Renault News

What might be a legitimate challenger to the Suzuki Jimny’s “Best Fun Small 4WD” title, the Renault Duster (aka the Dacia Duster in other markets), is here.

A landmark car ban in Europe could be overturned, according to reports.

Ford Fiesta could return.

A former family favourite has landed with an electric revamp.Renault has announced pricing and specifications for its revived Scenic, which re-joins the Aussie market as an all-electric SUV. The five-seat SUV will start from $55,990, before on-road costs.The car will have several all-electric rivals when it lands in Australia, but it's been competitively priced compared to some alternatives.It will directly rival BYD’s Sealion 7, which starts from $54,990, before on-road costs and the Zeekr 7X, starting from $57,900.  In terms of dimensions, it's more inline with smaller fare like the MG S5 small electric SUV.This tight pricing comes off the back of the brand shaving $10,000 off the price of its Megane E-Tech only months after Renault launched it in Australia last year. Car warranty: five-year/100,000km - Battery warranty: eight-year/160,000km.The Scenic E-Tech's single electric motor in the entry-level variant transfers 125kW and 280Nm to the front wheels and can shift the car from 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds. The more powerful motor available in up-spec models trims that standard sprint time to 7.9 seconds, producing 160kW and 300Nm. The car has three optional paint choices which are metallic ($800), two-tone ($1000), and matt ($1200), which is exclusive to the range-topping variant. The last Renault to wear the Scenic badge left the market about 15 years ago, but it was a small, five-seater boxy MPV. Deliveries on the new Scenic E-Tech will begin later this year or early next year, with the top-of-the range Esprit Alpine launching before other model variants. Six-speaker sound systemApple CarPlay and Android AutoWireless phone charger12.3-inch digital driver’s display12-inch central displayAuto-folding door mirrorsAuto-dimming rear-view mirrorPower tailgateHeated steering wheelHeated front seatsCloth upholstery19-inch alloy wheelsEsprit Alpine EV87 getsInfrared windscreenMetal pedal coversSynthetic leather and cloth seat trim with Alpine stitchingMemory seatingMassaging driver’s seat9-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system20-inch alloy wheelsAlpine badgingFacial recognition for seat and mirror settingsThe new Renault Scenic E-Tech has not been crash tested yet. 2026 Renault Scenic E-Tech safety features: Blind spot assist360-degree cameraAdaptive cruise controlSpeed sign recognitionRear cross-traffic alertFront, side and rear parking sensors

Renault's new electric city hatch shapes up to rival the BYD Atto 1

Two premium electric MGs from China have achieved five-star safety ratings from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

A striking European SUV is making its return to Australia with an electric twist.

Nissan's new little Tekton SUV pays homage to the iconic Patrol and will rival Suzuki’s Vitara and Kia Seltos when it arrives in 2026.

Dacia thinks it has cracked the code for what makes a car popular with its little Hipster EV concept, but that’s up to you.The Hipster EV is just a concept, but Dacia reckons the blocky little EV will appeal not just because of its cute looks, but due to its simplicity and affordability in the way cult classics such as the Citroen 2CV and Land Rover Defender.Speaking to British motoring publication Autocar, Dacia’s chief designer David Durand said popular people’s cars all have the same ingredients — basic design and a low price — and the Hipster will, too.“All those popular cars were super appreciated and they were not expensive,” Durand told Autocar.“They were super popular; you had a lot on the streets. So for us, it's an example that we should be able to reproduce this mindset, and in these situations, essentials become super cool.”And by essential Durand is referring to the very basics needed by modern standards in cars. In the case of the Hipster the vehicle has been stripped of what Dacia considers unnecessary in order to reduce weight and cost.Sliding glass windows have been used instead of power operated ones, exterior door handles are just fabric straps and inside there isn’t a large screen or media system — just a mount for your phone if you need sat nav or music — bluetooth speakers can be optioned. Other options include cupholders, armrests and there’s no key — just an app on your phone to lock and unlock the car and start it. Dacia’s Director of Product Performance Patrice Levy-Bentold told Autocar that companies need to consider the ‘less is more’ approach especially when it comes to electric vehicles. “We cannot continue with this 'always more' trend, which is why we have to propose a completely different approach, to disrupt again with the vision of what we should bring, and Hipster concept is exactly this," said Levy-Bentold."Let's just go back to the essentials: what do we really need on a daily basis?""In daily driving, you don't need a 1.5- or two-tonne car with an 80kWh battery capable of doing 0-100kph in four seconds. You don't need this.”Details of the Hipster’s battery capacity have yet to be announced, nor have many other technical specifications such as motors or output. We do know the dimensions which reveal the concept to be three metres long, 1.55m wide and 1.53m tall. We also know the Hipster is a four seater with a 70 litre boot but with the rear row folded opens up to 500 litres.Dacia is a Romanian car maker and part of the Renault-Nissan alliance. While Dacia as a brand isn’t available in Australia its models are rebadged as Renaults with the latest being the Duster SUV, which arrived here in July, 2025.

Australia is one of the most fiercely-contested sales arenas in the world today, with more than 60 brands and counting fighting for a modest 1.2-million-unit market annually.Tough doesn’t even start to explain the situation.Now, with the recent Climate Change Authority’s recommendation that electric vehicle (EV) sales jump from today’s 10 per cent market penetration to at least 50 per cent by 2035 to achieve emissions targets, it is vital that Australian buyers willingly take the leap into full electrification.To that end, here are five EVs not-yet available locally that could lure consumers in. Let’s go.Built at the old Fiesta supermini factory in Germany, the inexplicably-named Explorer EV (no relation at all to the larger, non-electric American Toyota Kluger-sized SUV with exactly the same badge – are there no other names, Ford?) is not what it seems.Under the boxy exterior is a Volkswagen ID.4 mid-sized EV SUV. This is a strong basis for any family-friendly electric car, offering a pleasing depth of quality engineering. Ford’s contribution has been in its unique styling inside and out, as well as on-brand dynamic tuning.Launched last year, initial sales in Europe tanked, but demand has really started to pick up lately, as consumers respond to the Explorer’s chunky styling, involving handling and sophisticated interior. With up to 600km of WLTP range available, efficiency is also impressive.This Euro Explorer is exactly the sort of EV Ford Australia needs: handsome, athletic, capable and clean.Especially as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) will increasingly penalise carbon-heavy polluters like diesel-powered utes and SUVs – which is what Ranger and Everest are respectively, making up about 90 per cent of total local Ford sales.But there are no plans for Explorer EV to be imported. It seems like a no-brainer. What a shame.The retro-chic Renault 5 E-Tech city car is a sales and critical success, and deservedly so, offering an alluring blend of style, affordability and technology. Europeans are going gaga over this French supermini, and all indications suggest we soon will be, too. Fingers crossed.But its big brother, the Renault 4 E-Tech, might be an even-better fit for Australia, given it is a higher-riding SUV/crossover, with proper practicality lurking underneath that utilitarian design. With only hints of the original, ground-breaking R4 of 1961 – widely considered to be history’s first volume hatchback – the 2025 reimagining treads a fine line between post-modern-cool and ultra-contemporary-funk.Fun fact: unlike the original Renault 5 supermini of the 1970s, Australians could actually buy the first R4, from 1963 to 1967, and it was even manufactured in Melbourne.Chinese giant Geely has the resources and might to stamp its authority in the bottom end of the EV market in Australia with this – the Geome Xingyuan.And an anticipated sub-$30,000 entry price wouldn’t be the light urban crossover’s only strength.Aimed at the BYD Dolphin, GWM Ora and Hyundai Inster, the Geome has gone gangbusters back in China, with buyers liking and subscribing its cutesy organic styling, surprisingly spacious cabin and ease of operation – aided by plenty of pep, perky handling, decent range and a generous wad of safety tech. What’s not to like from an EV that, in China, kicks off from well-below $20K? At $25K the Geome would rule.With a name like that, this European EV supermini sounds like it should be Chinese, but the Grande Panda is very much an elegant – and thoughtful ­– slice of Italian design.Based on Stellantis’ Smart Car Platform that supports internal combustion engines as well as battery electric tech, accessibility was high on the Grande Panda’s engineering brief, meaning that, were it to join its glamorous 500e supermini sister in Australia, it should be priced very competitively. Like history’s best Fiats have always been.This is the sort of fun and fiery yet ultra-functional city car that the company is famous for – and the retro styling that harks back to the beloved, Giugiaro-penned 1980 Panda original makes no bones about that. Interesting detailing, great proportions and an inviting interior presentation are further drawcards, proving that Italy still knows how to make cracking small cars. And did we mention the Grande Panda was designed to be attractively priced?OK. This is little more than the high-flying Renault 5 E-Tech wearing a 2000s-era Mk3 Micra-esque face with adorable semi-circular LEDs to set it apart.But, in an era of capable if unexciting SUVs, ageing utes and even-older 4WDs, Nissan deserves to offer something fresh and youthful.And, anyway, until the late 2010s and Tesla Model 3, the brand’s Leaf small car was the most successful EV in history. Whether lightning strikes twice with the vital third iteration from next year remains to be seen, but in the meantime, the Micra EV proves that there is real heart as well as a sense of fun at Nissan. Even if it is so clearly little more than a badge-engineered R5. But there could be worse cars to be based upon.