Renault Zoe EV – Unexpected Specs, Price and Design

 

RENAULT ZOE EV

The progress that’s been made with electric cars in the last few years is quite something: the Renault Zoe has taken just three generations to double its range. And that’s without moving on to next-generation components like solid state batteries or graphene technology. The latest generation of the Renault Zoe is likely to be popular with those looking for a compact electric car that offers the safety of long range.

Renault has been an early mover in the zero-emission electric driving sector and has established a leading position. Launched originally in 2012, the Zoe has since seen engine and battery updates, as well as some minor tweaks to the outside and a revamp on the interiors. The new version delivers higher performance, plus, crucially, the ability to go even further between charges.

Interior Design Of Renault Zoe

Inside, we have a respectable boot space, big enough to be useful at 225 litres, expanding to 338 litres with the rear seats folded, meaning that there’s space for stashing luggages, while the front seats are spacious enough. The latest Zoe models offer a sizable ten-inch portrait touchscreen, and the materials of the dash, and interior space generally, feel soft-touch and high-end. Set quite high, and with a great user interface, the touchscreen is really user-friendly, meaning you can flick through the options when driving safely and easily.

 

The quality of the interior has had a lift over the previous versions of this car too. There is a mix of materials with plenty of harder plastics and it fits the car’s positioning. On the GT trim there is synthetic leather mixed with recycled fabrics resulting in a quality finish. The media controller sits on a stalk on the steering wheel that’s mostly hidden from view. The dashboard’s LCD displays media or sat-nav info between a speedometer and efficiency readout, behind a new steering wheel with actual buttons for the cruise control.

The heating and ventilation controls are mounted beneath the free-standing infotainment display while the gear lever now sits a little higher than before on a raised pedestal that sticks out between the front seats.

Exterior Of Renault Zoe

The current model has a few more air intakes than its predecessor, some of which help guide air past the front wheels to help reduce drag and maximise range. It is also featured with a set of full LED headlights. Renault has given the Zoe’s brake lights the LED treatment too.

Trim levels come in three options – Play, Iconic and GT Line. The basic Play gets full LED headlights, seven-inch touchscreen, cruise control and air conditioner as standard, whilst it only has the option of the smaller R110 motor. The Iconic trim and GT Line allow you to upgrade to the R 135 motor, and the Iconic offers wireless phone charging and various assistance systems. The GT meanwhile gets the 10 inch infotainment screen as standard, high-end trim, a blind-spot warning safety feature and 16 inch alloy wheels.

Engine And Battery Of Renault Zoe

All models come with a 52 kWh battery. The 52 kWh allows for an astonishing 394 kilometers between charges which is competition leading, and a significantly higher total than many of its EV rivals.

While all the models have the same battery, there are different motors with specifications 80 kW or 100 kW, which changes the performance accordingly. The Play only gets the 80 kW motor, the GT only gets the 100 kW motor, the Iconic gets the options. Naturally, the more powerful motor is going to offer slightly more spritely performance, and cope better with a more heavily loaded car. It can also potentially drain the battery faster.

The new Zoe also supports DC charging up to 50 kW, as an option, so if a short, sharp surge of power is what you need, this is an extra worth having. This option allows for 145 extra kilometers of range in a thirty minute charge. The usual, 22 kW roadside charger that is standard across the range takes an hour to add 125 kilometers.

Features And Specs Of Renault Zoe

Driver assistance tools bring this small car confidence for motorway driving, with the likes of lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring tools. The Iconic trim offers rear parking sensors, a lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high/low beam LED headlights and traffic sign recognition. The GT Line trim meanwhile adds to that a blind spot warning, and a reversing camera.

Infotainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Zoe buyers will be able to check on their car’s charging status and turn the car’s heating and air-con on remotely using a mobile app, and all Zoes will come with built-in navigation with real-time traffic information and support for over-the-air updates.

Price Of Renault Zoe

Prices start at ₹ 19 lakhs after subsidies, ranging up to ₹ 26 lakhs for the fully outfitted vehicle. In Germany, prices start at 21 lakh rupees. The second-gen Renault Zoe is likely to be popular with those looking for a compact electric car that offers the safety of long range. But there are compromises: there’s not a lot of space for the rear passengers and the lack of fast-charging is something you will have to consider based against your requirements. But for many, the Zeo will be a great compact electric car with an important positive in that range.