Renault Zoe review

You sit quite high up in the Zoe, and the fact that the driver's seat can't be lowered might prove an annoyance if you're tall. However, there’s otherwise enough adjustment in the seat and steering wheel to allow most people to get comfortable.

The view out of the front is largely unobstructed, but the rear pillars block some of the view when you’re looking back over your shoulder. Happily, rear parking sensors are standard from mid-rung Iconic trim, while range-topping GT Line models also have a reversing camera.

Although it’s a small and comparatively cheap electric car, the Zoe does a decent job of masking this with a smart-looking and reasonably high-quality interior. The more expensive trim levels make use of a special fabric made from recycled materials (including old Renault seatbelts). That might sound a bit low-rent but, in practice, the effect is quite the opposite. Look past this, though, and you’ll notice a few drab plastics and flimsy-looking vents. If you’re after a plusher interior in a small package, the Mini Electric or Peugeot e-208 will prove more appealing.

Go for entry-level Play trim and you'll get a 7.0in infotainment touchscreen that’s located in the middle of the dash. It's reasonably intuitive to use, thanks to a logical layout and sharp graphics. A DAB radio comes as standard, as does Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring.

Stepping up to Iconic trim adds a built-in sat-nav, while top-tier GT Line upgrades the screen to a 9.3in, portrait-orientated unit, adding a row of shortcut icons at the bottom to simplify operation further. It’s a responsive system that is certainly competitive within the class. The air conditioning controls are worth a mention, too: they're a combination of physical buttons and dials, so you don't have to stab away at a touchscreen just to tweak the interior temperature.

All trims get a crisp 10.0in digital display behind the steering wheel, rather than conventional instrument dials. This shows your current speed and, on models with sat-nav, turn-by-turn directions. You can also set the display to show a cute graphic of a leaf that grows and shrinks depending on how efficiently you’re driving, along with detailed statistics.