Renault ZOE review

The original Renault ZOE was one of the first truly mainstream electric cars; a milestone model for the brand when it launched in 2013. It made the electric car more affordable to the masses, especially if you went for one of the battery-leasing options.

Things have moved on since then – and all for the better. You'd have been lucky to see 100 miles out of an original Renault ZOE, but the latest model – despite the fact it looks rather similar – has a much bigger battery and therefore a far longer range. This heavily updated version uses a 52kWh battery for an official 245-mile pure-electric range. It also offers the option of CCS rapid charging, making it easier than ever to cover long distances without having to stop overnight.

Range and charging isn’t the only area of drastic change. Renault has also given the ZOE a totally new interior finish, complete with tactile textiles and imitation leather that’s made from recycled seatbelts and plastic bottles.

There are two motor outputs to choose from: the R110 gets 107bhp and a 0-62mph time of 11.4 seconds, while the R135 gets a beefier 134bhp and a 0-62mph time of 9.5 seconds, although both have sprightly 0-30mph sprint times of under four seconds.

You have to go for the R135 if you want CCS charging (in addition to the standard Type 2 charging), which comes at a cost of £750 and enables you to plug into the rapid chargers you find in motorway service stations, for a top-up of some 90 miles in 30 minutes. All cars come with a free 7.4kW home wallbox, provided you’ve got the off-road parking necessary to install it. This will fully charge the ZOE in under nine hours.
 
The ZOE is also tidy to drive. The R135 GT Line car that we sampled felt grippy and secure, with well weighted, if light steering that gives you confidence and makes easy work of awkward car parks – although a turning circle of nearly 11 metres could be better.
 
Even on UK roads, ride comfort is fine if a touch bouncy at times, but mostly you’ll be happy to sit back and enjoy the peppy performance and easygoing nature of the R135. A ‘B’ mode ups the rather light regenerative braking and delivers a similar 'one-pedal-driving' experience to the Nissan Leaf’s e-Pedal system.

The biggest improvement (after that jump in driving range) is in interior design and quality. Gone is the cheap-and-cheerful look of the old ZOE, and in its place is a tactile combination of chunky textiles, leatherette and gloss-touch finishes, with a significant portion made from recycled seatbelts and plastic bottles.

Other than the annoyance of a driving seat that doesn’t have height adjustment, it’s a totally different feel to the pre-facelift car, particularly if you go for the 9.3-inch colour touchscreen that’s standard on the GT Line or optional on the mid-range Iconic. It’s a neat system that has all the features you’d want, including charging-point search, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB, Bluetooth and – on top-spec cars – wireless charging and two extra USB sockets in the rear.
 
There’s enough room to make this a great small family car, too. The standard five-door hatchback body offers adequate access to the rear bench, which can take three kids at a push, even if they’ll be clashing elbows.

It’s quite a high-set rear seat, too, and you have to go for mid-range spec or above to get split-folding backs, but for a car that’s likely to do mostly short trips, it’ll do the after-school-club run with no hassle at all. A 338-litre boot with neat underfloor cable storage will also easily cope with a multitude of muddy football kits.

And the price? Well, it seems a tad expensive at first glance, but when you consider that the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e are very closely priced, yet neither offers the lengthy driving range of the ZOE, you realise that the Renault is still just about the most affordable way into a small, pure-electric family car.

Sure, if you really do stick to short hops in town all the time, you should definitely consider dinkier and more basic alternatives like the Volkswagen e-up!, SEAT Mii Electric or Skoda Citigo-e iV, since they cost less than £19,000 and still have a range of 160 miles.
 
But the real joy of the ZOE is that it has all the comforts – particularly the range and equipment levels – of a big electric car, just in a more affordable and compact package. Even with the influx of shiny new rivals, it deserves to retain its place as one of the most popular electric cars in the UK. For a more detailed look at the Renault ZOE, read on for our in-depth review.

Discover the new Renault ZOE with our interactive guide (sponsored).