NEW Renault Megane E-Tech review - better than a Cupra Born? | What Car?

[@beaverweaver]

I’ve had my Megane a few weeks now. The brake pedal does take a lot of getting used to (far more sensitive than the Zoe’s). However, the regen is far better and once you get used to the sensitivity, it’s grand.

[@paulroper4847]

Mine arrives in January and so that's reassuring to know - thank you.

[@NorthernSoulieKTF]

I own a Techno E Tech and by far it has the best brakes of any EV I drove on tests. The regen paddles come into their own when driving twisty roads, almost like changing down. With current weather I am getting almost WLTP forecast although in winter when I picked it up, it did dip below 200 miles. The boot is a god send, it easily handled all our luggage for extended trip with a lot of room to spare. Finally, my 6’2” son sits comfortably behind me and I am same height. Build quality is excellent and to finally answer your question, head and shoulders above the Cupra Born in all respects. MG drivers today are Skoda drivers of 30 years ago. You get what you pay for, nowt in life is free.

[@robsmith4790]

Is that real? The rear passenger space looks absolutely Terrible.

[@NorthernSoulieKTF]

@@robsmith4790 Yes, my son sits behind me as I have child seat on other side for my grandson on the passenger side so I can keep an eye on him when I take him out alone. Grandson likes his Dad to sit near him. As my son doesn’t drive, I wouldn’t have considered buying if he couldn’t fit comfortably behind me. I expect like most car owners 95% of the time, you don’t have four adults in the car.

[@splashmaster2000]

You apparently haven't driven a Hyundai, Kia, or Polestar EV then. The brake pedal mapping on the Renault is, unfortunately, pretty poor. They just didn't get the transition from regenerative to friction braking right.

[@NorthernSoulieKTF]

@@splashmaster2000 Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 driven, but not the Polestar. The Borns brakes are abysmal, no feeling at all and transition from regen to actual friction braking inspires little confidence. My comment stands, Megane E Tech braking is best of any EV I have driven.

[@VeitchyVeitch]

Are you still happy with the car today?

[@garybibby2698]

No mention of the 22kw ac charging which makes empty to full in three hours possible so ideal for cinema/shopping trip and AC charging is often cheaper than Rapid DC.

[@-DC-]

3 Hours to refill your car what wonderful progress 🤣🤣🤣

[@Brandofviti]

@@-DC- I have one. You don't think I am present for that charging do you? I drive my car, stick in the charger at night. fully charged next morning. no worries

[@garybibby2698]

@@-DC- about five seconds to plug it in then go to work, shopping, cinema. EV drivers rarely wait whilst charging. I use rapids en route about 5/10% of time and even then by the time I’ve had a pee and coffee/lunch I’m done and on my way again.

[@renardargent6487]

Excuse my ignorance re charging EVs, but what's a "22kw ac charging" thing?

[@garybibby2698]

@@renardargent6487 a battery stores energy in DC Direct Current, Mains electricity is AC Alternating Current, on an AC charge point the car has to convert AC to DC, the quicker it can do this (higher number )the quicker it charges. Most are 11kw, some are 7kw, this Renault is 22kw so if connected to a 22kw supply will use all that power. only applies to AC charging. the rapid ones at motorways do the conversion in the charger (why they are so big) and therefore faster. limits still apply tho of how much power car will allow in.

[@SophieKristiansen]

Great review, I was interested in these two when I opted for the Megane ETech Iconic and I am extremely happy with it. I did get a demo car so top spec with full leather etc which I think takes the interior from really good to fantastic. Feels quality.

[@Paris__]

A superb review....Well done! I've just ordered the Top-of the -Range Iconic model in th UK (with that excellent Heat Pump). It was a straight choice between a Tesla Model 3 or the Megane, both were the same price.....No contest! The sterile, poor build quality, horrid interior, ugly Tesla is so dated compared to the Renault. It's tech is so 'yesterday'. Brilliant move by Renault going to the experts, Google! By the way, Renault say the 0-60 time is 7.5 Sec, but independent reviewers have clocked it at 6.9 Sec (that's Mini Cooper S territory, but with that lovely instant torque).......how typically French, underplaying!

[@AlanBernardFinney]

Hi I'm still sceptical about electric cars as I'm 52 and old school but from my perspective, it's a very futuristic looking four wheeled spaceship that I'd be proud to own.

[@kabirjones8563]

I’ve had an Megane E TEC for 5 days and I really like this car. The brakes at first are sharp until you get used to them and then you get the feel it just needs a gentle touch, if your using the regen paddles properly why brake hard? The steering has a 12 to 1 ratio rather than the normal 14/15 to1 area and that took me 3 days (commuting) to get the feel right and it works well, just needs time. Its great to drive, fast and so quiet.

[@Paris__]

I've had my Iconic in White with Black roof for 7weeks now. I've driven it on long journeys, and when driven carefully on Eco, I get between 280-302 miles range (although don't go above 57-59mph😉). What really helps is that, unlike almost every other EV, the Megane doesn't affect it's range when the blowers/heaters are on, as the power doesn't come out of the EV batteries. It comes out of the car's normal 12v battery (like it does on a ICE car), the Power Flow Display let's you know where the power is coming from. Only the AC does. But don't forget, the Megane is one of the lightest EV's on sale (lighter than a Zoe). Helped by aluminum and Carbon Fibre construction. Only the Mini and Fiat 500 are lighter. Plus don't care anout rear visability. It has a wide-angle rear view mirror camera....Brilliant!! Plus Google is fantastic! You cannot beat phone tech! It's the most up-to-date around, constantly updated.

[@MW54-jb9tb]

Where do you think the 12v battery get's it's power from?

[@Paris__]

@@MW54-jb9tb Not from the EV batteries!! Just like in EVERY other car!!!

[@MW54-jb9tb]

@@Paris__ where does it charge from then when you're on the road? EVs don't have alternators. A car with an internal combustion engine charges the battery with an alternator, an alternator that's powered by your petrol or diesel. An EV uses a converter to top the 12v battery up (when you're not plugged in) and that converter uses the high voltage battery to run. In the Meganes case, I believe the higher specs have a heat pump to help reduce the power used when heating.

[@Paris__]

@@MW54-jb9tb D*#!head!!!😂😂

[@keyserxx]

in this forum we obey the laws of thermodynamics!

[@alangordon3283]

Did you makes this 6 months ago 🤷‍♂️

[@robsmith4790]

At 9’10 , you describe it as a SMALL EV. 😤 ARE YOU KIDDING!! this is a MEDIUM sized car, it’s not a smegging Small car. By any stretch of the imagination. 😡

[@RobReacts1]

People slate the haptic touch on the Born. I own the Born and actually they arnt an issue at all.

[@daniilrusanau5849]

Great review. Although, if shot in snow why the video is released only now in June? 🤔

[@ellisrochlin2267]

Brill and honest appraisal. , thanks

[@haukikannel]

Megane has normally have sport tourer aka estate versions also. Any news if eMegane also get estate/sport tourer version?

[@Madonsteamrailways]

I think it’s a Renault trait!! The brakes on my little Renault Zoe is exactly the same.

[@thomash2806]

Snow? In June? Where or when are you filming? More than a hint of Allegro Quartic in that steering wheel…

[@renardargent6487]

One of the Aussie motoring scribblers referred to it as a "squarcle"😊

[@DanRyzESPUK]

The only makor problem of this car is the price. If they managed to reduce it by 5k it would be pretty good.

[@jonathon1799]

Price has now dropped

[@shamisshukoor]

can you please talk about the cruise control features in the reviews ?

[@alangordon3283]

Why it controls cruising 🤷‍♂️

[@NorthernSoulieKTF]

Great adaptive cruise control, easy to set, keeps distance from car in front and keeps within lane, just need to the sensors know you got hands on steering wheel. Indicate to overtake, you control, sensors picks up lane markings by showing green lines in instrument cluster, back into adaptive cruise. Can also set to obey speed signs and can plus or minus your speed to the speed sign and away you go. Very useful on roadworks particularly those using average speed. Blind spot indicator in mirror also very good, ample warning and warns you if unsafe to pull out due to vehicles on inside or outside of you. Reporter really didn’t dwell too much on the safety tech in the car which is excellent. You may find cheaper cars but you need to do a comparison on ALL features not only the price.

[@jasonbrody6219]

Why Renault Mégane E tech ev in UK doesnt get the big portrait touch screen

[@xdaeq2]

It does In more expensive trim

[@jasonbrody6219]

@@xdaeq2 in uk it isn't available

[@xdaeq2]

@@jasonbrody6219 oh yea ure right. I just looked it up.

[@jonathantaylor1998]

Because the French still hate us...! 🤣

[@bst1623]

I read they couldn’t make the larger screen work after they had moved other stuff around behind the dash when converting to RHD.

[@richardandrews6299]

Trying to decide between the Megane E-Tech & Scenic E-Tech (Techno trim) any suggestions?

[@christiandeleo7737]

6:08 where is that freaking video 🙈 can’t find it!

[@FéargalO]

Any MY25 Megane owners confirm if they have fixed the grabby brakes some reviewers mention on earlier models? Shame no auto/ smart regen setting available like the ioniq 5.

[@geronimocoleccionistabonet2918]

The Megane e-tech IS good this car IS electric

[@PhilippeV]

I did a test drive with one and the breaks and steering problems you talk about are nowhere to be found . I drive about 50.000km a year so i do have experience in driving cars.

[@svamptrask913]

I really fell in love with how the stearing in Megane works. I never had problems with the brakes. When I compare 2023 Megane to 2023 Niro Ev, Megane feels like an extension of my body, Niro Ev feels like driving a car. What car in this price range has better stearing?

[@ChickenLegs-fp9py]

@@svamptrask913 I said the exact same thing to my wife, I never got the chance to test the Niro but as soon as I got into the Megane I felt like I pulling on a warm sweater. It was fabulous, ordered one yesterday. Got the Techno+ with the heat pump.

[@renardargent6487]

@@svamptrask913 Like the steering in my Megane GT Sport wagon. It's as if I'm one with its 4 wheel steering. Tres bon

[@jayhannah2011]

The dash layout is very similar to the EQA

[@brianbarcroft9167]

Perhaps it's the time lag but I don't think that this is a particularly fair review. Firstly I am pretty sure that the user interface, google/android, is the same for all the range and is fantastic by the way, I also think that all e-techs now have heat pumps and preconditiong. Certainly my techno version here in france doesn't serm to lose much range in winter. Secondly, as of jan 2024, Renauld have reduced it's price by 4000€ (10%) and over here we get another 4000€ from the government so it isn't that expensive relatively speaking. And why would the depreciation be more than other EVs in it class, given that it continually comes out on top when compared to it's rivals? Finally, as in all new cars, you have to get used to the pedals but afer a couple of days i have no problems with the brakes. And, unless i missed it, there is no mention of the adjustable regen on the car which brings it to a crawl without touching the breaks.

[@AAly-hf5mg]

Great work

[@thomaseriksson3182]

Summer in UK...snow?...😅

[@christiandeleo7737]

Kind of.. I am Italian in the uk 😂😂

[@rv_x3976]

Your calculation of claimed miles per range is either wrong or misleading. Here is the maths: Claimed miles/kWh = Claimed EV range ÷ kWh battery size So for Renault it should be = 270 ÷ 60 = 4.5 miles/kWh. If you are using any factor in the calculation please explain.

[@marklola12]

They come with 12 inch bigger sat nav screen now

[@bshah4831]

Two issues. Rear seats do not provide much leg thigh support. Only one battery option. Heat pump was not available initially.

[@filipepaninho6558]

I would't call it small and its expensive... I'll wait for the Renault 5, VW Id.2 and Tesla 2 and compare then.

[@douglasmorris8364]

Nice enough car however it's all about the numbers right? My '21' 40kw(39) Leaf regularly averages ~4.4 miles/Kwh = ~170 miles. Is the weight of a 60kw pack worth the massive increase in cost verses not that more range? Not for me as I can work with my range easily reasonably locally. I'm never getting rid of my trusty 900 mile range 60 to 65mpg Peugeot 508sw diesel for those longer frequent trips though.

[@BillsCountrysideAdventures]

The eu version is way nicer than UK one. Don't waste your 40k and get something better. See first reviews and compare.

[@FéargalO]

The french version has beautiful leather seats. not the crappy fabric seats on UK and Ireland models.

[@bill_heywood]

I really liked the Megane E-Tech, it’s beautiful inside and out. But it is just too narrow to be a practical family car. Try getting 3 adults to sit in the back, it’s not big back there. And the boot may be deep, but it is less than 1m across between the wheel arches, making it hard to fit larger items in there. So it would not suit my needs, and it’s at least £5k too expensive

[@jonathon1799]

Price has now dropped

[@alistairmontgomery6332]

Think before you buy. My ETech is in the garage , The diagnosis has confirmed a fault in the traction motor and as a result Dealer need to order this component. At present the part is on back order with Renault so the first thing they needed to do was create the order with a VOR (vehicle of road) status and then chase for an update. I’m aware of others with same issue and their ETech has been off the road from April ( nearly 3 months) waiting on the motor.

[@ellisrochlin8606]

If you want to buy , advise 1 yr old launch version with the discount of no vat and 2nd ownership takes £ 13 k off from when new .

[@magnusmacdonald2810]

Man; your voice is exactly as Anthony Davidsons.

[@edwinng2046]

Thank you for the presentation Renault 5 might be better😅, winter test 👍🏻

[@openmindedbloke]

Good review. It's not moved the game on. It seems the Nissan Ariya is better all round.

[@rob3018]

While I’ll give this EV a 7/10, it's still a decent choice for the environmentally conscious looking for a family-friendly 5-door hatchback, in a SUV shaped package! However, the somber outro music of the review may have you wondering if you're making the wrong choice.😈😳🤔

[@ZeeshanKhan-qm9uv]

Excellent

[@rodrigobatistaguerra7991]

Uau bonito 😱👍🏻😍

[@Bman1878]

I don't _mind_ it, but the styling makes it look like less of a hatchback, and more of a crossover SUV thing, and I hate crossovers. There's just waaaay too many of them

[@jamesbutler1029]

But that's in Model 3 pricing territory?

[@davidhughmurrayuk]

Apart from the powertrain, the Mégane is a better car. But the power and range of the Tesla are phenomenal.

[@jamesbutler1029]

@@davidhughmurrayuk and the charging network

[@Madonsteamrailways]

I notice the same steering wheel as fitted to the original Austin Allegro is fitted to this car. I don’t particularly like it, but I equally don’t dislike it.

[@philmorbey1827]

I'm not sure I would describe this or the Born as small. These are family cars. The mini e or Honda e are small? Unfortunately a lot of other electric vehicles are unnecessarily huge! It also slightly poor that UK buyers get the smaller screen than European buyers

[@Madonsteamrailways]

I change my Renault Zoe in July. If Renault had created their own camper, I might have had this model.

[@khankhajjak4714]

Nice ☺️

[@kresimirmilisa5560]

Very good suv from renault😊

[@radam2818]

Nice car for daily commutes and travel around town but then the Zoe also does the job, is easier to park and comes much cheaper. Until the battery technology changes substantially, pure electrics will remain a niche market.

[@ewadge]

In 2022, the Tesla Model Y was the 3rd best selling car in the UK. And 16% of all cars sold were battery electric. Hardly niche anymore. And it is only set to grow herein out.

[@radam2818]

​@@ewadgethat's remarkable indeed and so much the better that things are moving fast in the all electric direction, but so far I remain a bit sceptic about using one on a long road trip with all the constraints and unforeseeables of the battery charging. Hopefully this is going to change radically in just a few years.

[@TundeEszlari]

I love your videos, can I get a comment heart? ❤

[@teslaroy4950]

Grabby brakes. No matter how gentle we are with the brake pedal its grabs and jerks the car. Loud fuds and grinding brake sounds. Especially bad at low speeds. Very light steering.

[@Nikoo033]

10%-80% charging, that’s 70% to add. Add 10% losses worst case scenario, that’s 77% of 60kWh = 46.2kWh to add. Charging at 120kW (just lower than 130kW), that’s 46.2/120= 0.385. 0.385 x 60min = 23 min. So 10%-80% charging would take 23 min in worst case scenario. Not 30 min 😊

[@aristoteles6265]

Look at the charging curve and you'll see why it's 30 minutes.

[@Nikoo033]

@@aristoteles6265 thanks for that. Now I understand. They probably want to protect the battery with this gradual drop.

[@ferryvanleyen5606]

130 kw an hr is really 1980's speed

[@ellisrochlin2267]

went to renault suppliers. like the exterior looks of car indeed 9 outs 10 . Sadly small uninspiring boot space apart from the drop. 5 outa 10 , V dark inside cabin with silly black headlining and no glass roof available for a bit of light 6 outa 10 , 2nd pain for my wife more than FOR me as i am taller is the raked windscreen A pillar BLIND SPOT 3 outa 10, she beleives at traff lights and zebra crossings its very easy for her not to see a couple of small kids or sub 7 yr olds wanting to cross ( we have this problem in our ren kadjar but we are sitting higher up so less restricted than megane is ) . Anybody sitting in back over 5ft 7 inches when turning head to veiw out will find their head always annoyingly catching the roof lining above the windows 5 outa 10. No auto opening for boot 5 outa 10. As in driving , we didnt bother but i am sure it does the job okay.

[@rizwanasukhiani4691]

Amazingn

[@MrGMawson2438]

That Renault 5 looks good

[@Darx97]

if only it was cheaper, i really like this thing

[@ashb8572]

I wonder if it'll have reliability problems like the Zoe did... Which? found the Zoe to be the worse used EV in this regard

[@TL-xw6fh]

I truly struggled to get my head wrapped around why I would buy a new EV now. They are so expensive, about £10k to £15k to an equivalent ICE car. They depreciate much faster than an ICE equivalent, so that within 5 years, there is virtually no premium between an ICE and EV car. It is also more expensive to run an EV against an ICE car if they are charged with rapid charging (which is necessary when on motorways), around 25p per mile vs 12 to 18p per mile for an ICE car. The only saving grace is the lower cost if charging at night and at home. Insurance is also higher, and soon vehicle excise duty will be applied to all EVs too, plus luxury tax if over £40k new. So given that the higher depreciation, insurance and financing costs (if purchased on hire purchase or PCP), partially offset by lower charging costs I estimate that an EV will cost me around £1,500 to £2,000 more annually. I've a 6 year old Nissan Leaf, so I don't think I'll replace it with an EV, but get a fuel efficient hybrid like a Toyota Prius or Hyundai Ioniq.

[@alangordon3283]

Buy a secondhand one then 🤷‍♂️

[@TL-xw6fh]

@@alangordon3283 Still the same high rates of depreciation for second hand EVs. Indeed 5 year old EVs are cheaper to buy than ICE cars, and prices dropping like a stone because of the risk of buying a degraded battery pack that cost as much as £20k for a Tesla 3, including installation, etc.

[@taomahNEGEV]

Not a good comparison video at all.

[@robertwalker1742]

Think the new Volvo e30 has the Renault beaten.

[@cannygrowabeard]

I like this car, just can’t stomach the price, either cash or lease. It’s just not a £360pm car. Neither is an iD.3.

[@talkandplay]

Still no auto /smart regen like the ioniq 5. Still crappy fabric seats for UK unlike the leather seats they get for euro models. But they finally added the big infotainment screen on MY25 after saying for over 2 years it could not be done on the UK models.

[@GolfAlh]

Mate, you ate a bit late with this one 😂

[@Andre1980stavanger]

To bad your UK versions are just a glimmer of the EU spec. All there UK videos gives this car a bad misinformed reveiew in europe.

[@presterjohn71]

It looks like this was filmed months ago and then forgotten about.

[@specialeducationwithshamim2238]

What a car?

[@colinrenfrew48]

Given the numbers, it’s a no from me.

[@LamMy-uk4vt]

👍

[@MuhammadUmar-ip6ch]

NYC

[@dk292]

£40k for a Megane is a bit much no?

[@RBcymru]

Chevrolet Cruze had fabric on the dash in 2010 and Renault Megane plastics around the dash and centre console are much worse / cheaper than the Cupra Born. Cupra has more rear cabin space as well. Megane could have been so much better but then again its French so looks over actual range and will go very wrong after 3 years old.

[@gazzrobb2366]

Don’t bother buying this car had my iconic delivered today I’ve never been so disappointed they have removed the electric massage seats and self parking not sure if it still has a heat pump either

[@Teamcarbideuk]

Pretty funny watching reviewers like this avoid mentioning Tesla 😂

[@taz89ful]

SCRAP!!!

[@80y3r9]

The boot is too short, cant get a bike in behind the driver even with wheel off, deep isnt helpful, is also means no fkr anyone with a dog as that beardy reviewer saod "its a dog prison" whith that depth n window

[@daboundy]

And the back seats only need to fit my whippets .. don't give a damn about people.

[@ianpalin8318]

Turn up's, at your age? it's not a Tesla, so why bother?

[@delliott979]

Three major problems for me. Interior fabric used on dashboard and seats is horrible and looks very cheap (a deal breaker). Rear view through window is very narrow and far too small. Tailgate should be electric powered. Less critical is the very high boot loading lip and the real range which should be 50 miles longer in winter particularly. Not totally put off but in doubt.

[@MartinzW]

I disagree, fabric on dash makes it stand out, I really liked the interior design of it - so far my favorite out of all cars (including Germans) I've tested. I don't see how it makes it seem cheap - plastic and rubber does that.

[@delliott979]

Each to his own. I don't mind me the idea of fabric on the dash, it's the cheap feel, design and colour of the fabric on the seats as well that lowers the tone of the well designed interior.

[@-DC-]

Less range than a 30 year old base model Corsa 🙄

[@MRT.1977]

Full electric, no thanks 😴

[@saintetienne755]

French - electric = worried driver

[@mickhine558]

French EV driver 2 years on, zero issues, super comfort, a joy to drive, Citroen e C4 ( 4 VAG group ICE cars in the past 3 of which had major issues) 5 Citroen / Peugeot ICE cars, no major issues.

[@saintetienne755]

@@mickhine558 lucky you

[@zackarystewart9214]

What a dumb and short sited choice by Renault. I doubt they had a choice. WEF is having their way with these companies. If you don't understand the problem here, just wait a few years and it will make sense to you

[@derekt7606]

More EV nonsense.

[@Erikkrols]

So ….why are you watching?

[@robsmall6466]

​@@Erikkrols Curiosity ? Freedom of choice ?

[@andrewkirk3159]

@@robsmall6466 Uncontrollable urge to troll?

[@robsmall6466]

@@andrewkirk3159 Stating an opinion that other's just cannot accept ?

[@andrewkirk3159]

@@robsmall6466 A careless oversimplification that reflects a narrow view of the world is a half- baked opinion at best and a ignorant prejudice at worst. Either way they have no place in serious debate and deserve all the ridicule they rightly attract.

[@alinusyr]

What a bad review, nothing clear

[@Lotus.F]

Another over priced EV which is the main reason for many to switch to eclectic.

[@John-se7rc]

Electric cars are on a road to nowhere and will soon end up as scrap as the batteries fail and 2nd owners can't afford to replace them. Keep your petrol/diesel car as long as you can.

[@TheSultan1470]

Nonsense

[@StevenHaggis]

YOUR RANGE TESTS ARE SH IT!!