Renault’s electric crossover, which shares its CMF-EV platform with the Nissan Ariya, the Megane E-Tech, was recently subjected to the infamous moose test, and it did not impress, but it did not disappoint either.
Designed to replicate what happens when you swerve to avoid an obstacle in the middle of the road and then try to get back in the initial lane with one turn of the wheel, many cars fell victim to this maneuver over the years, including a few sporty ones.
But the Renault Megane E-Tech is not a sporty model, but a compact crossover, with zero emissions, and it was subjected to the moose test in the top-spec variant, packing the 217 ps (214 hp / 160 kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque powertrain, juiced up by a 60 kWh battery that enables a 450-km (280-mile) range. The official spec sheet reveals 7.5 seconds required to hit 100 kph (62 mph) from a standstill and a 160 kph (99 mph) maximum speed.
Sitting on 20-inch wheels, wrapped in 215/45 EfficientGrip Performance tires from Goodyear, it hit a cone at 77 kph (48 mph), which is considered the minimum entry speed by the Spanish YouTube channel that got to put it through its paces. Increasing the speed made it even less controllable, turning it into a cone magnet and revealing both oversteer and understeer tendencies.
The people behind the test had to lower the speed to 74 kph (46 mph) in order for the Megane E-Tech to pass the moose test, stating that it feels safe and easy to control. Next, it aced the slalom challenge, with Km77 noting that it has moderate body roll, as you can see on video down below. And you don’t need to know Spanish for that, as the subtitles are one mouse-click away after hitting the play button.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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