Louth Motors: Triumphant Scénic adds award

If you were to ask a room of motorists what they want in a car for their needs I’d wager that the results would be as follows.

Lots of interior space and very practical, filled with the latest and greatest in tech and infotainment features all delivered on a platform that gives an engaging driving experience with an emphasis is on comfort.

Ask them again what carmakers strive constantly to deliver this from the mainstream manufacturers and they’d probably list Renault, Peugeot, Citroen as those brands that are strongly linked to the comfort label.

Personally, in my recent driving experience, the comfort label is getting wider with Opel using all that Stellantis knowhow to produce very comfortable cars across their whole range and the Japanese and Korean brands similarly getting first class honours in this chosen subject.

Buyers are obsessed with the toys and gadgets and in every family there is a member that can work everything without ever needing to look at a manual.

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I was that member of my family and I still have to change the clock in my Dad’s car twice a year. But now there seems to be more than one member and the tech provided has to be of a very high standard.

Be it charging, streaming, Wi-Fi sharing or navigation, everyone under 30 is an expert and demanding high standards. They want to be transported in comfort with lots of space too and if they are driving they need to be excited/engaged by the car - all a very tall order to achieve.

And that’s what Renault has achieved with the new Scénic. That’s a statement that can be backed up by the European and Irish Car of the Year Jurors because the Scénic has won both, most recently in the middle of November when it landed the coveted Irish Car of the Year Award, in association with Continental Tyres.

It faced a huge battle to win its category facing fierce competition from the likes of the Ford Explorer, Honda ZR-V, Mini Countryman, Peugeot 3008, Renault Symbioz, Volkswagen Tiguan, BMW X2/iX2 and the Smart #3. It was the motoring equivalent of the battle of the Somme albeit without the causalities.

The Scénic was once an MPV but is now an SUV, come crossover. Name association with a shape has now gone for sure – just look at the Ford Puma, Mustang and Capri now versus their history – but it still retains attraction and brand association properties and the 30 year old Scénic name is not something Renault wants to retire due to its pulling power cemented by Renault’s marketing claim that they changed everything about the car except its name. Gone are petrol and diesel with the new Scénic an all-electric affair with a range of 625km.

I managed to use 69% of the battery to travel 304kms with the car telling me I could travel, I’m assuming based on my driving style, a further 148kms for a total range, for me, of 452kms in my 87kWh battery version.

That’s the range Renault claim for the smaller 60kWh batteried version. For my motoring needs, and most of you, that’ll be more than enough. And if you need to recharge, it’ll take 30mins to get you another 2 hours of motorway driving at a fast charger. That’s a safe coffee/tea break time that won’t really interfere with you travel plans. That 87 kWh battery drives a 160kW electric motor and also comes with a desirable heat pump.

The Scenic conversion from MPV to SUV has been transformational and Renault is knocking out some very attractive cars.

The Scénic is edgy and stylish and from every angle looks substantial. There is a lot of metal now that is appealingly angled and curved. The front grille is the best exponent of the use of a logo I’ve seen and once you see it you’d wonder why they didn’t do it a long time ago. The rear has a bit of VW Golf about it to my eye and there isn’t a colour available that’s not flattering with midnight blue my pick.

Renault was always at the forefront with electrics and features and the Scénic continues that. But Renault have put a lot of effort into making the tech easy to use and after a brief orientation/familiarization, I felt like I’d owned the car for years.

The mix of buttons and touch is good, a major compliment from me. Seats are very comfortable with excellent adjustability and you get no sense of any crampedness.

It also manages to meet that MPV maxim of old by delivering a flat floor when all the seats are folded increasing the boot capacity from 545litres to 1,670litres.

Renault also retains a lot of cubbyholes and storage places that can often be overlooked. The coup de gráce and a feature you’ll want to show off is the Solarbay Panoramic Roof that can be darkened or lightened for cabin light control whilst also keeping the cold out or in depending on the season.

It can also be voice controlled like most of the features in the Scénic due to its seamless Google integration. Talking to control your car is the way to go because there usually isn’t a physical control and it takes too long to find it in the menus and voice recognition software is just so good today.

Renault build quality feels so good these days and it’s no different in the Scénic. Take a spin in one and prepare to be smitten. There are 4 trim levels available with prices ranging from €39,995 to €54,795 with the Techno long range at €48,995 being the sweet spot.

The movement to electric means you get quietness and a fast 0-100km/h time of 7.9s. It feels, and is, brisk using all that addictive electric torque.

It promises a comfortable and stress-free driving experience and delivers with light steering and handling that is composed and passenger centric. It is a bump soakerupper and prevents their intrusion into the cabin brilliantly. It’s not going to appeal to an all out/always on driver but then again what car does?

You won’t find any aspect of this car’s performance and ride something that you can’t live with. For added assurance the car has all the desirable driver safety features pretty much as standard and for those times when you need them, forgetting most of the time they are there, it is excellent peace of mind. It scored excellently in the Euro NCAP crash testing with the top 5 stars achieved.

This deserved award-winning car is ideal for the current modern family unit meeting their activity, comfort and tech requirements and is quite the compelling proposition for most drivers.