Renault Megane E-Tech Electric review

The range is simple: three trims called Evolution, Techno and Iconic. Predictably the Launch Edition has done its job and has been sent to the Retirement Home for Aged Cabins now that the Megane has been on the block a little while.

Evolution kicks things off at £33,995. Standard features include the 22kW onboard charger, heat pump, a 12.3in driver display and nine-inch infotainment screen, wireless smartphone connectivity, cruise control, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, shedloads of safety gizmos, a heated leather steering wheel, heated front seats, ambient lighting, two-zone climate control, automatic wipers and LED headlights.

Oh, and a couple of USB-C sockets front and back. Gotta distract those rear dwellers from the lack of foot room somehow.

All trim levels are mechanically identical apart from the wheel size: the base one has 18s, everything else gets 20s.

What do I get on the others?

Techno+ starts from £35,995, and for your extra two grand you get the larger 12in touchscreen, adaptive headlights, posher seats, tinted rear glass, a fancier Arkamys audio system and adaptive cruise control. You also get driving modes, but they make little difference in practice.

Make that final step up to Iconic for £37,995 and you get an even-fancier-still Harman Kardon hi-fi and a different alloy wheel design, plus a 360-degree view camera.

Which one should I have?

Go for Techno if you can afford, but you won't be missing out if you have to settle for the Evolution: it comes with most of the stuff you want and you won't break the bank charging it up thanks to that (now standard) heat pump.

Assuming you put down £5k up front for a Megane Techno, you’ll be looking at monthly repayments of about £310 over four years on an annual allowance of 8,000 miles. 0 per cent APR at the time of writing.