New Renault ZOE won the City Car of the Year trophy

THE New Renault ZOE won the City Car of the Year trophy at TopGear.com annual awards ceremony. Leading the charge against a vast number of talented rivals, the New ZOE impressed TopGear judges with its impressive range, performance, and confident character.

Reflecting on the New ZOE’s success, TopGear. com said: ‘Renault could have gone back to the drawing board and tried to rewrite the formula. But it didn’t – instead of an all-new ZOE, it’s simply revised the existing one. Chamfered the edges, fixed only what needed fixing and left the rest. Confident in its product. It’s even quite good fun.’

Capable of running up to 395km (WLTP) on a single charge, New ZOE features the longest range in its segment. Using a new 52kWh battery and available with optional 50kW DC fast charging, New ZOE can add up to 145km of range in just 30 minutes.

Externally, New ZOE has been redesigned to give an even more modern look, plus now features standard LED headlamps. On the inside there’s a fresh dashboard design complete with customisable 10-inch TFT instrument cluster and the option of a Renault EASY LINK 9.3-inch portrait style infotainment screen, while on Iconic models, the seat trim is made from 100% recycled materials, predominantly old plastic bottles and waste seat belt material. Wireless smartphone charging is also available, while all versions get a comprehensive suite of safety systems, including an Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

Under the skin is a choice of powerful R135 100 kW or R110 80 kW motors, both of which feature a smooth, single-speed automatic transmission with new B-mode function that intensifies the regenerative braking effect to deliver true one pedal driving characteristics.

Play, Iconic and GT-Line trim levels are all available, with prices starting at €26,990 (incorporating 2019 VRT relief and full SEAI Grant) – making it the most affordable EV in Ireland.

Also at the awards, Groupe Renault was named ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ by TopGear.com, recognising the achievements of Renault, Dacia and Alpine, while the Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R took home the ‘Performance Car of the Year’ prize.