The all-new Renault Megane E-TECH Electric has been given five stars for safety from EURO NCAP, following a host of new, tech-related upgrades.
The safety rating is determined from a series of assessments in three areas - driving, parking and safety systems.
The updated Megane E-TECH Electric now has over 26 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADASs), some of which include ultrasound sensors in the front and back bumpers, a blind spot sensor, three environment cameras, and a context camera. ADAS is also designed to enable the driver to remain secure in any traffic-related situation.
It is claimed by Rudy, Head of the Driver Assistance Systems team, that these new upgrades “puts the all-new Renault Megane E-TECH Electric in a class by itself is the way its driver assistance systems complement each other.”
“It comes with systems that will switch on in cities, for example to brake the car, and others that will start up on motorways or secondary roads, at higher speeds, for instance to steer the car.”
The Active Driver Assist (traffic and highway) system, which is already available in the Renault lineup, has also been revamped. It now makes use of live, updating maps that reflect events as they happen on the road. Drivers are given a full spectrum of real-life information on the condition of the road, the posted speed limit, approaching roundabouts, as well as slow traffic, jams, and hazardous turns ahead thanks to the vehicle's cameras, geolocation data, and streamed maps.
Another safety element inclusion is the Traffic Sign Recognition and Speed Alert system. In order to offer the most accurate information, the system analyses the signs, compares the numbers on them with the data in the navigation system, and then automatically maintains the vehicle's speed within the restrictions. The car is also said to automatically reduce its speed if data from the streamed map doesn’t display any local speed signs.
The Megane E-TECH Electric is also equipped with a number of driver assistance features, to help prevent collisions and maintain the vehicle on the road. The first of these is the Lane Departure Warning, which, using a camera on the windscreen, alerts the driver if they unintentionally cross a solid or broken line.
Another is the Blind Spot Warning, which illuminates at 10mph to warn the driver that there are other moving vehicles that are hidden from view. When the car crosses a solid or broken line without the driver indicating, the third crucial driver assistance system, the Lane Keep Assist, activates. It is operational between 40mph and 100mph, and diverts the vehicle back into the middle of the lane.
The new safety features are said to be the result of the work of hundreds of engineers and technicians, as well as countless test drive miles around Europe. Later experiments were conducted to verify the data after the prototype vehicles were ready, and that data can now be highlighted.
Demonstration and details on the features of the Megane E-TECH Electric can be watched via the youtube video above.