This should be one of the most exciting small cars of 2022 – Sniktitt

This should be one of the most exciting small cars of 2022

We took a look at Renault Megane’s new technology e-car.

Renault Mégane E-Tech is visiting Norway this week.  It should be fun for many Norwegian small families next year.

The “everything” launched by the new electric cars last year was mid-size to full-size SUV, although of course there is no rule without exception.

At first glance, one would easily think that the new Megane E-Tech from Renault belongs to this class, but, despite the SUV-like design, it is no more than 4.21 meters in length, which is smaller than the Volkswagen ID. 3 and only a few inches longer than the Kia e-Soul.

Renault itself says it’s just an ID. 3 – They were seen and tried to excel in the development of the car, and they believed that they had come up with an alternative that should be better in several areas.

Take the luggage compartment, for example. Megane E-Tech has a luggage compartment with a capacity of 440 liters, which is 55 liters more than the ID. 3 s 385 liters. They achieved this, among other things, with the help of a very thin battery. Compared to the battery in the Renault ZOE, the new battery is only 11 cm thick, which is half the thickness of the ZOE, the manufacturer said. The platform is also Renault’s new CMF-EV platform, which has been specifically developed for electric vehicles and therefore does not need to allocate space for any other driving lines.

The range gave an impressively deep and spacious luggage compartment, although it could almost be described as a luggage well due to the rather aggressive loading threshold. You really load this luggage compartment in, not in, but we guarantee it fits a very large group.

The depth also means that you get a fairly large sill if you fold the rear seats, but this will likely be resolved if Renault attaches an additional panel that allows you to have a two-part luggage compartment.

The battery is 60 kWh, which should provide a range of up to 470 km after WLTP in the simplest selected variant, called Business. The other gear trim levels Techno and Iconic should rest at 450km, thanks mainly to the fact that they have 20-inch rims instead of 18-inch rims.

Engine power is also noticeably greater, with 130 hp on the more expensive version and 220 hp on the two more expensive versions. It will go from 0-100 kilometers in 11 and 7.5 seconds, respectively – one is relatively demure, while the other will likely be tested quickly in such a compact car. The car also comes with a 40 kWh battery, but it doesn’t seem to come primarily to Norway.

Megane E-Tech also has front-wheel drive, and there will be no alternative to all-wheel drive. However, a rather unusual feature for small cars like this is that the car will be able to tow up to 900 kilograms from the trailer, as well as 75 kilograms on the roof. id. 3 – It is not permissible to tow a trailer that does not have a roof load. Both Kia’s E-Soul and E-Niro can tow 300 kilograms, and the same is true for the newer Hyundai Kona models.

The fast charging capacity is up to 130 kW, and the car will also have a 22 kW internal charger. The charging flaws that many Zoe customers had to accept should be a thing of the past as well, and Megane E-Tech will be able to charge on both IT and TN networks without problems. With a fast charger that can provide at least 130 kW, 10-80 percent should be gone in about 30 minutes.

We got a look at the Megane E-Tech at an event in Hellerudsletta outside of Oslo on Friday, and the impression is that this is a classy exterior of the car. Renault designers managed to create a rather elegant car that resembles an SUV despite its compact dimensions. The lantern design is particularly interesting, with the interior “stripes” in the lanterns adding a little extra character.

Inside, we also tested the place as very good. You sit well in comfortable seats, and the space in the front passenger seat is ample even without having to move the seat all the way behind you. In the back seat, legroom is average. There’s plenty of room for the knees, but it’s a bit cramped under the front seats, so it’s not entirely easy to push the foot down. It may also be possible to squeeze three adults into a width, but it is particularly uncomfortable to sit in the middle on a hike.

The thin battery also means the space in the height is very good, and the one below at 183cm can sit perfectly upright, albeit in a position where weld hairs may struggle if you sit for too long. Of course there is not even in cars much larger than these.

The importer RBI Norway says they are not in the process of setting Norwegian equipment levels, but that there will be three of them – Business, Techno and Iconic. Even the base model will come with a heat pump, heated steering wheel, reverse camera, wireless Carlay, Android Auto, a driving assistance package and keyless unlocking as standard.

The differences even for the above models will be, as already mentioned, the power of the engine, first of all. Otherwise, Businessmen get cloth seats, and part Techno faux leather, while Iconic gets full leather seats, to name a few. The quality inside feel looked perfectly fine – maybe a little more ID. 3s are hollow plastic panels, but of course this isn’t a luxury car either.

The infotainment system itself will be Android Automotive, which we know from the Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 Recharge, among others. This means, among other things, that Google Maps is the onboard navigation system, that you can use the Google Assistant to perform voice commands and that you can download apps from the Google Play Store.

The infotainment system seemed very responsive in the little time we had to play with, perhaps something that would be a plus for many potential Renault customers. And although Android rules the car system, you can use Apple’s Carplay system even if you want to, even wirelessly – regardless of the level of equipment. One detail is that it will not be possible to download apps like Netflix or YouTube, according to the RBI due to security.

When you buy it, it will come with a starter package with 3GB of data per month for six months, after which you can either buy a subscription for more data or use your mobile phone as a “wifi hotspot” and share the data from there. “Internal services” like Google Maps and over-the-air updates to the car will be independent of this, and Renault says, for example, that five years of Google Maps track it without having to think about data traffic.

One element that will be interesting to look at when it’s time to test drive the car will be the noise reduction inside. RBI confirms that Renault has added an extra foam coating between the floor and the battery in the car to reduce noise, as well as adding a double layer of noise-reducing insulation in the doors. Renault has also moved away from Bose as the in-car audio system supplier, and this time the “premium” audio system will come from Harman/Kardon. There will be four treble elements, four speakers and a subwoofer under the boot.

Regeneration can be adjusted to four levels using paddles on the steering wheel. In practice, it should “almost eliminate the need to apply the brakes during normal driving”, but the car will not brake all the way to a stop in this way, so you will have to apply the brakes to come to a complete stop.

The first cars will arrive in Norway in April of next year. Prices Neither Renault nor RBI Norway are fully prepared to announce at this time. However, the car has been nominated for the Car of the Year award, which requires it to be for sale in at least five European countries, so prices in those countries will be announced on December 16th. The importer RBI points out, however, that these won’t necessarily be quite representative of what the price will be in Norway, thanks to the fact that the cars will be equipped differently.

Pricing in Norway and Norway is scheduled for February 1 next year, after which the contract signing will begin as well. The price is close to identity. The third prize will not surprise anyone, and at the time of writing it starts at around 324,000 crowns.

– The intent is not to be a price leader on the negative side, we will come up with a product that the customer will appreciate. The ‘standard’ was originally an identifier. 3, The feedback we have received is that our car outperforms it in many areas. But we must, of course, pay attention to the brand, especially in Norway. Of course, we can’t spend it on 599,000 kroner, RBI’s director of public relations and media Roger Andersen told the Norwegian press.

The first deliveries in April will be 200 cars, and Andersen says it “looks good for quick deliveries even after that,” with monthly deliveries about the same size. Altogether, RBI’s ambition is to sign at least 3,000 contracts through 2022, and then they say the registration numbers will depend on deliveries.

We also hope Meghan comes out better from the Euro NCAP test than little brother Zoe. This week, Zoe’s new edition received an astonishing zero rating from the NCAP after the previous edition received five out of five stars. This was in part due to the new seat-mounted side airbag which, according to EuroNCAP, does not protect the head as it once did, and the generally poor crash results for both the driver and passengers in the back seat.

The car also lacks some common safety systems such as automatic emergency braking and warning when you are about to leave your lane. However, automatic emergency braking will come to all Zoe cars produced after March 1, 2022.

– Renault notes the results in the Euro NCAP that follow the tests of the Zoe E-Tech Electric under the new protocol implemented in 2020. Renault confirms that the Zoe E-Tech Electric is a safe vehicle that complies with all regulatory safety standards. These standards are constantly evolving and becoming more and more stringent across the board, especially in the area of ​​safety. Therefore, Renault is constantly improving its offer to comply with the current regulations where our vehicles are sold, Renault said. Fitness Trainer.

You can also see a comparison of Megane and some of the more relevant competitors below.

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Dalila Awolowo

Dalila Awolowo

"Explorer. Unapologetic entrepreneur. Alcohol fanatic. Certified writer. Wannabe tv evangelist. Twitter fanatic. Student. Web scholar. Travel buff."

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