Renault Scenic E-Tech vs Volkswagen ID.4

The headline belongs to the Renault. In Techno Long Range or Esprit Alpine EV87 form it claims 625km on the WLTP cycle, the longest of any small electric SUV on sale in Australia. But that is the dearer 87kWh grade. The entry Techno EV60 claims only 430km, and there the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro's 547km wins comfortably; the ID.4 GTX sits at 516km. So the Renault takes the crown at the top of its range, while the Volkswagen is stronger grade-for-grade at the affordable end. Independent Australian testing of the EV87 returns closer to 500 to 520km. Match the grade to your driving before the 625km figure decides it.

The Volkswagen is the quicker fill. It draws up to 175kW on a DC fast charger, while the Renault Scenic E-Tech peaks at 130kW on the EV60 and 150kW on the EV87, a 15 to 80 per cent top-up of about 32 to 37 minutes. Both take up to 11kW on AC for an overnight home charge. Neither uses the 800-volt architecture of the fastest-charging rivals such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, so both are competitive rather than class-leading on a road trip. The Renault answers with a standard heat pump the ID.4 Pro goes without, protecting range in the cold. Read the Volkswagen as the quicker top-up, the Renault as the better cold-weather companion.

Be careful, because the two are measured differently. As of 2026, Renault quotes the Scenic E-Tech from $55,990 to $65,990 before on-road costs, while Volkswagen lists the ID.4 Pro from $64,990 drive-away with on-roads included, and dealers advertise the dual-motor GTX at around $74,990 drive-away. Add the Renault's registration, stamp duty and the rest and its real drive-away figure climbs, narrowing the headline gap. Compared like for like the entry Renault is still cheaper to get into, but by less than the sticker suggests, and the mid-grade Techno Long Range lands close to the ID.4 Pro once on-roads count. Both sit below the electric-vehicle luxury car tax threshold, so both qualify for the novated-lease fringe-benefits saving.

Running costs are line-ball; the warranty sets the two apart. On energy the Renault claims 16.3kWh per 100km on the EV60 and the Volkswagen 16.3 on the Pro, so neither has a meaningful edge, and both are cheap to charge at home. Servicing matches too, at 30,000km intervals, and each carries an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty and five years of roadside assistance. The difference is the vehicle warranty: Volkswagen covers the ID.4 for five years with no distance limit, while Renault caps its five-year cover at 100,000km. High-kilometre drivers should weigh it, because both trail the seven-to-ten-year cover some Chinese and Korean rivals now offer.

Both wear maximum five-star ANCAP ratings, so safety is not the deciding factor. The detail splits. The Renault Scenic E-Tech, rated in 2022, leads for safety assist at 85 per cent to 76 and for child occupant protection at 92 to 89. The Volkswagen ID.4, carrying a 2021 rating valid to 2028, leads for adult occupant protection at 93 per cent to 88. Vulnerable road user scores are near-identical at 77 and 76. Both come with autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring as standard, and reviewers single out both for unusually calm, non-nagging driver-assist tuning. On the numbers it is close enough to call a tie.

This one is close. Boot space with the seats up is effectively tied at 545 litres for the Renault and 543 for the Volkswagen, but the Renault opens to a larger 1,670 litres folded against the ID.4's 1,575. The Renault packages its shorter 4,470mm body cleverly, with a flat rear floor and a fold-down armrest hiding cupholders, USB-C ports and swing-out phone and tablet holders. The Volkswagen is the bigger car overall, 115mm longer and 75mm taller, which buys extra rear headroom, and it adds a standard panoramic glass roof and three-zone climate control. Read the Renault as the cleverer small-footprint family car, the ID.4 as the roomier one.

For a first electric car most families are best served by the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro. It is comfortable, long-legged at a claimed 547km, backed by an unlimited-kilometre warranty, and it keeps enough physical controls to feel familiar coming out of a petrol SUV. The Renault Scenic E-Tech makes its case if you want the longest potential range, in Techno Long Range EV87 form, plus the richer cabin, the big 12.3-inch driver display and the clever rear-seat packaging families notice day to day. It also fits a standard heat pump. Neither disappoints on safety or space, so the question is whether you value the Volkswagen's all-round ease or the Renault's range ceiling and cabin.

Both sit under the electric-vehicle luxury car tax threshold, so both unlock the fringe-benefits saving on a novated lease, which keeps the contest tight. The Volkswagen ID.4 Pro is the stronger value case for most: it charges faster and its unlimited-kilometre warranty suits the high-kilometre driving a lease often involves. The Renault Scenic E-Tech Techno EV60 is the cheapest car here to get into before on-road costs, but its 430km range is city-focused, and the range that makes the Renault special belongs to the dearer EV87 grades. Price the two on the same basis before deciding, because the Renault is quoted before on-roads and the Volkswagen drive-away.

If the drive leads your decision, the Volkswagen ID.4 is the pick. Even the rear-drive Pro makes 210kW and reaches 100km/h in a claimed 6.7 seconds, out-powering and out-sprinting the dearest 160kW Renault, and the dual-motor GTX lifts that to 250kW, all-wheel drive and a claimed 5.4 seconds. Reviewers rate the ID.4 composed, quiet and comfort-first rather than sharp, but it has the hardware the Renault cannot match. The Scenic E-Tech is front-wheel drive across the range, with quick, short-ratio steering that takes acclimatising and a brake pedal reviewers flag as spongey, tuned as a smooth family EV rather than a driver's car. For pace and traction, the Volkswagen wins.