Renault Zoe - Practicality, comfort and boot space

As a full five-seater with a 338-litre boot, the Zoe is a reasonably practical option if you regularly carry passengers and luggage. In fact, the packaging is so impressive that the car’s accommodation is pretty much a match for any supermini out there. The Zoe doesn't come as standard with a traditional three-pin home charging socket, so buyers planning occasional longer trips away from home will need to fork out for it on the options list. 

Size

The Zoe is based on the same platform as the Renault Clio. But while it’s the same width and wheelbase, it’s longer and over 10cm taller – a result of packaging the battery under the back seats. The slightly bulbous exterior styling means the Zoe seems huge when parked next to the Volkswagen up!, although you don’t get that same impression once you’re in the driver’s seat, and the Renault feels compact on the road.

The only slight quirk is that the seating position feels a little too high – again as a result of the need to place the seats on the top of the battery pack.

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Leg room, head room & passenger space

There’s just enough space in the Zoe for five occupants, and the rear seats will even accommodate six-footers on a short journey. However, the upright seating position and high floor means they may not be terribly comfortable for long. The driver’s seat is not adjustable for height (because of the position of the batteries), and although the steering wheel moves for reach and rake, we’ve found it’s difficult to find the ideal seating position if you’re on the tall side.  

Boot

The 338-litre boot is a good size for a small, Fiesta-sized car like the Zoe, especially considering the larger but similarly priced MG4 EV only offers 25 litres of extra cargo space. With the split-folding rear bench down the luggage capacity jumps to 1,225 litres, which is more than either the Peugeot e-208 or Vauxhall Corsa Electric boasts. You will have to contend with the high load lip whenever you want to chuck anything heavy into the Zoe’s fairly deep boot, and because of the batteries located beneath the rear seats you don’t get a flat load area.