THE Renault Scenic had tremendous success in the UK and mainland Europe for over 25 years before the compact MPV was retired a few years ago as customers moved to SUVs.

The French company has revived the Scenic nameplate for a new all-electric SUV which is still designed to be a popular family car.

As you would expect the new Scenic is much more expensive than the last car to feature the Scenic name.

There are three trim levels made up of the entry-level Techno, mid-range Esprit Alpine and range-opping Iconic.

Two batteries are offered - a 62kWh and an 87kWh unit with the entry level Techno the only trim level offered with the smaller battery.

Techno models start at just over £37,000, rising to around £41,000 with the larger battery, the mid-level Esprit Alpine starts at around £43,500 and the Iconic costs from £45,500.

To keep things simple there are no options - just a choice of six colours. The car we drove came with a fantastic Matte paint at an additional cost of £1,700.

Equipment levels are very impressive and the Techno gets 19-inch diamond cut wheels, front and rear LED lights, flush-fitting door handles, a 12.3-inch driver's display and 12-inch central screen, automatic air-conditioning, heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless smartphone connectivity, a wireless smartphone charger and a rear camera.

The Esprit Alpine model I sampled added 20-inch wheels, comfortable sport seats with blue stitching, ‘Esprit Alpine' badging on both the exterior and interior, a fabric grey dash, a sports steering wheel and nice blue accents throughout the cabin.

The flagship Iconic has bespoke 20-inch wheels and an electric driver's seat with massage function. It also has an uprated sound system, real wood inserts in the dash, a hands-free parking system, a 360-degree camera system, a digital rear-view camera and a panoramic sunroof.

This new Scenic provides good levels of comfort and refinement and is very easy to drive. The controls are all easy to use and while performance is not blistering, the Scenic's handling is composed and will suit family drivers.

The top speed is 105mph and 62mph is reached in a respectable 7.9 seconds.

Expect to get 260 miles from the 60kWh model but the 87kWh car can manage a claimed 379 miles on the WLTP combined cycle. In real world driving I managed to achieve about 45 miles less than that.

The new Scenic is good to look at and has many nice design touches inside and out. It feels well built and the cabin is a nice place to be with quality materials and all the technology you could want.

There is enough space for five adults to travel in comfort and the substantial boot has a 545-litre capacity.

Crammed with all the latest safety aids, the Scenic will have a five-star safety rating - to give family motorists peace of mind.

3.6m/kWh

4.5