Renault electric SUV, the Megane E-Tech, pushed back to Q4 2023

Renault Australia has quietly launched the electric Megane E-Tech SUV in Australia, after showcasing it in Sydney last week. 

A white 2023 Renault Megane E-Tech was on display. Interested buyers got to sit in and out. The post was shared by Sydney EV on Twitter.

It was originally slated to arrive early this year but Renault is now expecting its actual arrival in Q4 of this year.

In Europe, the popular SUV from Renault comes with a 470 km of WLTP range from a 60 kWh battery and is based on the 400 V architecture. There is also a lower spec version with a 40 kWh battery with 300 km of range.

Both versions are powered by a 96 kW front-mounted motor producing 250 Nm of maximum torque. A 0-100 km/h sprint comes in at 10.5 seconds which is 3 seconds slower than Australia’s most affordable ground-up electric SUV – the BYD Atto 3.

On the charging front, it does offer a unique feature not seen in many EVs in Australia. That’s the 22 kW AC charging along with 129 kW DC charging speeds. This means that the Megane E-Tech with a 60 kWh battery can be charged from 10-80% in 30 minutes.

Pricing-wise, the 60 kWh 2023 Renault Megane E-Tech sells for €43,000 which is around $A68,250. 

Official Australian pricing is yet to be announced. With shipping costs, the pricing in Australia may tip over $70,000 which would make the Megane E-Tech miss out on various state and territory incentives in Australia.

Renault Australia has sent a couple of emails to interested buyers in 2023 so far. Earlier in March, Renault highlighted some of the features the E-Tech model brings to the lineup: 

“Throughout our journey so far, we’ve learned about the form and function of all-new Megane E-Tech 100% Electric. From the clever soundproofing and placement of the vehicle battery, to visiting the ElectriCity in Maubeuge where this exciting new model was born.

“We hope you’ve enjoyed the ride so far, keep scrolling to learn more about our fully electric compact crossover.”

Back in January, Renault sent interested buyers another email, titled “The silence is bliss…” outlining the innovation in technology that the all-electric SUV has:

“By now, we hope you’re beginning to get excited about all-new Megane E-Tech 100% Electric. We’ve already learned about the revolutionary development process to reduce the overall weight, as well as some of the 300+ patents for the next-gen innovations in our fully electric compact crossover.

“But we’re only just beginning to tell you about the groundbreaking technology in this car – so buckle up and enjoy the ride.” 

The Driven’s take: It’s good to see Renault keeping buyers interested in the Megane E-Tech but without a firm timeline for the Australian launch, interested buyers may look elsewhere.