New 2022 Renault Zoe EV coming to Malaysia, up to 395 km range, priced to give the Good Cat trouble?

• ROI open for the French city car
• 50 kW DC charging, up to 22 kW AC charging
• Up to 395 km of range

Little fanfare has surrounded it thus far but the new 2022 Renault Zoe electric vehicle (EV) is returning to Malaysia, adding on to our burgeoning BEV market. Two variants of this model are set to be offered here, with their estimated prices as below:

2022 Renault Zoe specs in Malaysia

The new Zoe is more of a deep facelift as opposed to an all-new model, and matching the visual overhaul is a specs update too. Most importantly there's a bigger battery and more powerful motors; resulting in longer ranges compared to the model it replaces.

Tentative specifications list a 52 kWh battery as standard, though power figures differ. The Zen R110's electric motor produces 110 PS / 225 Nm, while the Intense R135 has 135 PS / 245 Nm on tap.

Range varies slightly too, with the Zen R110 getting 395 km to the Intense R135's 386 km. This is much, much better than the 210 km range of the previous model.

Charging the battery from 0% to 80% on a 50 kW, CCS2 DC port takes 70 minutes, while AC charging via a 22 kW, Type 2 port juices the battery from empty to full in just 3 hours. With 7.4 kW, Type 2 AC charging, it takes 9.5 hours to do the same.

Also read: Confused by EV terms? Here's everything you need to know

The specs sheet lists full-LED headlights, 10-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 7-inch  Android Auto/Apple CarPlay compatible infotainment with 6 speakers being standard fitments. The cheaper R110 is decidely simpler with black fabric seats, manual air conditioning, and no reverse camera.

Also read: How many EVs are there on Malaysia roads? Slightly under 500, which brand leads?

Go for the Intense R135 if you need rear USB charging ports, black leather/cloth combination seats, automatic climate control, an electrochromic rear view mirror, and side mirrors that can be electronically adjusted and folded.

On the safety front, both variants get 4 airbags (front and sides). Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), and Auto High Beam (AHB) are present on both models. The Intense R135 adds on Blind Spot Warning (BSW) to that, in addition to front parking sensors – the Zen R110 only has them on the rear.

Also read: Want an electric car? Here are EVs available in Malaysia and her neighbouring countries

At this (estimated) price point, the Zoe falls directly into the crosshair of the upcoming Ora Good Cat, which is estimated to be priced along the RM 140k to RM 170k mark. Crossing segments, there's also the Hyundai Kona electric e-lite and e-plus to contend with (RM 157k and RM 177k respectively).

Also read: Review: Hyundai Kona Electric e-Plus – Is it time to get an EV?