2024 Renault Megane E-Tech review: Australian first drive

The 2024 Renault Megane E-Tech has arrived in Australia, bringing a familiar name to an unfamiliar car.

Call it a rebirth, or perhaps more appropriately considering it’s electric, a reboot, but the new Renault Megane has morphed from a city-focussed, petrol-powered hatchback into a fully-electric car that looks a bit like a hatchback but is, according to Renault, a crossover SUV.

The Megane E-Tech replaces the familiar hatchback we’ve come to love – especially in its most potent RS form – over the last 29 years. But it takes on a new persona, one designed to bring it into line with the prevailing winds of change in today’s automotive landscape.

Underpinning the Megane E-Tech is the broader Alliance's (Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi) CMF-EV electric platform. It already does service in Nissan’s Ariya electric SUV, and will also underpin Alpine’s as yet unreleased and unrevealed high-performance electric crossover coupe.

And while the Megane E-Tech might look like a conventional crossover, albeit one with an electric powertrain, Renault has gone to some lengths to ensure that is not simply the case.

Looks can be deceiving, and under the skin the Megane E-Tech brings some smart engineering and inspired design to the table, all in the name of the environment.

Lightweight and brimming with a clever use of recycled materials, while in turn being almost completely recyclable itself, is the new Renault Megane E-Tech an environmental poster child, or is it just another electric car trying to stand out in an ever-increasing stream of EVs? Drive attended the launch of the new Megane in Sydney to find out.

Australia is getting just a single variant in the Megane E-Tech range – the Techno EV60 – which sits somewhere in the middle of the broader line-up available in other markets. It’s priced at $64,990 plus on-road costs, which will translate to around $70,000 drive-away.

Powering the EV60 is a single 160kW/300Nm electric motor driving the front wheels. The motor is fed by a 60kWh battery pack. Renault says the Megane E-Tech can cover the dash from 0–100km/h in a middling 7.4 seconds, while driving range sits at a claimed 454km according to Europe’s WLTP testing regime.

The battery, with DC charging capability at a maximum rate of 130kW, can be replenished from 15 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes, adding around 300km of range. AC charging is capped at 7.4kW, so using a home-installed wallbox will take a claimed nine hours and 15 minutes to recharge the battery from 0–100 per cent.

Buyers in the market for an electric crossover could also look to the Hyundai Kona Electric, which in a pound-for-pound match-up asks for $68,000. The Volvo C40 and its marginally bigger battery and slightly better driving range is $14K more than the Megane, starting at $78,990.

Its most obvious rival, and one it’s pitted against in Europe, hasn’t landed in Australia yet, and isn't expected to do so until later this year or perhaps even early in 2025, giving the Megane E-Tech a jump on its German rival. The Volkswagen ID.3, local pricing still to be determined, is arguably a close match in terms of size, performance and equipment.

As an ostensible mid-spec variant, the Megane E-Tech EV60 is generously equipped, even if it does miss out on some of the more premium flourishes found in higher-specified models overseas.

Standard equipment highlights include 20-inch ‘Soren’ alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights with auto high beam, dynamic LED indicators, wireless (and wired) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, ambient interior lighting in a 48-colour palette, keyless entry and start, rear-view camera as well as front, rear and side parking sensors, a ‘smart’ rear-view mirror, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, 9.0-inch touchscreen, cloth and synthetic leather-look seats, six-speaker Arkamys sound system, and a full suite of advanced driver assist systems and safety technology.

The equipment list is not that far removed from highly specified European models, which are fitted with some extra niceties such as a larger 12.0-inch portrait-orientated touchscreen, leather seats, and a premium Harman Kardon sound system.

A single no-cost colour (Solid White) is available while a five-colour palette of metallic paints – Rafale Grey, Shadow Grey, Diamond Black, Flame Red, and Night Blue – attracts a $400 premium.

Additionally, the Megane E-Tech can be ordered in two-tone paint, with either a Diamond Black or Shadow Grey roof. Ticking that box will set you back $400 for Solid White with a contrasting roof or $800 for the five metallic paints.

You also get the ‘feels’ with the knowledge the Megane has been designed and built with sustainability front and centre. Some of the measures Renault has taken include using recycled materials wherever possible. According to a Renault spokesperson, “pretty much everything you touch and feel (in the cabin)” is made of recycled plastic, some 28kg worth.

And the car is constructed of aluminium with, according to Renault, “absolutely zero waste”, any excess metal and off-cuts remodelled, reshaped and reused in other vehicles.

Renault also says around 70 per cent of the Megane E-Tech’s components are sourced from European suppliers, reducing the brand’s carbon-footprint by reducing transportation and its associated emissions.

Additionally, up to 90 per cent of the car is recyclable, while 99 per cent of the battery can be recycled. Renault says it will recycle batteries in-house at its new gigafactory, due to start operating next year.

There’s an argument to be made that a car costing around $70,000 on the road really should be fitted with leather seats. But the cloth and leather-look grey upholstery inside the E-Tech looks a million bucks.

The texture and weave of the cloth adds some flair to the cabin, enhanced by contrast piping and a textured dashtop that looks a cut above the ordinary.

The seats themselves are manually adjustable (and we’d argue they should be electric in a car costing this much) with added electric lumbar support. They’re comfortable and supportive, and in tandem with the manually adjustable steering wheel, finding your ideal driving position isn’t too hard.

The steering wheel, flattened at both top and bottom, feels nice in-hand and features the usual array of buttons and switches that control a number of the Megane’s driving and technological functions. In typical French car fashion, the physical adjustments for volume are located on a stalk down low on the steering column.

There are some areas where Renault has cheaped out. The tops of the doors, for example, are finished in standard-fare hard plastic, while conversely, the door cards at the side are padded and plush. And there’s a large, blank area of plain plastic in the roof lining that houses the Megane’s interior lighting. It seems little effort has been made to design and style this section of the cabin. Perhaps it’s a ‘blank’ ready to take some high-tech equipment in more highly specified Megane E-Techs.

Similarly, the start/stop button is a plain plastic circle integrated into the dash like an afterthought. These elements, while certainly not deal-breakers, do cheapen what is otherwise a lovely interior.

Storage amenities include a small but deep central storage bin, a fixed-sized single cupholder and another adjustable cupholder, a storage area down low in the centre stack, making good use of the space freed up by an electric drivetrain. It’s ideal for handbags and small bags and the like.

The door pockets aren’t overly generous, while the glovebox errs on the side of small. Still, if your storage needs run to some keys, a wallet and a smartphone, you’re well catered for.

The second row is okay in terms of space, certainly behind my own 173cm tall driving position. Toe room under the front seat is a little tight, but there’s still wriggle room. Knee, leg and head room are all good. But, anyone much taller than me would start to feel a little cramped back there.

The middle seat is excellent in terms of comfort, benefitting from the total absence of a drivetrain tunnel. Instead, the flat floor ensures all second-row passengers have adequate room for their legs and feet. The middle seatback is soft and comfortable too, which is not something we can say too often in today’s new car world. 

But, that’s because there is no fold-down armrest and there are no cupholders back there either. And the door pockets are on the small side. While we couldn’t test them on our short launch route, we reckon they’d struggle to take even a small bottle of water or the like.

Second-row passengers do score air vents, but no separate climate controls.

The outboard seats are fitted with ISOFIX child seat anchors while top-tether points adorn the seatbacks.

The boot – accessed via a manual tailgate – measures in at a decent 440 litres, although it is deep, with quite a drop over the load lip. The back seats can be folded down to free up some space, for a total of 1332L, according to Renault. Additionally, lift the boot floor to reveal a cavernous storage area that houses the Megane’s charging cables.

There is no spare wheel and tyre package; the Megane E-Tech is equipped with a tyre repair kit.

Infotainment is handled by the E-Tech’s 9.0-inch central touchscreen. Renault’s operating system is Android-based, so anyone familiar with that technology will feel right at home. That said, there’s not a lot going on in terms of infotainment, with no inbuilt satellite navigation. Instead, your smartphone will do the heavy lifting.

To that end, there’s wireless or wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Bluetooth streaming. We tried both options, with Apple and Android both connecting wirelessly and seamlessly. We recorded no drop-outs either.

The touchscreen itself is nicely responsive to inputs, whether via presses or swipes. Helpfully, and gratefully, Renault has stuck with physical buttons for things like climate-control functions. Nice one.

The 12.3-inch driver's display can be configured to taste, although there are only two choices – traditional-looking dials or a cleaner simplified look with a central digital speed readout. We opted for dials on our launch drive and were able to toggle through a number of screens that provided the usual useful driving data, such as energy consumption and tyre pressures.

One interesting feature is a data screen nestled between the two digital dials that shows the time gap to the car in front – anything less than a one-second gap will see the screen cloaked in red, while 1–1.8sec changes to yellow and 1.8–2.2sec sees it turn green (or teal, more accurately). Anything over 2.2sec is resplendent in purple. It’s a useful reminder to not get too close to the car in front.

A wireless smartphone phone-charging pad juts out from the dash. It looks a bit awkward, like it doesn’t quite belong there. Other charging options include two USB-C plugs up front and two in the second row. There’s also a 12V socket.

The Renault Megane E-Tech was awarded a five-star safety rating in 2022 by Australia’s independent safety body ANCAP. 

It scored highly in three key areas – adult occupant protection (85 per cent), child occupant protection (88 per cent) and safety assist systems (80 per cent) – but was marked down for its vulnerable road user protection (65 per cent). ANCAP noted that some areas – lower windscreen, front edge of bonnet – of the Megane E-Tech recorded “marginal”, “weak” or “poor” results in pedestrian impact testing.

The Megane’s list of standard advanced driver assists systems (ADAS) is healthy and comprehensive – autonomous emergency braking with junction assist and pedestrian/cyclist detection, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring (including the ability to brake for obstacles), rear cross-traffic alert (detection and braking), a driver fatigue monitor and traffic sign recognition.

Our (admittedly short) launch drive didn’t note any glaring inconsistencies or overeagerness with the Megane’s safety systems.

Renault covers the Megane E-Tech with its five-year/100,000km warranty, which while on par in terms of years covered is very skinny in distance. Unlimited kilometres is the norm in today's automotive landscape. The battery itself is warranted for eight years/160,000km.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 30,000km, whichever comes first. And while Renault Australia does offer capped-price servicing across its range, it has yet to reveal how much that will cost for the E-Tech.

With the Renault Megane E-Tech a new model on the Australian market, we were unable to obtain a quote for comprehensive insurance.

The Megane E-Tech’s 60kWh battery, at just 110mm, is one of the slimmest batteries on the market. This has a couple of benefits, according to Renault. With less battery, weight is obviously kept down. Weight, of course, is the enemy of range, but Renault’s slender and svelte battery has done its bit in keeping the Megane’s kerb weight at 1642kg (tare), which is remarkable for an electric car of this size. 

For context, a comparable Hyundai Kona electric tips the scales at 1795kg (tare), while the Cupra Born comes in at 1960kg (tare), although it’s worth noting the Born is fitted with a larger 77kWh battery. The dimensionally larger Tesla Model Y, also with a 60kWh battery, weighs 1909kg (tare).

The Megane’s slimmer battery also translates to a lower centre of gravity (CoG), some 90mm measured against the old petrol-powered Megane, and lower CoG means, in theory at least, better driving dynamics.

Less overall weight equals greater driving range, and Renault has squeezed a claimed 454km out of its 60kWh battery, measured on the more stringent WLTP testing regime. Again, for context, the Tesla Model Y ekes out 455km from its 60kWh battery, while the Hyundai Kona and its 64.4kWh unit is good for 444km. The Cupra Born claims a driving range of 511km, but it’s equipped with a much larger 77kWh battery.

Renault claims the Megane E-Tech will use 15.6 kilowatt hours of energy per 100 kilometres of driving. Our launch drive, which took in plenty of suburban driving, some traffic snarls and stretches of easy lopes on the motorway, saw an indicated 15.0kWh/100km, bettering Renault's claim by some margin.

Renault claims DC charging capability at a maximum rate of 130kW, said to add 300km of WLTP driving range (15 to 80 per cent charge) in 30 minutes. Home AC charging, at a maximum of rate 7.4kW, will take 9h 15min to recharge the battery from 0–100 per cent, while a regular 2.3kW household socket blows charging times out to in excess of 30 hours.

There’s a pleasantness to the way the Renault Megane E-Tech drives. The French brand claims its crossover can complete the sprint from 0–100km/h in 7.4 seconds, which isn’t earth-shattering on paper. But the scoot from zero to merging into urban traffic is another matter.

Here, the Megane feels punchy and light, surging forward from standstill at a rapid enough pace that even adds some fun-factor from behind the wheel.

Renault’s weight-saving measures are easily apparent, the Megane E-Tech eschewing the hefty feel other EVs are sometimes burdened with. It doesn’t feel like a heavy car, because it isn’t.

Instead, the Megane feels more akin to a traditional petrol-powered car in the way it moves its bulk.

Three drive modes (and one personalised mode) recalibrate the E-Tech’s characteristics. We’d suggest not bothering with Eco mode unless you are looking to eke out every last drop of electric range. In this mode, the Megane feels underwhelming and underdone.

Things get better in Comfort mode, adding a spring to its step that feels perfectly fine in day-to-day driving duties. Sport ups the ante, and here is where you’ll find a modicum of neck-bending, although not quite neck-snapping, surges of acceleration. Fun.

The steering feels light, but never too light. Renault says the steering ratios have been shortened and claims just 2.3 turns from lock to lock. The end result is responsive and precise steering, making for light work, especially in traffic.

The Megane’s brakes are up to the task in traffic, although we didn't really get to test their worth under some more adventurous driving conditions.

There are four levels of brake regeneration – from none, to mild, medium and aggressive. The latter, while not exactly offering single-pedal driving, does slow the Megane appreciably, almost to a standstill, but will require a touch on the brakes to come to a complete stop. It’s ideal for city driving, and especially in traffic, conditions that allow the regenerative system to work at its hardest in feeding precious energy back into the battery.

The big beneficiary of the Megane’s relatively light weight is in ride comfort. Yes, it errs on the side of firm, but remains easily in the comfortable side of the ledger, and does a commendable job shaving off some of the harshness offered by sharper hits and imperfections. And tackling some speed bumps did little to ruffle the Megane’s feathers, the little crossover traversing those pesky obstacles with poise before settling back down on the other side with nary a ripple.

The downside to those nifty-looking 20-inch alloys combined with a near-silent (there’s light electric hum evident in the cabin) running is that road noise is a touch amplified inside the cabin, but not to the point where quiet conversation becomes impossible.

Overall, the Megane E-Tech is fun to drive, without any of the show-stopping glitz and glamour some electric vehicles are known for. Instead, it just gets on with the business of being pretty much a regular car; one with a battery and an electric motor.

There’s a lot to like about the Renault Megane E-Tech. We like the way the French brand hasn’t just bought off-the-shelf electric components and plonked them under a stylish crossover body.

Where things like the electric motor and battery could be improved, they have been improved. And where recycled materials could be reimagined and repurposed to create a stylish interior, then they have.

The net result is a chic French crossover, injected with enough European flair to feel a little bit special but without being overtly painted with the ‘electric cars must look and feel different’ brush.

If you’re in the market for a compact electric crossover, then the 2024 Renault Megane E-Tech is definitely worth adding to your consideration list. It lands right in the sweet spot of the slightly upmarket segment in terms of pricing and doesn’t look or feel out of place.

The Renault Megane E-Tech and its circa $70,000 drive-away pricing lands it in the middle of a booming EV segment against a number of rivals from competing brands, all roughly offering the same features and capabilities for similar money.

Certainly, all are worth checking out. Helpfully, with just a lone variant of the E-Tech making its way to Australia, and with the only optional extras limited to paint colour, the buying process is relatively straightforward. If we are to make one recommendation, spend the extra on two-tone paint, a choice that really pops on the Megane.

Renault Australia told Drive at the Megane E-Tech’s launch that stocks have started arriving in dealerships, meaning wait times are minimal.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Renault Australia website for availability. You can also find the full range of Renault vehicles for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Renault dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving rivals like the Cupra Born, Hyundai Kona and the bigger and more expensive Tesla Model Y, which provide a good benchmark for the EV crossover/small SUV segment.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.