Renault Zoe practicality and boot space

• Lots of passenger space in the Zoe
• High seating position means a step up
• Bootspace measuring 338/1225 litres

Compact external dimensions belie the amount of room inside – the Zoe is about the same size as the Renault Clio but feels roomier inside.

There’s seating for five in the Zoe but the battery location (under the seats) means there’s a slight step up to get into the car in the first place. For use with child seats, the height is welcome, and the doors open wide too.

The unusually high rear floor means passengers, and those with long legs especially, will feel like their knees are higher than normal, but on the whole rear leg room is acceptable. Head room is a bit restricted for taller guests., but there are now two USB charging sockets for phones and other devices.

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In the boot there’s a jolly decent 338 litres of space, expanding to 1,225 litres when you fold the seats down - not class-leading but on par with hatchback rivals. An optional false floor lets you hide the charging cables out of the way and get an almost-flat load space with the seat backs folded.

Safety

• Renault Zoe rated five stars by Euro NCAP
• Three Isofix mounts, one front and two back
• Simulated engine noise to warn pedestrians

There isn’t a huge amount to worry about regarding Renault Zoe safety. A five-star Euro NCAP crash-testing score highlights just how much work has been done in this area.

New electrical infrastructure introduced with the 2019 update means the ability to use more sensors and automated functions, collectively referred to as the ADAS driver assistance package.

Perhaps of most concern to those buying an electric car, many measures have been introduced to prevent problems with the high voltage electrical systems in the event of an impact.

Of course, there’s also the host of electronic safety systems you see on most new cars these days such as electronic stability control and traction control. There’s also a speed limiter and cruise control functions. Although active lane-keeping is on offer, adaptive cruise isn't - limiting coasting regeneration as well as meaning it's not entirely set-and-forget on the motorway.

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As well as standard LED headlights to brighten even the darkest of roads, the Zoe can be equipped with handy safety tech, such as:

• Emergency braking system
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keeping assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Blind spot monitoring
• Auto high/low beam headlamps
• Park assist
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Auto hill-hold

To help warns pedestrians of its approach, the Zoe emits a sound when traveling at speeds of up to 18mph. This has been developed with help from visually-impaired people who may not realise there is a car in their vicinity unless they can hear it; the frequencies are tuned to alert guide dogs too.

You can select from three 'songs', or disable the system if you need the car to be quiet.

There are Isofix child seat lashing points on the outer rear seats and also on the front passenger seat.

Renault Zoe EuroNCAP crash test video