Our Renault Zoe Review

Our Renault Zoe Review

By Libby Foster
07-02-2023
The Renault Zoe aims to address two of the most popular criticisms about electric vehicles: their high price and typically inadequate range between charges. This five-door hatchback has more standard features than many competitors, including a wall-mounted 7kW charger installed at your house, and can go 200 miles on a full charge in warm weather. It also costs less to purchase.

Thinking about leasing a Renault Zoe?


Although it has been around for almost ten years, Renault has continuously upgraded it over the years, enhancing interior design and technological amenities, extending the range between charges, and enhancing performance. The Fiat 500, the Honda E, the Mini Electric, the Peugeot e-208, and the larger but similarly priced MG4 are the Renault Zoe's primary competitors. How does the Zoe compare to those rivals in the categories that electric car customers are likely to care about the most?


Renault Zoe Drive 

One of the primary advantages of electric cars is that they only have one gear, allowing for instantaneous, smooth, and quick acceleration. The Zoe's soothing, yet unexpectedly delightful drive around town, and uninterrupted stream of power is what gives it its slightly eerie, enjoyable quality. However, the grabby brakes might be annoying because it is challenging to smoothly slow down your pace.


The Zoe's regenerative braking mechanism, which converts energy that would otherwise be lost when slowing down and feeds it back into the battery, is the source of this annoyance. It is partially engaged when you merely lift off the accelerator pedal in addition to when you touch the brake pedal. The slowing effect is fairly mild when the mode selection is set to "D," but it gets more pronounced when it is set to "B." After some practice, employing "B" mode will enable you to complete the majority of your trip without ever stepping on the brake pedal.


The front wheels of the Zoe are propelled by a 134bhp electric motor. Although it takes just 9.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph, many competitors, such as the MG4, Mini Electric, and Peugeot e-208, will accelerate you to highway speeds faster.


The Zoe has adequate cornering sharpness, helped by light and generally accurate steering, and ample traction that is distributed evenly from front to back. It handles more neatly than the Vauxhall Corsa-e but has more body lean in bends than the Mini Electric and Fiat 500.


In regards to range, the Zoe's maximum range will be considerably reduced in the winter, as is the case with all-electric vehicles (battery performance is negatively impacted by freezing temperatures). As long as you aren't hammering it down a motorway for extended periods, expect a charge to last about 160–170 miles.


Renault Zoe Interior 

In the Renault Zoe, you sit rather high up, and if you're tall, you could find it inconvenient as the driver's seat cannot be lowered. The seat and steering wheel can be adjusted sufficiently for most people to find a comfortable position. The vision out the front is mostly unhindered, but when you're looking back over your shoulder, the rear pillars obscure some of the views. Fortunately, all variants include a rear-view camera to help with parking and alleviate this.

Renault Zoe

The Zoe also does a respectable job at disguising the fact that it is a small and reasonably priced electric car, despite some dull plastics and some flimsy-feeling air vents that you will notice. In terms of interior quality, the Mazda MX-30 or Mini Electric are superior to the Zoe.


Behind the steering wheel, all trims come with a clear 10.0in digital display in place of traditional instrument dials. You may configure this display to show both extensive statistics and a nice visual of a leaf that changes size according to how effectively you're driving.


Renault Zoe Space 

Tall adults can stretch out comfortably in the front seat of the Renault Zoe, and there is also plenty of storage space. A handy tray for storing your phone is located below the touchscreen, and there are a few tiny cupholders and a shallow cubby above the glove box for pens and other small items.


The five doors on each model make it quite simple to access the back seats. Once inside, shorter folks will feel perfectly at home, but taller people may experience some head and, if there is a long-legged person seated in front, knee, space issues. The Zoe outperforms the Fiat 500, Mini Electric, and Peugeot e-208 in terms of rear passenger room, but the MG4 is preferable if you frequently need to fit adults in the back.


The Zoe's boot is quite large. Because of its extreme depth, you can put six carry-on luggage below the parcel shelf, which is just one more than the larger and more expensive Nissan Leaf. Compared to a Mini Electric, Fiat 500, Honda E, and even a Peugeot e-208, the Zoe can accommodate far more luggage.


Our Verdict 

Great bargain, reasonably practical, and has a longer charge range than most competitors. 


Are you thinking about switching to an electric vehicle? When it comes to choosing the ideal vehicle for you, MWVC has a variety of electric car leasing packages to fit everyone's demands. Our knowledgeable sales staff can advise you on the best deal for you, whether you are searching for a personal deal or a business car to lease.


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