google Maps.” “In rare places where this used to happen, this is no longer the case. Long live the updates.”

Disturbances and irritations

A remarkably common complaint concerns the throttle. “I quickly noticed what I read more,” one expert wrote. “A strange click or delay in the power pedal. “It felt a bit strange at first, but it seems to be part of the car.” Another rider also noticed this. “A strange click on the accelerator when the car switches between 'acceleration' and 'regeneration.'” Describes a driver who is not satisfied with his electric Renault As follows. “There is a press on the accelerator pedal when you go from acceleration to regeneration. Every time, especially when you're in high gear and going from throttle to regeneration: tick, tick, tick. “If you take it into the garage, they'll say, 'That's a feature of the product,' and they won't make fun of you.”

The rider who briefly described this phenomenon above also had to deal with “real” failures. “We have now passed the 10,000 km mark. I went back to the Renault dealer several times and faced a lot of software problems. One software problem caused the headlights to stop working, leaving me unable to use the car. The next morning, this glitch had disappeared again, So the merchant couldn't do anything with it, which is very frustrating to have this kind of error.

Another owner reported a hardware issue. “After about eight thousand kilometres, a distinct clicking sound was suddenly heard when cornering hard at low speed. Nothing dramatic, but annoying. The dealer also heard it clearly and was now able to match it to a message in the Renault service database, with an associated audio file. So I wasn't “First. Something with the shock absorber, and the part was replaced on arrival. Solved.”

The 130 hp EV60 driver is having problems with a number of buttons. “In the summer, I noticed the air conditioning wouldn't turn off until I pressed the 'AC' button three times. It was now a virtual button on the screen and I assumed that was the reason, but now that it's getting colder, I'm also having trouble heating up the steering wheel.” In principle this is also a virtual button, but you can program the physical button on the steering wheel to be the “Favorite” button and I did this with the steering wheel heating. I also always have to press this button three times before the steering wheel heating turns on. Annoying ” Something similar applies to cruise control. “The set/reset button has a life of its own. If you are using cruise control and want to adjust the speed (Set), this usually works fine. But every now and then the car comes on at its own speed. Sometimes it is the maximum speed applied, and sometimes it is also the speed The car's maximum limit is 150 km/h. There is no solution in sight yet. “Merchant He does not recognize this problem It indicates that there is no update available or the like.

Users generally feel their Renault Megane Electric is very positive. Compared to the “regular” Megane, the car feels more spacious for passengers and luggage, but legroom in the back is limited and the trunk has a rather large lift sill. Users are very complimentary about the controls and new infotainment system, and the handling of this Renault is also appreciated. This does not apply to driver assistance systems, although it appears that they will work better after system updates. These are promising signs for the future of the electric brand, including the new and upcoming Scenic 5 and Twingo.