When organizing the journey between Paris and Nice via the motorway and small mountain roads (Cantal, Cévennes, Alps, etc.) on electric power, his choice appeared logical. After all, starting with its name, taken from an illustrious lineage, the Scenic embodies the idea (but not yet the sales) of a French mainstream electric car. We have already talked to you about its qualities and faults in previous tests, but we were able to rediscover the Losange family car during this marathon in its large 87 kWh battery version.
And the first lesson we were able to learn was not to forget to activate the route planners, and in particular the one integrated into the Scénic, now operating on the Google database. From the first day, he allowed us to avoid a lot of hassle by warning us that one of the stops had broken terminals. One among others (80% availability rate in France, or even less in certain sectors).
Neglected practical aspects
While the space on board and the large trunk are appealing, as is the layout of the passenger compartment – with a special mention for the large optional glass roof that can be hidden on request – the Scenic no longer innovates in practical details. There is no question of modularity or a sense of ingenuity, which, compared to its predecessors, we must mourn. More common sense would not have hurt. And while the space under the trunk floor is very practical for storing cables, once the Scenic is loaded to the brim, you will have to take out the suitcases if necessary!
Finally, you have to take the information provided by the on-board computer with a grain of salt. The yo-yo of the values displayed during our trip proves that the system is very (too) frequently updated and that it should be taken more as an indicator than as a 100% reliable informant.. This is the case on board all electric vehicles and you have to be even more vigilant when the cold sets in in winter. But it is true that the splendid Col de la Bonette is closed for a large part of the year…
Docile and sober (except on the highway)
We leave the A7 to start the second part of the journey: Aubrac, Allier, the idea is then to pick up Barcelonnette then head towards the city of Nice. First (half) surprise: if the Scénic was charged to 100% the day before, when leaving Aubrac the next morning, the Scénic lost 19 km of autonomy. Electrics are sensitive to cold and the night got the better of a few electrons. This Scénic will remind us of this throughout the route during passages at altitude and in mountainous areas with inclement temperatures. This comfortable traveler still offers an attractive face even if it did not manage to perform miracles on the expressway, where consumption was constantly above 20 kWh/100 km. Only a low and slender sedan can claim low fuel consumption on the motorway. The laws of aerodynamics are impenetrable. We will have to wait for the long climb and especially the descent of the Col de la Bonette to see the qualities of the Scénic shine: the energy recovery has allowed us to end up with 498 km of autonomy at the bottom, very close to Nice. Compared to 455 km at the start of the climb on the other side…
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