My daughters reviewed Renault's scenic

This is the ideal test for Renault's new Scenic E-Tec 100% electric. We're going to cruise along British motorways down to Eurotunnel Folkestone, then beach hop along the Normandy coast and head inland to Paris. And because this is the ultimate family car, we're going to put it to the ultimate family test. Can we go yet, Daddy? I'm Phil. I'm Gabriella. And I'm Laurence. And we're the McNamaras. We are in Southern Sea, getting ready. We're driving the new Scenic electric SUV with a range of up to 379 miles to the city hosting this year's Olympics, Paris. And along the way, we're going to test the Scenic to the max, from its smart tech to its human-centric features like a safety driving coach and pop quiz app, to its spaciousness. And with that in mind, girls, can you load the suitcases, please? That's what 545 litres of beach space looks like. In the cabin, too. Enough for these. Or these. Oh, Dad. Hey, Google, what's the weather in Paris? Currently in Paris, France, it's 16 degrees with heavy rain. So we have a disappointing weather forecast. 309 miles of electric range and it's the half-term holidays. Allons-y! Let's go. Hey, Google, navigate to Mercure Hotel, Abbeville, France. Welcome to Paris, the Scenic Route. Are we nearly there yet? You've no doubt heard of the Renault Scenic. It's invented the compact people carrier in Europe almost 30 years ago. Customers loved the original Scenic's focus on passenger well-being, space and safety. And now, the Scenic name is back with the same people-friendly approach, wrapped in a totally different SUV body. The Scenic is 100% electric. There are two battery sizes, one with a range of 260 miles. But this is a long-range iconic model that travels up to 369 miles. The clever Google map will keep an eye on battery levels and charging locations and give us options when to stop. While the cooling system gets the battery to optimum temperature for fast charging. So, girls, what I'd really like you to do is rate my driving out of 100. Definitely zero. Definitely. Mine is 45 because you're going way too fast on corners. Okay, 45. Well, the new Scenic has got something I've not seen on any other car. It's a really innovative new feature called Safety Coach. And what it does is it uses the car's camera and sensors to check how fast you're going, check your distance to the car in front and Florence, you'll be pleased to hear, to check your cornering speed. And what it does is at the end of each journey, it gives you a score out of 100. So what we're going to do is on this stage of the journey down to the Eurotunnel, we'll find out how it rates my driving. It's probably going to be zero. It's not going to be zero. I'm much better than that. The Safety Coach turns out to be a harsher judge than Simon Cowell, giving me a couple of scores below 50. I reckon the secret to scoring higher is to use the Scenic's adaptive speed limiter, which will keep you within the law and help safeguard other road users. It's been a really long day, but we're in France now and tomorrow we're heading along the Normandy coast. Good night. So it's day two and time to explore the Renault Scenic along the Normandy coast. Yesterday we covered 211 miles with long draining stretches on the French autoroute, yet we still had about 40 miles of range left at the end of the day. OK, girls, what's it like in the back? The seats are really comfy and made from recycled material. And the suspension is really cushioned. The Scenic's package is really clever. It's a compact car just under 4.5 metres long, but the engineers have pushed out the wheels to the edges of the car that leaves loads of space inside for batteries and passenger space boosted by the flat floor. Our destination is Caen, the historic city that dates back to Roman times and is dotted with dwellings that have survived from the Middle Ages. Renault has a different approach to longevity. It's designing its cars to be as recyclable as possible so they can be taken apart and used to make new things. An impressive 89% of the Scenic will be reusable at the end of life and that includes the battery. Renault is really serious about sustainability. So the iconic trims upholstery is 87% recycled with the front of seat and headrest fabric made from recycled seatbelts and PET bottles. That recycle percentage is even higher on other trims. After day two's 170 miles, we've got 28% battery left, which means one more charge to make it to Paris. But first, time for a game of Songpop, a unique Renault app. So girls, the Scenic has more than 50 apps and Renault has commissioned a Name That Tune music quiz called Songpop that families can play on road trips. I wonder if they've included a question about Jean-Michel Jarre. What is Jean-Michel Jarre? So he wrote the welcome chord that you hear when you start the Scenic and the pedestrian warning noise when it's driving at up to 18 miles an hour. Basically, he's the Taylor Swift of French electronic music. The Scenic can charge up to 150 kilowatts on a DC public charger. That means you can fill the big battery from 15% to 80% in 37 minutes. Hey Google, navigate to the Eiffel Tower. Navigating to Eiffel Tower. Paris, the city where the Scenic was designed, is hosting this year's Olympic Games. And the Scenic's already won a gold medal in 2024, the European Car of the Year Award judged by 61 motoring journalists from 23 countries, including me. In my verdict, I wrote there are a lot of midsize electric crossovers, but the keenly priced Scenic is one of the very best. Hey Google, open solar bay. So we've made it, driven the new Renault Scenic to the Eiffel Tower. What did you think of the car, girls? The rear seating was as comfy as my bed and had as much gadgets as my toy cupboards. I love to talk and I can ask it questions and get it to play my favourite songs. So, 521 miles in comfort and a car that's packed with intuitive tech, that's the new Renault Scenic. And girls, were you bored? Let's go!