BRIGHT SPARK (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_renaultzoe_2020

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 92

By 2019, Renault's ZOE was accounting for one in five European EV sales and in the updated 'Z.E. 50' battery form introduced in that year, went further in its efforts to persuade supermini buyers of its all-electric virtues. 245 WLTP-rated miles to be exact. A more powerful 100kW R135 motor delivered stronger acceleration, plus there was a smarter look both for the exterior and the cabin. It was just enough to sustain the ZOE to the end of its life in 2023. Let's check out this late-model ZOE as a used buy.

Modelsword count: 6

5dr supermini (EV) [Play,Iconic, GT Line])

Historyword count: 175

At the turn of the century, Renault bet all its chips on the battery-powered sector and made a €4 billion investment in new models - to remarkably little effect. There was the crazy Twizy city scoot, the boring mid-size Fluence Z.E. and also pricey Z.E. versions of the Kangoo and Master vans. All of which generated about as much popular interest as Brighton Beach on a wet weekend. The only Renault EV we thought showed some promise was this ZOE, a handsomely styled supermini launched in 2012. High pricing and low driving range from the little 22kWh battery initially held the car back, but the French maker persevered, continually improving it as battery technology developed through a series of incremental updates. A more efficient R90 electric motor was introduced in 2015, a gutsier Z.E.40 battery arrived in 2016 and an even more powerful 80kW R110 electric motor arrived to drive it in 2018. A further update with a Z.E. 50 52kWh battery arrived in 2019 - and it's that later model we look at here.

What You Getword count: 664

There's a balance needed with EV design. Choosing all-electric motoring is radical enough, without having to be faced with wild and wacky styling that marks you out on the High Street as an extravagant early adopter. But delivering something dull doesn't really fit with the whole future-orientated Zero Emissions ethos. Prior to this EV's original launch, Renault had already tried both approaches - with the extreme Twizy urban runabout and the uber-conservative Fluence Z.E. - but with this ZOE, managed to get the approach just right, back in 2012 rejecting futuristic early design sketches in favour of a smart and very stylish look penned by Spanish designer Jean Semeriva. Outwardly, not much changed with this post-2019-era Z.E. 50 model over that original car. Not much needed to: it was still quite a pretty thing. The differences here, such as they were, mainly featured at the front. Most noticeable if you know the earlier model will be the replacement of the original tick-shaped curved corner 'dimple' daytime running light creases in favour of larger vents, modelled on those used by the new generation Clio of that period. The lower grille also became larger to better emphasise the car's width and with top 'GT Line' trim gets chrome stamping. And the headlamps, which in this updated model were framed by Renault's signature C-shaped daytime running lights, gained full-LED beams offering 75% more light. The familiar big central Renault badge, which gained a 3D finish, continued to double as a charging port, flipping open to reveal both a Type 2 AC plug and, where fitted, the connector for this revised model's added 50kW DC fast charger. At the wheel, the single-colour dash was completely re-designed, with a central horizontal strip to emphasise its width, plus there were upgraded soft-touch materials and lots of smart metallic highlights. The three-spoke heel also looked far more appealing in this updated model - as did the more usable squarer 10-inch TFT instrument binnacle screen you view through it. A further 'EASYLINK' infotainment screen lies on the floating centre dash panel, 7-inches in size on mainstream models or 9.3-inches with the top variant. Inevitably, because the battery pack is mounted beneath front and rear seats, you have to sit fairly high up in the car, which is why, unfortunately, it still wasn't possible to have a height-adjustable driver's seat. Still, the wheel has enough adjustment for reach and rake to ensure that most will be able to find an acceptable driving position. Nice touches include the beautifully finished gear shifter and the silver door pulls, while from mid-range trim upwards, the seat upholstery is made from 100% recyclable material (apparently including old Renault seat belts) and on the top variant, features part-synthetic leather trim. What about the rear? Once inside, you'll find more room than most superminis can offer - and vastly more than you'd get in either a Peugeot e-208 or a Vauxhall Corsa-e from this period. It's a bit more spacious than it is in the back of a Clio too, even though this ZOE shares that car's same wheelbase length. Look up and you'll find that headroom's excellent too - at which point you might notice that the ceiling panel's been imprinted with a circuit diagram to go with the whole electrified theme. Most models got two centrally-mounted USB ports in the back too. The boot of a supermini EV ought to be bigger than that of a combustion-engined model; after all, battery-powered cars sit upon a chassis that would normally have to package in a fuel tank and a bulky internal combustion engine, space that in an EV is more compactly occupied by an electric motor and a set of batteries. So it's rather disappointing to find that the 338-litre capacity of the ZOE's trunk is 53-litres less than what you'd get in a shorter Clio. Still, it's around 30-litres more than you'd get in those e-208 and Corsa-e direct rivals we mentioned earlier, so that's some compensation.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227