Renault Scenic review - Interior & comfort

Renault might be upping the proportion of sustainably recycled materials in its interiors, but we’re pleased to say this hasn’t affected quality. While items such as the steering wheel and upholstery might be from novel eco-friendly sources, most people hopping in the car wouldn’t have a clue unless they’d read up on it. Even though there’s no leather option for the seats, the substitutes feel just as good.

One feature that gives the Scenic’s cabin a unique feel is the ‘Solarbay’ panoramic sunroof that comes standard with Iconic trim. This boasts segments that can transform from opaque to clear on demand using liquid crystals in a sandwich between layers of glass, controlled using an overhead panel or via the voice assistant. We also sampled the digital rear-view mirror, which uses a camera 

Is the Renault Scenic infotainment and navigation system easy to use?

The big news inside is Renault’s continued adoption of infotainment tech based on Android Automotive software – a setup we heaped praise on when we evaluated the Renault Austral SUV. If you’re already used to Google Maps (who isn’t?), it will feel especially familiar, and it benefits from the same ability to sniff out traffic and recommend takeaways and shops. The system now also supports EV route planning, so it will find chargers along your route when you need to head further afield.

There’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 12-inch portrait infotainment touchscreen to show off all this information, and it looks suitably glossy and modern – certainly far better than Renault’s infotainment graphics from just a few years ago. It’s all nicely logical and the display is handily angled towards the driver, while there are still some physical controls for the climate control, and other items like the heated seats have sticky shortcuts at the bottom of the screen that remain regardless of what’s being displayed at the time. Another neat feature is a physical button that allows you to choose a customised safety setting, so if you prefer to turn off lane-keeping assist around town but keep speed-limit warnings on, it’s simple to do so.

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Is the Renault Scenic well equipped?

Trim levels in the UK are called Techno, Esprit Alpine and Iconic, and equipment levels are strong across the board. Esprit Alpine is the sportiest inside and out, while Iconic increases the amount of luxury equipment and convenience features. Whichever you pick, the Scenic E-Tech never feels anything but modern and future-proofed, with large infotainment screens that also support Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. We like the fact that it comes with heated seats and a powered tailgate as standard; things you’d usually expect of a more upmarket car.

What options should you choose on the Renault Scenic?

Options for the Scenic are very limited, with about the only thing you can customise being the car’s paint colour – that said, we’d even skip adding metallic paint because the standard Flame Red colour stands out enough. Renault has instead curated the trim levels so that stepping up to Esprit Alpine or Iconic adds all the extra features on offer.