Renault Alpine-ifies The Megane And Scenic

It’s quite easy to get swept up by the brilliant-looking retro-inspired EVs Renault’s producing at the moment, as well as the continually excellent cars from its Alpine and Dacia brands. We have to remember, though, that to make all this possible, the company does have to sell some very worthy cars, but – let’s be honest here – quite dull cars, too.

Cars like the Scenic, an electric crossover, and the Megane, an electric hatchback that wants to be a crossover. The former won the coveted European Car of the Year award the year before last, as it turns out. We have to admit, we must have been a bit distracted when that happened.

Anyway, Renault has attempted to add some much-needed spice to this duo with a new Esprit Alpine trim for both. Don’t get too excited thinking these are new high-performance offerings, though – this is essentially Renault’s equivalent of a GR Sport or ST-Line trim, so it’s largely a visual makeover.

Essentially, you get jazzy new 20-inch wheels, gloss black window trim and some new black logos. Additionally, the pointy inset bit on the front bumper of the Megane – which Renault calls the ‘F1 Blade’, for some reason – is now matt grey, as is the rear diffuser.

There are no tweaks to the powertrain or chassis, though. Both retain a single 214bhp, 221lb ft motor driving the front wheels, paired with a 60kWh battery in the Megane and an 87kWh one in the Scenic. In Esprit Alpine trim, that’s good for a quoted 280 miles of range in the former and 372 in the latter – slightly down on the entry-level models, thanks to their bigger wheels.

The interiors of both get new six-way adjustable massaging sports seats upholstered in a recycled mesh material and topped off with Alpine Blue stitching. These flashes of blue are repeated throughout the interior. Plump for this trim on the Scenic, meanwhile, and it scans your face when you get in and automatically sets the seats and mirrors to your preferences.

The new trims arrive as part of some wider improvements for the two models. Both now get a one-pedal driving mode across the range, vehicle-to-load capability, and price reductions for the entry-level Techno models – the Megane now starts at £32,495 and the Scenic at £37,195. For the sport-ified Esprit Alpine versions, meanwhile, you’ll need a minimum of £35,495 for the Megane and £39,995 for the Scenic.