The new Renault Zoe is on-sale in the UK now, with the first examples due to hit the roads this weekend. With a starting price of £24,670 – or from £269 per month on Renault finance – the electric city car has been given a longer battery range and more tech to keep ahead of new rivals.
The Zoe has been a consistent top-selling electric car, and Renault is keen to maintain its position with its latests model. Now in its third generation, the Zoe is available with a 52kWh battery pack, and is capable of up to 245 miles according to real-world official testing results (WLTP). That’s significantly more than upstarts such as the Honda e, MINI Electric Hatch and the upcoming Fiat 500 Electric.
>> Read more: The lowest-priced electric cars to buy now
>> Read more: The Parkers electric car guide
What you get for you money
The good news is that as well as getting a longer-range EV and a competitive price, all Zoe customers get a free 7kW BP Chargemaster Homecharger unit, and the installation is also included in the deal. It’s quick charging for those using public charging, too, as it’s 50kWh rapid-charge compliant – in other words, on a rapid charger, you get 90 miles of charge in 30 minutes.
The new interior gets a touch of the quality and tech upgrades that come with the Parkers award-winning Renault Clio. It now comes with a 9.3-inch portrait style multimedia screen (above), customisable 10-inch TFT instrument cluster as standard, and a raft of safety and convenience features.
So, it’s available with the following:
>> Lane-keeping assist
>> Traffic-sign recognition
>> Automatic main-beam/dipped-beam activation for headlights
>> Rear-view camera
>> 4G connectivity with three-year data pack
>> Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Just like other models in the Renault range, the Zoe comes in a number of model variations. In this case, you can get it in Play, Iconic, and GT Line trim levels, which is a level of flexibility not offered by its electric city-car rivals.
What this means for you
In light of increasing opposition, the Renault Zoe has emerged as a good-value, well-equipped and fun-to-drive EV. At £24,670 including £3,000 government Plug-in Car Grant (which Renault is also topping up to £3,500 with a further £500 cash incentive).
Renault doesn’t currently offer online buying, although in a statement it said that its dealers are all operating within government and World Health Organization guidelines around dealership safety – and a call to dealer would certainly elicit a home-based test drive.
Stay tuned for our first UK drive and full review update
