While leg room in the rear will be tight for full sized adults, two teenagers and a smaller child will fit just fine and will get a good view out the windows from the high-set rear bench. The interior is totally different to mainstream cars today – bright, modern and really cool. The materials are not exactly a child friendly colour, but the good news is they wipe clean easily, so stick a pack of antiseptic wipes in the glove box for after the kids have a picnic during the journey and you will be fine.
Mum’s will love the airy and spacious feel of the driver’s seat – it feels very like a small people carrier up front and not at all cramped. The tablet style touch screen allows you pair your phone to play music, and there’s an easy to use sat nav too, so there’s no need to carry one around in your bag. There are virtually no buttons to get used to – most controls are handled through the massive colour screen.
The boot is an impressive size for a small car – at 338 litres it is surprisingly bigger than that of a Ford Focus. As the car sits high off the ground you don’t have to bend as far down to lift things in and out. Fold the rear seats flat and you will fit in a few bikes for a trip to the park, too. There’s a deep cubby in front of the gear lever, perfect for a mobile phone and house keys, and a shelf under the glove box so your passenger can store their bits and bobs too.
Is it baby friendly?
The airy cabin extends to the rear, the roof is more than tall enough for you to lift a baby seat in and out without hitting your head. Your buggy will fit in the boot with room for some shopping left over, and the front seat is not at all cramped if you would rather your baby rode up front with you.
It’s a doddle, tailor made for Mum’s with kids to ferry and fetch from busy schools. The high driving position means you can see what’s around you easily, and the back of the car hardly protrudes at all out past the window, so there is no risk of misjudging how long it is. You don’t see as much out of the two rear corners as in some cars though, so the parking sensors fitted as standard on our test car come in handy.
What about safety?
Renault has an excellent record in terms of safety, no surprise to hear the Zoe was awarded the full five stars in the Euro NCAP safety test, and an 80% child safety rating. There are three ISOFIX child seat points, two in the rear and one in the front passenger seat. A speed limiter is also fitted, so you can prevent yourself from driving over a certain speed at all times.
Verdict:
Thumbs Up:
Runs for about 200km on one charge
Family friendly storage space
Cheap purchase price and charging costs
Great fun to drive
Thumbs down
Rear seats a little short on legroom
Batteries cost €49 per month to rent
Mummypages Ratings:
Baby friendliness: 4/5
Safety: 4/5
Cool rating: 5/5
Passenger and storage space: 3.5/5
Car park friendliness: 4.5/5
Value for money: 3/5
Overall rating: 24/30
Statistics: (Republic of Ireland market)
Price (starting from / our test car): €17,490 / €19,290
Average Fuel Economy and tax: 200km on a full charge. €120 road tax
Warranty: 5 years / unlimited mileage
Isofix baby seat mounts: 3
Seats suitable for adults (excl driver): 3
Seats suitable for kids only: 1