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Renault Megane E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid, 42 km of electric range for the sedan

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Renault's electrification strategy also includes Plug-in models. The French carmaker recently expanded the E-Tech family with the launch of the PHEV version of the Megane sedan. In the past, Nicola already had; tried the Sporter version always equipped with this engine. Thanks to the French brand we had the opportunity to briefly test the sedan and & egrave; it was the occasion to be able to check electric autonomy and consumption again.

Renault eWays, the Renault Group accelerates its electrification strategy 43

Cars 30 Jun

We remind you that will soon be & agrave; also presented the 100% electric version of the Megane which, for & ograve ;, will be & agrave; profoundly different since the car will adopt the shapes of a crossover and pogger & agrave; on a completely new platform.

DIMENSIONS AND INTERIORS

Renault Megane sedan size 4,358 mm long x 1,858 mm wide x 1,452 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,669 mm. The trunk has a capacity; of 308 liters. The E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid has no particular aesthetic differences compared to the other versions of the sedan.

Last year's restyling had introduced a series of novelties; of design that we obviously also find on the Plug-in. For example, from the front the French brand had revised the design of the bumper and grille. Also, new FULL LED headlights and LED fog lights had arrived. At the level of the rear, new LED optical groups had been introduced with a pi & ugrave; thin, dynamic turn signals and a new bumper.

In the test we got to drive the R.S. Line , the one that presents a more sporty look. It is recognized by a series of specific details such as the sporty front bumper, the sporty rear bumper with dual chromed exhaust, specific badge on the side fenders and tailgate and 17-inch diamond-coated RS Line MONTHLERY alloy wheels.

Speaking of the interiors, the restyling had also brought a series of refinements to the passenger compartment to make it more elegant; elegant. Renault has introduced new finishes and revised the design of the console. In terms of technology, the digital instruments with a 10.2-inch screen and the RENAULT EASY LINK infotainment system with a 9.3-inch vertical display stand out. As previously mentioned, the protagonist of this first contact had the most set-up; sporty.

For this, the passenger compartment could count on bucket seats with integrated headrests, aluminum pedals, sporty details thanks to red stitching on the seats, gear lever and central armrest, R.S. line on the leather steering wheel and electro-photochromic rear-view mirror without edges.

DATA SHEET

We already have got to talk more times of technical operation of E-Tech technology, on the occasion of several of our tests of Renault hybrid models. I only remember that we have a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine combined with two electric motors: the main one called & quot; e-motor & quot; and the secondary one, an HSG generator/starter. The whole is; combined with a multi-mode transmission with clutch free teeth. There are 15 possible combinations that are automatically chosen by the electronics according to the situation.

ELECTRICAL AUTONOMY AND CONSUMPTION

With the Megane I was able to make a 92.8 km route from Milan to brought to Vigevano and back. Yes & egrave; treated of a perfect journey to perform a test of autonomy and consumption since I drove in the city, on suburban roads and on the ring road. In short, an ideal mix to understand the qualities & agrave; of the hybrid system. The result? Interesting, provided, for & ograve ;, you know how to & quot; play & quot; fine with Plug-in technology.

When I picked up the Megane, the battery was not 100% charged. The level was around 90-95%. The outside temperature was 34 degrees and the air conditioning was set at 21 degrees. I left immediately forcing the mode & agrave; EV through the dedicated button on the center console and I adopted a very normal driving style, following the flow of traffic. In this mode the car is running proved reactive and at the same time pleasant to drive, thanks above all to the torque of the electric motor and the silence; of march.

The endothermic engine is & egrave; reactivated after 42 km traveled with only batteries (consumption indicated equal to 14.3 kWh per 100 km). Not a bad result remembering that the battery was not full when I left, that the air conditioning had always been on and that the battery charge is not fully utilized. In fact, the petrol engine intervenes when the battery level is; about 15-20%. Earlier I mentioned that you need to know how to best use PHEV technology. Once the 4-cylinder engine was restarted, the Megane began to travel as if it were a Full Hybrid, making little use, however, of the mode; electric both because of the low charge of the battery and both because & eacute; I was traveling along freeways. This allowed, kilometer after kilometer, to recharge a little. the accumulator.

Having recovered a little of charge, in the center of Vigevano I forced the mode again; only electric to be able to travel the streets of the city & agrave; with zero emissions. Same procedure also for entering Milan. This & quot; strategy & quot; allowed me to add to the 42 km in electric, about a further 15 km in this mode; driving. Having played well with the drums, more & ugrave; of the half & agrave; of the path & egrave; was carried out with zero emissions. This made it possible to reduce actual fuel consumption to 3.2 liters per 100 km.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Renault Megane E-Tech Plug-in Hybrid can & ograve; therefore give good satisfaction in terms of consumption, knowing how to play well with the mode & agrave; electric. Speaking of the rest of this short test, getting on board I appreciated the seats of the R.S. Line, very enveloping and also comfortable. The driving position is; almost sporty although the performance certainly isn't. Returning to the cockpit for a moment, I didn't struggle to configure the seat to find the right position, despite exceeding 180 cm in height. Above my head I always had a lot of space.

Behind, however, things are less well . With the front seat positioned on my measurements, with my legs I went to touch the backrest. The real problem, however, was with the head touching the roof. The rear sofa, however, is comfortable. Therefore, it is better not to accommodate particularly tall passengers behind if you have to travel for a long time. The car always starts in mode; EV and the heat engine comes into play only when it requires more; power or if you exceed 135 km/h, provided, of course, that there is enough charge in the battery. Otherwise, the operation of the endothermic prevails.

And here a reflection on the use of Plug-ins opens. To make the most of them, you need to have a recharging point from which you can fill up with energy when needed. Traveling only with a low battery or almost, by recharging a one-time charge, affects consumption.


The Mutimode transmission speed; maximum & egrave; of 175 km/h and that to go from 0 to 100 km/h it takes 9.8 seconds. In the city, however, the starting point is; very good, thanks to the torque of the electric motor. For overtaking in the state, & egrave; better to use the mode & agrave; Sport in order to make the most of the combined performance of the thermal and electric.

The change also allows you to select the mode; B . The Megane is not driven with just one pedal as in the electric ones but the regenerative braking increases and therefore the energy recovery is also optimized. If you travel long distances in the city & agrave; it is better to use it. Speaking of driveability, after the short test drive I can confirm what Nicola had noticed in his test . The set-up is soft and absorbs roughness well; of the road. Better not to overdo it because & eacute; they increase pitch and roll. The steering is good, or rather, suitable for the type of car that despite being an R.S. Sportsman's Line has nothing.

Positive sensations also on the braking system, always ready to intervene and sufficiently powerful both at low speeds; and both at the high ones. A car, as a whole, designed to favor driving comfort. Finally, a hint on charging. The battery can be supplied with energy in 3-5 hours depending on whether you connect to a column or to a home socket (maximum battery charging power of 3.7 kW).

EQUIPMENT AND PRICES two versions : Business and RS Line.

Business set-up:

RS set-up Line:

Prices for the Italian market start at, respectively, 36,400 euros and 39,150 euros.

ONLINE CONFIGURATOR RENAULT MEGANE

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