RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH ELECTRIC

Practical crossover with some sporting pretensions initiates the second generation of electric Renault

- VICKY PARROTT

The all-new Mégane crossover is another serious ‘budge up’ from battery technology as it starts to shove combustion engines out of the mainstream. After all, the Mégane is a trusty old member of the family hatchback class, but this new car is purely electric – albeit to be sold alongside the plug-in hybrid Mégane for a couple of years.

You won’t mistake this new model for the old one, though: its Range Rover Evoque-esque look, complete with a high waistline, a frowning brow and contrasting chevrons on its chin, is very distinct and rather sporting.

This, in fact, is because this design was originally conceived as the styling for a performance version of the new car. As design boss Laurens van den Acker told us: “Everyone liked it so much that we made it the standard styling.” That will also explain the 20in wheels that will be standard fit on higher-spec versions, then.

This is also an important car for Renault, since it’s the first model to sit on its new EV-specific modular platform, the CMF-EV.

In this guise, that means front-wheel drive and a slimline mattress of lithium ion batteries with a usable capacity of either 40kWh or 60kWh, which translates to a WLTP range of 186 or 292 miles.

DC rapid charging can be done at a rate of up to 130kW on the 60kWh model, which is good for a 10-80% charge in half an hour.

Expect the 40kWh model to have slower charging (the CCS rapid-charging plug might even be optional), but every Mégane E-Tech Electric will be able to take 22kW from an AC charger.