Renault Zoe goes through its first major update

With around 38,000 units sold in 2018 alone and over 150,000 all in all, The Renault Zoe remains one of the best-selling EVs in Europe even seven years after its market debut. However, the hatchback has hardly improved much throughout the years, unless you count a slight engine boost and a larger battery. Things are going to change with a new major mid-generational refresh scheduled for 2019, though.

Exterior changes are few and far between. While the bumpers are technically new, they look virtually undistinguishable from the old design. The turn signals are now animated, moving like ticker tapes, and the entire lighting set is now LED-based.

The interior is where things are drastically different, though. There is synthetic fabric covering the seats, the ambient lighting is LED-only, and there is a new 10-inch digital dashboard that displays a navigation widget, among other things. The 2019 Renault Zoe facelift also brings along an up-to-date multimedia system with a larger touchscreen display (9.3 inches, previously 7”) and some advanced features.

Technical improvements are no less impressive. The main battery has grown in size from 41 to 52 kilowatt-hours, which the manufacturer claims translates to 390 km / 242 mi of driving range (previously: 317 km / 197 mi). The old electric motors rated at 88 and 92 horsepower (66 and 69 kilowatts, respectively) are no longer available. The base version of the car now ships with a rather more capable powertrain rated at 108 hp (81 kW), which takes it from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 11.4 seconds. A higher trim offers 135 hp (101 kW) and does the 0-100 sprint in under ten seconds.

Standard and available equipment includes parking assistance, automatic emergency brake and a number of other electronic driver aids.

The facelifted Renault Zoe will arrive on the market in Europe in the fall of 2019. The company claims it will not cost too much more than the previous generation, which currently starts from €23,200.

Photos: Renault