TEST DRIVE Renault Korea’s Scenic E-Tech to take on IONIQ 5, EV3

Renault Korea's Scenic E-Tech electric vehicle / Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung

By Lee Min-hyung

• Published Jun 27, 2025 1:43 PM KST

CEO speaks highly of Scenic's driving performance, advanced safety tech

YANGPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province — Renault Korea’s first all-electric vehicle, the Scenic E-Tech, is moving to take on the nation’s two most sought-after electric vehicles (EVs), Hyundai Motor’s IONIQ 5 and Kia’s EV3.

The Scenic compact electric SUV will be available for sale here in August, deepening the rivalry among price-competitive rivals.

The vehicle carries strategic significance to Renault Korea for its smooth transition to the upcoming era of EVs. For now, the carmaker relies heavily on the Grand Koleos SUV, which accounts for more than 80 percent of Renault Korea’s total auto sales.

All eyes were on the pricing of the Scenic, as few overseas carmakers have been able to challenge the rival models from the Korean firms due to their strong price competitiveness.

Renault Korea unveiled Wednesday that the price for the Scenic E-Tech will start from 46 million won ($33,700) after subsidies in Seoul.

As expected, the figure was higher than that of the IONIQ 5 and EV3. Customers can purchase the EV3 at prices between 30 million won and 40 million won here, and the IONIQ 5 is priced at around 40 million won.

The price for the Scenic, however, is understandable as the carmaker imports all of the vehicles from France. This is not the case for the Grand Koleos, which are assembled at the carmaker's production line in Busan.

It remains to be seen whether Renault Korea will be able to extend its Grand Koleos winning streak with the new EV, but the carmaker remained optimistic about the success of the vehicle, speaking highly of its strong safety features and comfortable driving feeling.

“Given the refined French design, generous interior space, excellent driving performance and advanced safety technologies, we believe the Scenic E-Tech will strongly appeal to Korean customers,” Renault Korea CEO Stéphane Deblaise told reporters ahead of a media test-drive event.

Balanced EV with particular focus on solid driving

The first impression of the Scenic E-Tech was its refined outfit characterized by a minimalist exterior.

When it was delivered to a hotel in Seoul, the vehicle matched well with its description as a “family compact SUV,” with an overall silhouette simple and tidy enough to meet demand from as many customers as possible.

Even if it is classified as a compact SUV, the vehicle gave no feeling of stuffiness during a two-hour roundtrip between Seoul and the eastern part of Gyeonggi Province.

The Scenic E-Tech displayed decent acceleration and deceleration, giving the impression that the EV was designed with a focus on basic driving performance.

The biggest upside while driving the vehicle was its fifth regeneration layer, helping drivers control the pace of deceleration in detail. The system enables the vehicle to drive longer, providing customer satisfaction with its economical driving.

The hourslong ride was also comfortable enough not to feel any sense of motion sickness, which is reported frequently by people driving EVs.

The carmaker placed the vehicle’s gear selector behind the steering wheel, so customers are not distracted and can focus solely on the act of driving. The interior design also remained simple and clean.

The vehicle is equipped with what it calls a smart rearview mirror, powered by a built-in camera, helping drivers monitor objects behind them in a clear display.

The Scenic is capable of driving up to 460 kilometers on a single charge. Renault equipped the vehicle with LG Energy Solution’s nickel cobalt manganese battery. It takes almost half an hour for the battery to charge from 20 percent to 80 percent with a quick charger.

Renault Korea equipped the vehicle with the carmaker’s patented Fireman Access technology through which firefighters can quickly drench battery cells if they catch fire.