Renault infotainment review: OpenR Link touchscreen tech tested vs rivals

Digitally speaking, Renault has been in bed with Google for some time. The OpenR Link multimedia system integrates the tech giant’s familiar tool box, including Google Maps, the Google Play app store and Google Assistant voice control, in an interface that borrows much from the Android smartphone operating system and Android Auto in-car app. Versions of it feature across Renault’s more recent models, including the all-electric Megane, Scenic and Renault 5.

In the Megane and Scenic, the 12.3-inch portrait touchscreen uses a system of tiles to put your most used apps in view. It’s intuitive if you’re familiar with Android Auto, but Apple users may take more time to become familiar with it. There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, if you prefer.

But the real advantage of Renault’s system is that physical buttons are retained for all of the key functions. The climate control and de-misting settings have switches under the screen, there’s a stalk on the steering column for the stereo and, in the Scenic, the press of one button can engage all your pre-selected settings for the various driver-assistance technology in one go.    

The Google elements integrate pretty seamlessly with the car’s own functions. A fixed menu along the top of the screen allows you to jump to the homescreen, the audio system, the phone menu, the app store or the vehicle’s settings with one press. This ability to jump to your preferred location in the menu system without having to return to the home screen is something a few other manufacturers could learn a lot from.

The touchscreen and the combined digital driver’s display also change their appearance in line with the driving mode selected from Renault’s Multi-sense menu, so it all looks and feels cohesive, no matter where you venture in the menu structure. There are up to 50 different apps that can be used on the car in the Google Play store and the real-time Google Maps navigation is top class, with routes altered for driver preferences, charging locations and warnings for issues along the route that seem accurate. For style and functionality, Renault’s is one of the best systems around.        

Test team views

• Dean says: “It’s decent. It was trickier to start with, since you need to know about the controls behind the steering wheel. But once you’re familiar with them, life is a lot easier. This is a system that needs demonstrating to buyers, because as our test shows, using the shortcut buttons is a lot quicker than performing the same task via the touchscreen.”
• Shane says: “The Scenic’s infotainment is a more complex system, but it’s good because it’s Google-based. However, I feel you’d have to get used to using it to get the most out of it. There’s a personalised shortcut button that you can tailor to your needs, which I think would be a huge help if you own the car, although maybe the Renault system isn’t the quickest to get to grips with initially.”
• Victoria says: “Most of the test went well, but I found it hard to turn off the lane-keep assist, because it’s a bit hidden. You have to find the setting, and although I figured that out before the drive, I couldn’t find it when I needed it. Otherwise, the system felt good and the screen responded quickly enough. I thought generally it worked as it should, with no major problems.”

Display and navigation

• Destination: Large portrait touchscreen offers  a big keyboard and an even longer list  of addresses, which  will make it easier to find the location that you require.
• Settings: Different options are divided between the five sub-menus across the top of the display, so you don’t have to sift through lots of screens to find what you want.
• Home: Screen size helps  to display a lot of information, with large shortcut keys above and below, while permanent climate controls feature at the base.

What's the app like?

Boasting one of the flashier-looking interfaces out there, the MyRenault app isn’t the most configurable, nor the most feature- packed. Still, we like how you can programme the air-con to pre-heat a car several times a day – ideal for when you start and finish work.

The ability to lock or unlock the car is notably absent, as is sending sat-nav directions to the car, although the latter is a common shortcoming of these apps. We also encountered several occasions when Renault’s servers were down, preventing us from using the app properly. This app ranked in 6th place overall.

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