Kia EV5 vs Renault Scenic E-Tech

The Kia reads cheaper, and the gap is wider than the headline numbers suggest. The EV5 is quoted drive-away, opening at $49,990, while the Scenic E-Tech is quoted before on-road costs from $55,990, so the Renault's true drive-away figure is higher again. That means the cheapest Kia undercuts the cheapest Renault by more than the $6,000 the stickers imply, because one figure already includes on-road costs and the other does not. The Renault answers with a longer claimed range and a cabin reviewers rate above its price. Read the EV5 as the value pick, and the Scenic as the car you pay more for to get range and polish.

The Renault takes it on paper. Its 87kWh Techno Long Range and Esprit Alpine grades claim 625km on the WLTP cycle, the longest of any small electric SUV on sale here, and the base 60kWh Techno EV60 claims 430km. The Kia EV5 spans 400km in the Air Standard Range to a strong 555km in the single-motor Air Long Range, with the dual-motor Earth and GT-Line at 500km and 470km. Independent Australian testing of the big-battery Scenic returns nearer 500 to 520km in mixed driving. For maximum range the Renault EV87 leads; the Kia Air Long Range is the closest answer.

Neither is a charging standout, because both use a 400-volt architecture rather than the 800-volt systems in pricier rivals. The Renault peaks at 150kW on the Long Range grades and 130kW on the Techno EV60. The Kia EV5 peaks at up to 141kW on its Long Range grades and 102kW on the base Air Standard Range. In practice both take a little over half an hour for the main top-up, and reviewers note cars like the Zeekr 7X do the same job far quicker. On home AC both reach 11kW on their Long Range grades, so an overnight charge is routine.

Both are built for family duty and it is close. The Renault carries a 545L boot that folds to 1,670L, a flat-floor rear seat and a clever fold-down armrest with cupholders, USB-C ports and phone and tablet holders. The Kia counters with a 513L boot opening right out to 1,714L folded, a taller, boxier cabin that feels airy, and a 67L front boot the Renault lacks. Both seat five, hold a five-star rating and keep physical climate controls. Read the Scenic as the pick for clever packaging and seats-up space, the EV5 for outright folded capacity and cabin height.

Both earn the maximum five stars and fit the full active-safety suite as standard, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The Renault edges the sub-scores, scoring 92 per cent child occupant, 77 per cent vulnerable road user and 85 per cent safety assist to the Kia's 86, 74 and 82, with adult occupant tied at 88, and it fits a surround-view camera as standard. The Kia reserves its surround-view camera for the GT-Line. The ratings come from different test years, so treat the gap as narrow; both are genuinely safe family choices.

The Kia carries the stronger ownership package on paper. Its seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and eight years of roadside outrun the Renault's five years, 100,000km and five years of roadside, though the Renault's battery cover is marginally longer at eight years and 160,000km. Running costs lean the other way: the Scenic uses less energy at a claimed 16.3 to 16.8kWh per 100km against the Kia's 18.2, and its service interval is 30,000km to the Kia's 15,000km. Read the EV5 as the safer long-keep bet on warranty, the Scenic as the slightly leaner car to run between services.

For a first-time switcher the Kia EV5 is usually the lower-stress entry. It opens cheaper on a drive-away basis, backs the car with seven years and unlimited kilometres, keeps familiar physical controls and uses a lithium-iron-phosphate battery that is happy charged to 100 per cent daily. The Renault Scenic E-Tech makes more sense if range leads your thinking, since its EV87 grades claim the longest reach in the class and the cabin feels a cut above. Read the EV5 as the easy, value-led first EV, and the Scenic as the step up for buyers who prize range and polish over price.

Towing is a minor consideration for both, but there is a real split. The Renault Scenic E-Tech is rated to 1,100kg braked across every grade. The Kia EV5's single-motor Air Standard Range and Air Long Range manage just 300kg braked, so they are not tow cars, but the dual-motor Earth and GT-Line are rated to 1,250kg, the most of either car here. So if a small trailer or camper matters, the answer is grade-specific: choose the Renault, or step up to a dual-motor Kia Earth or GT-Line rather than the single-motor Air grades.