With electric vehicles now commonplace, I had hoped range wouldn't still be dominating the conversation, but it's an important point to get out of the way early here. Renault claims a 280-mile range for its 60kWh Mégane E-Tech, which would be marvellous, but in six months I never managed to get close to that figure - and in the winter it fell to as low as 137 miles from a full charge. A big part of that is Renault's decision not to include a heat pump for the UK market on the entry-level Equilibre and my mid-spec Techno model. If you have a long commute, it's probably worth considering the top Iconic trim, whose heat pump helps boost range by about 10% in cold conditions.
However, a winter of discontent turned into a summer of love as things quickly improved with the mercury rising. That magic 280 is still out of reach, but more than 200 miles on a charge is easily achievable - particularly if you do lots of dual-carriageway cruising - though the length of time I spent in wintry conditions really hit the overall average.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MG 4
An EV changes your driving style - but not to the detriment of pleasure
PEUGEOT E-208
Time with our French hatch is up. Is it good riddance or au revoir?
In the hot seat
Is the best automotive job in the world actually in miniature scale? Hot Wheels' design boss assures STEPHEN DOBIE it is
Correcting the record
Autocar invented the road test back in 1928 - or did we? KEITH JONES trawls the past to find the true starting point
Road test rebooted
As the Autocar road test forges into its second century, its brief is expanding and it's returning to a familiar place. MATT SAUNDERS explains
Cyber attack
MG is back on the international stage and now trying to return to its sports car roots. MATT SAUNDERS sees if the Cyberster EV can match up to a rival from the present and a relation from the past
KIA PICANTO
As rivals fall by the wayside, Kia's popular city car gets a makeover
MASERATI GRANTURISMO
Latest coupé in a long line of Maserati GT cars hits the UK with V6 power
PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS COUPE
New V8 model gets all the goodies
TOYOTA PRIUS
Back by popular demand with a cool new look and greater driver appeal