“Victory” for a car, meanwhile, can be viewed as anything from being a gold-medal bestseller to a powerful silver-sales star to bronze credits for significant improvements over previous iterations.
I won’t labour the analogies (because I can’t think of too many more), but given the Olympic season that’s in it, I thought it might be a way of looking at and assessing today’s car.
So, step forward the new Renault Scenic 2024, and let’s see how it lines up against some of the best-known electric compact SUVs on the road.
The Scenic name stretches back to the late 1990s. I will never forget the first time I saw the original. It was, appropriately enough, in Paris, and I was not alone in thinking it was going to be a mould-breaker.
Seeing its success prompted others to make droves of people carriers too (or MPVs, as they came to be known). For a time, the genre was hugely popular.
Those days are gone. This new-age Scenic is fully electric and a crossover/SUV into the bargain. Only the Scenic name remains.
And unlike the original mould-breaker, it doesn’t have a head-start on rivals as there are a lot of electric crossover/SUVs already out there.
Making it even tougher is the slog of trying to persuade a doubtful public to buy an electric vehicle. Rivals range from the Tesla Model Y to the Peugeot e-3008, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Enyaq, to name just four.
So, what has the Scenic got to woo and woo potential buyers? It’s what I’d call sharply designed, but not overwhelmingly muscular to look at. I think it needs a bright colour to highlight the nuances of curve and angle. With a low roof and relatively short body, it looks neat and composed. Yet they manage quite well in providing excellent cabin room and a deep boot (545 litres).
The interactive screen worked a treat for me. I consider it to be on a par with the best
Ah, the cabin. Here’s a medal contender, I think. It’s not just smart and tasteful, it has a grand mix of design and dappling fabrics, materials, insets and excellent seating (plenty of width and lots of support).
Few match it in that department, though I did wonder how well the eco-friendly, grey upholstery on my test car would cope with the ebb and flow of exits and entries with dirty shoes or soft-drink/coffee stains or squashed sweeties. No, I didn’t test it for stain absorption/repellent qualities.
So many cars flatter to deceive with rear-seat room, but not the Scenic. Despite the low roof, you’ll comfortably get two adults and a svelte frame in the middle at the rear bench (it can also split 40:20:40). That’s all thanks to the flat, if slightly raised, floor.
The cabin concept oozed class: eyes and hands were drawn to the likes of shiny, silvery sculpted door inlays that added extra dimensions. And fingers touched the 12.3in screen with confidence – the other 12.3in screen displayed key information. Both were crystal clear.
The interactive screen worked a treat for me. I consider it to be on a par with the best. And there are real buttons for the most frequently used functions. All those novenas for a return of the tactile little helpers must be paying off because more and more makers are including them.
But I think they need to do something with the unsightly cluster of stalks and tiny buttons behind on the right of the steering column. They have moved the “gear” lever (an insubstantial-feeling implement) on to a column that is already madly overcrowded with fingertip controls for wipers, stereo and volume.
Never before have I felt it more difficult to find or use controls. So distracting. I’ll start a novena right away. But it is points dropped.
There are two battery sizes. I had the larger 87kWh version with a claimed range of 625km; the other is 60kWh with a claimed range of 430km.
The 625km is optimistic, but up to 505km is a fairly safe bet based on my driving. Impressive. With 220hp on tap my test car was lively (in Sport mode), but the suspension felt too stiff and unpliable over uneven stretches of road (parts of the one from Kilbeggan to Clara remain a searching challenge for many a suspension).
For the most part, though, it gave a good enough account of itself, and was especially comfortable on motorways, dual carriageways and well-minded national roads.
The Scenic comes with some flaws, but they are heavily outweighed by the excellence of the overall package. I’m not sure it’s a gold medal winner, but it certainly gets on the podium.
Factfile
Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric crossover/SUV
Price from €39,995 (60kWh battery). Test car – Iconic trim: €56,670 (220hp motor, 87kWh battery). €120 tax.
Standard: 19in alloys, 12.3in digital cluster, 9in multimedia system, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, heat pump.
Tested version: 20in alloys, 12.3in digital cluster, 12.3in openR link, Google built-in (Maps, Assistant), infotainment pack (Google Play), panoramic sunroof, adaptive vision LED headlights, 3D camera.