The Renault Scenic has been updated with new batteries, significantly boosting the range of the electric SUV.
The Long Range variant (that currently sold in the UK) is now capable of up to 399 miles between charges, an increase of 20 miles, thanks to an extra 2kWh of capacity.
Its new battery doesn't have a higher peak charging rate than before, at 150kW, but can sustain this input for a longer period. As such, a 10-80% refill takes 10 fewer minutes than before, at 28 minutes.
The Long Range variant will be followed by a revised Comfort Range derivative that makes the switch from the nickel-managanese-cobalt (NMC) to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) chemistry.
Compared with NMC, LFP is cheaper to produce, less volatile if damaged and more resistant to degradation from regular rapid charging, but it's also less energy-dense.
The new LFP battery packs an extra 7kWh of capacity compared to that used in the previous Comfort Range car, boosting its range by 30 miles, to 290 miles. It can also be charged at 165kW, giving a 10-80% time of 24 minutes.
Both batteries will be offered with the 215bhp rear-mounted electric motor that currently powers the Scenic.
In addition to the new batteries, there are two fresh exterior paint colours – a blue and a grey – plus new wheel designs and different upholstery for the interior, depending on the chosen trim level.
A driver monitoring system is now fitted as standard, and this can now be used to detect different drivers and automatically select their preferred settings for the car’s driving position, infotainment system and mood lighting.
Renault has yet to confirm when the updated Scenic will arrive in the UK, but a spokesperson told Autocar that it was “under review”.
It also remains to be seen whether Renault will reintroduce the Comfort Range battery as an option here or stick simply with the Long Range.
