We’ve landed our first look at Renault’s new Scenic, which is set to take on an all-new bodystyle as it transitions into an SUV. Renault is undergoing a so-called ‘Renaulution’ at the minute, with the legendary 5 and 4 returning as EVs and the Scenic is set to get a fully-electrified powertrain, too.
The old Scenic MPV was removed from Renault’s model range in 2021 and its replacement has already been teased by the Scenic Vision Concept in May of 2022, which previewed the styling direction that the new Scenic will take. Now the production version, which will be similar in size to the hybrid-only Renault Austral SUV, has been spotted undergoing development for the first time.
The new Renault Scenic will use the all-electric CMF-EV platform that made its debut in the new Renault Megane E-Tech. Whereas the Megane is a competitor for Volkswagen’s ID.3 hatch, the Scenic will be a larger car, rivalling the ID.4 SUV. The same CMF-EV architecture also underpins the 2022 Auto Express Car of the Year, the Nissan Ariya.
Lead designer Gilles Vidal, said the Scenic Vision Concept’s exterior design is “more than 90 per cent production car”. As for the interior, the concept’s yoke-style steering wheel and intricately detailed dash won’t make its way onto the finished Scenic.
Despite the heavy camouflage on the test cars pictured, we can see the headlights leading into the bonnet line and a rather bluff front end – just like the concept’s. The wheelarch trim may be black to give the Scenic a chunkier look and the window sweeps upwards to the rear pillar in a similar vein to the Clio supermini.
There’s not much given away at the rear, aside from the lights sitting along a crease that wraps around the rear of the car. There’s also a sporty roof spoiler.
We expect the Scenic E-Tech Electric will go on sale in 2024 and it will be distanced from the new electric Megane according to Renault boss, Luca De Meo: “We are not going to do another MPV; we’re going to make a more progressive model than that.” He added that the Scenic would need to offer “space and range” beyond that of the new Megane.
The new Scenic will only be available as a five-seater. When asked at last year’s Munich Motor Show if the CMF-EV platform could support seven seats, Renault’s executive vice-president of engineering, Gilles Le Borgne, told us: “No, it’s not planned to do that. We can have four-wheel drive, but not three rows.”
That doesn’t rule out a new seven-seat Grand Scenic model on a revised CMF-EV platform at some stage – similar to the new Espace which is essentially a stretched seven-seat version of the Austral. And Le Borgne’s comments did imply that a successor to the four-wheel-drive RX4 version of the original Scenic would be technically possible.
New Scenic batteries and motors
The CMF-EV platform should allow three different takes on the Scenic to be offered. A cheaper version with a 40kWh battery and a range of around 200 miles would target buyers in urban areas, while a 60kWh battery is likely to appeal to those wanting to take their families on longer journeys. Rapid charging should enable a top-up from 15 to 80 per cent in around 30 minutes, while the latest electronic safety and driver-assistance technology should maintain the Scenic’s reputation for excellent crash-safety scores.
The Scenic’s Nissan Ariya sister car is available with an 87kWh battery with either a 239bhp single-motor or 302bhp dual-motor powertrain and it’s possible we could see these feature in a range-topping Scenic.
Interior design
The taller Scenic should go some way to answering criticisms over a shortage of space in the back seats of the Megane – one of few drawbacks of the new model. The greater height will have huge benefits in the boot, too. And as with the original Scenic, expect some clever seat-folding engineering that will let the car switch simply from five-seater to van.
Elsewhere, the Scenic is expected to make use of the Megane’s impressive interior technology, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that’s seamlessly linked to a 12-inch portrait-orientated infotainment screen, powered by Google. Expect eco-friendly sustainable materials to feature throughout the cabin, too.
Even though large 20-inch wheels are likely to follow on to the Scenic from the Megane, Renault engineers will probably move the focus more towards comfort to suit more family-orientated buyers.
However, unlike with the upcoming new Renault 5 EV, Renault performance arm Alpine has no plans to fettle either the Megane or the Scenic, concentrating on its own CMF-EV SUV model, the GT X-Over that’s set to arrive after the Scenic in 2025.
History: the changing face of Renault’s Scenic
Renault Scenic Mk1 (1996-2003)
The original Scenic was part of an MPV boom in the nineties as families looked for more space with some style. A facelift arrived in 1999.
Renault Scenic Mk2 (2003-2009)
A reinvention of the look, following the Megane, was joined by much more tech and improved safety. Frugal diesels dominated sales.
Renault Scenic Mk3 (2009-2015)
The third-generation Scenic coincided with the rise of the SUV. Renault launched a crossover-styled XMOD version at the end of its life.
Renault Scenic Mk4 (2015-2021)
Extra crossover cues came with the fourth Scenic; the styling was more emotional, but the MPV market was declining by now.
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