Test: Renault Zoe Zen
Content
If at all, one might say. At a price of 15.490 euros, including five thousand government subsidies, you get the basic Zoe with Life equipment, and for 1.500 euros you already get the best equipped Zen, which we also had in the test. Want to know where the fine print is? There is no fine print here, as Renault does not play hide and seek, but the fact is that you will have to deduct another 99 to 122 euros monthly to rent the battery in the first year, depending on the mileage per year. Up to 12.500 kilometers, the lowest value applies, and over 20.000 kilometers, the highest. If you sign a lease for three years, this cost will be only between € 79 and 102 per month.
Why shoot? Very simple, because it is so convenient for customers. When renting, Renault undertakes to provide free round-the-clock roadside assistance in the event of a low battery (to the nearest charging station) or a broken vehicle (to the nearest service station), so that in the event of a loss of capacity (below 24% of the original charging capacity), ZE will replace the battery with a new one free of charge. so that if you receive a better battery after the end of the rental period, you will enter into a new contract for a better battery, and it will eventually be recycled. Do not immediately pull my tongue, saying that for this money I will get a better equipped Clio or even a larger Megane. That's true, of course, but look at the competition among electric vehicles on the market: Zoe is half the price! And as my clever, but sometimes evil friend said: for this money, you won't get recycled material inside, only a 75-liter trunk and ridiculous 260 mm tires, like the new BMW i155.
Zoe has a bigger trunk than Cleo, and the test model even had 17-inch 205/45 tires! This is one of the reasons why we did not punish him too much in the estimates, because the serial 185/65 R15, of course, could save a kilowatt-hour. But then Zoe wouldn't be as cute as he is. I think we can just say that designer Jean Semeriva did an excellent job under the watchful eye of boss Laurence Van Den Acker. The large Renault logo hides the charging connector, the headlights have a blue base, and the rear hooks are hidden in the C-pillars. They may not be the most comfortable, as the hooks must first be pressed in and then pulled, but they add a touch of strangeness. The overall impression on the road was that people like Zoya, although a lot of people turn their backs anyway when it comes to electric cars. Another story if you managed to seduce the interlocutor in the circle.
Then he does not want to get out of the car ... First of all, the sensors made using TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology are striking. The advantage of such a dashboard is its flexibility as it allows you to change the graphics at the touch of a button, and then you can also change the sound of the turn signals! The materials used in the interior give a modern feel as they are bright and in some places even decorated with a schematic logo (or something similar), but at the same time they work a little cheaply. The front passengers sit relatively high, and there is enough room in the back seat for him to spend an hour or two with his 180 centimeters. If we can boast of a boot size that holds a whopping 338 liters (hey, that's 38 liters more than the Clio and just 67 less than the Megane), you'll miss the partially folding rear bench when transporting larger items. The Zoe is not as useful as the Kangoo ZE and not as enjoyable as the Twizy (both sold here!), But with such a large trunk, it's more than enough as a second car in the family. How do they do it? Simply put, they started with a blank sheet of paper, although this is a blank file on the computer, and made an all-electric car, not just remodeled an existing car.
A 290-pound battery has been placed on the bottom, and the electric motor is tucked away under a small hood. Interestingly, the Zoe builds on the redesigned platform of the previous Clio, only the center of gravity is 35 millimeters lower, the track is 16 millimeters wider, and the torsional strength is 55 percent improved over the third-generation Clio. It inherited some of the front chassis parts that it shares with the new Clio from Megane, and for better road contact, it got a part of the steering gear from the Clio RS. Interested in the driving experience? Despite the well-known electric power steering technique, the feeling of mediocrity is still there, so you won't experience much of a dynamic driving experience. However, you will be surprised at a jump speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour, since Zoe only needs four seconds for this acceleration and quiet operation.
Since silence is also a pleasure, we also treated the little Renault very kindly in this evaluation. Batteries theoretically allow a power reserve of 210 kilometers, although the real one is from 110 to 150 kilometers. We managed to get about 130 kilometers per hour on average when driving mostly in the city and using the air conditioning (hot summer days, you know), but at the time we preferred to avoid the highway, as it's a real poison for longer. range. However, we have measured our normal circumference very accurately. While our 100km test can be done with the ECO feature, which further saves energy (because it affects engine power and air conditioning performance), we decided that the benchmark for electric vehicles would be the same as for classic combustion engine cars. engine. This means 130 kilometers per hour on the highway. Therefore, the measurement was created in the classic driving program, since the ECO function does not allow speeds to exceed 90 kilometers per hour.
Therefore, the consumption of 15,5 kilowatt-hours is not the most affordable, but still very tempting compared to classic cars. Lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 22 kilowatt-hours theoretically take about nine hours to charge from a household outlet, although the system once told us that they would charge within 11 hours. If you're disappointed by this information, Renault has already introduced a version of the R240 that offers even more range (a theoretical 240 kilometers than you might have guessed) but also a longer charge time. Thus, you must decide for yourself what is more important for you: a longer range or a shorter charging period. With a little chuckle, we can confirm that the Zoe is a very safe car as it forces the driver to obey speed limits. Its top speed is only 135 kilometers per hour, which means that without additional speed limits, you will not pay a fine on the highway.
Joking aside, in the city you feel like a fish in the water, on the track it's still very pleasant, despite the harder chassis and loud chassis, and the track really doesn't smell. Due to the heavy batteries, the road position, despite the wide tires (I already mentioned that we thought this Zoe was good, as other electric cars found it funny with these narrow eco-friendly tires), is only average, although a mitigating circumstance is that they are installed very low. In the cabin, during the day, we were worried about the reflection of the white border of the side vents on the side windows, and at night, the reflection of the large dashboard, which interferes with the view in the rear-view mirror. Even a quiet sound when the door is closed does not add prestige.
However, we appreciated the rich equipment, including smart key, automatic air conditioning, power side windows, cruise control, speed limiter, hands-free system and, of course, the R-Link 2 interface, which does its job reliably. and does its job. friendly. Also worth noting is the possibility of adjusting the temperature inside before the trip, when we turn on the air conditioning or heating near the end of charging, and an application that helps us control charging with a mobile phone advises using nearby charging stations on longer routes. , etc. Not only price, but also ease of use is the main trump card that makes the Zoe car one of the most attractive electricians on the market. When the range is increased a little and the confusion with free charging stations is sorted out, then there is no fear for the future of this car, introduced three years ago.
text: Alyosha Mrak
Zoe Zen (2015)
Basic data
| Sales: | Renault Nissan Slovenia Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 20.490 € |
| Test model cost: | 22.909 € |
| Power: | 65kW (88 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 13,5 with |
| Maximum speed: | 135 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 14,6 kWh / 100 km |
| Guarantee: | 2 years general warranty Varnish warranty 3 years, 12 years warranty for prerjavenje. |
| Oil change every | 30.000 km or one year km |
| Systematic review | 30.000 km or one year km |
Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)
| Regular services, works, materials: | 486 € |
|---|---|
| Fuel: | battery rent 6.120 / energy price 2.390 € |
| Tires (1) | 812 € |
| Loss of value (within 5 years): | 6.096 € |
| Compulsory insurance: | 2.042 € |
| CASCO INSURANCE (+ B, K), AO, AO + | 5.479 ( |
| Calculate the cost of auto insurance | |
| Buy up | € 23.425 0,23 (km cost: XNUMX €) |
Technical information
| engine: | Electric motor: permanent magnet synchronous motor - maximum power 65 kW (88 hp) at 3.000-11.300 rpm - maximum torque 220 Nm at 250-2.500 rpm. Battery: Li-Ion battery - nominal voltage 400 V - capacity 22 kWh. |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | engine drives front wheels - 1-speed automatic transmission - 7 J × 17 wheels - 205/45 R 17 tires, rolling distance 1,86 m. |
| Capacity: | top speed 135 km/h - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 13,5 s - energy consumption (ECE) 14,6 kWh/100 km, CO2 emissions 0 g/km. |
| Transportation and suspension: | limousine - 5 doors, 5 seats - self-supporting body - front individual suspension, spring legs, three-spoke wishbones, stabilizer - rear axle shaft, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer - front disc brakes (forced cooling), rear drum, ABS parking brake on rear wheels (lever between seats) - rack and pinion steering wheel, electric power steering, 2,7 turns between extreme points. |
| Mass: | unladen 1.468 1.943 kg - Permissible total weight XNUMX kg - Permissible trailer weight with brake: No data, without brake: Not allowed. |
| External dimensions: | length 4.084 mm – width 1.730 mm, with mirrors 1.945 1.562 mm – height 2.588 mm – wheelbase 1.511 mm – track front 1.510 mm – rear 10,56 mm – ground clearance XNUMX m. |
| Inner dimensions: | longitudinal front 870-1.040 630 mm, rear 800-1.390 mm - front width 1.380 mm, rear 970 mm - head height front 900 mm, rear 490 mm - front seat length 480 mm, rear seat 338 mm - trunk 1.225-370 l – handlebar diameter XNUMX mm. |
| Box: | 5 seats: 1 aircraft suitcase (36 L), 2 suitcases (68,5 L), 1 backpack (20 L). |
| Standard equipment: | driver and front passenger airbags - side airbags - ISOFIX mountings - ABS - ESP - steering with automatic air conditioning - power windows front and rear - electrically adjustable and heated rear-view mirrors - radio with MP3 player - multifunction steering wheel - center console remote control locks - steering wheel with height and depth adjustment - rain sensor - trip computer - cruise control. |
Our measurements
| T = 25 ° C / p = 1.012 mbar / rel. vl. = 64% / Tires: Michelin Primacy 3 205/45 / R 17 V / Odometer status: 730 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 13,4s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 18,9 years ( 117 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | Measurement is not possible with this type of gearbox. S |
| Maximum speed: | 135km / h (Gear lever in position D) |
| test consumption: | 17,7 kWh l / 100 km |
| Fuel consumption according to the standard scheme: | 15,5 kWh / dosage 142 km l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 130 km / h: | 59,8m |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 35,2m |
| AM table: | 40m |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 3rd gear | 51dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 3rd gear | 54dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 3rd gear | 59dB |
| Idling noise: | 33dB |
Overall rating (301/420)
Zoe caught the four by the hair. Nothing special. When the batteries provide a longer range (the already introduced R240 has a range of 240 kilometers) and is equipped with additional equipment, preferably at an affordable price, then I see it as the ideal second car in the family. Well, this is not a joke ...
Exterior (13/15)
Interesting, unusual, but at the same time useful.
Interior (94/140)
The Zoe can accommodate up to four adults, although it is cramped and the trunk is relatively large. A few points are lost on the materials, and the flexible dashboard will take some getting used to.
Engine, transmission (44
/ 40)The electric motor and chassis are in order, and there is an unpleasant indirection behind the wheel.
Driving performance (51
/ 95)The batteries weigh as much as 290 kilograms, which is already familiar. It is good that they are installed in the floor of the car. The braking feel could be better, and something about stability can also be said.
Performance (24/35)
Acceleration to 50 km / h is really good, but the maximum speed needs a little more time - 135 km / h.
Security (32/45)
Zoya scored all stars in the EuroNCAP tests two years ago, but he is not the most generous in terms of active safety.
Economy (43/50)
Average electricity consumption (compared to cars we've tried before), extremely affordable price and just below average warranty.
We praise and reproach
price
appearance, appearance
barrel size
the ability to set the desired temperature in the cabin during charging and before starting
large and wide tires
range
high driving position
too hard and too loud chassis
battery weight (290 kilograms)
it doesn't have a partial rear derailleur
